Palermo Rose Garden

El Rosedal opened in 1914 within Parque Tres de Febrero, the great chain of parks laid out on the former estate of a nineteenth-century governor, and it remains the green heart of Palermo. Around 18,000 rose bushes of hundreds of varieties are planted in formal beds, framed by a curved white pergola hung with climbers, a Greek-style bridge over the lake, and a Andalusian patio of tiles donated by Seville. Beyond it the park continues with boating lakes where pedal boats and rowing boats can be hired, a planetarium, and wide lawns that fill with families, runners and dog walkers at weekends. A garden of poets scatters busts of writers among the paths.

What you actually see

• The rose beds - thousands of bushes in formal planting, best in late spring.
• The white pergola - the curved colonnade hung with climbing roses.
• The lakes - rowing and pedal boats beneath the bridges.
• The poets' garden - busts of writers set among the paths.

When to go

October to December for the main rose bloom, with November the peak; there is a smaller second flush in autumn. Weekday mornings are calm, weekends crowded. The garden closes at night and on some Mondays for maintenance.

Honest expectations

Outside the bloom the beds are bare and the garden loses much of its point. Weekends are very busy with picnickers and runners. Shade is limited in the formal areas, which matters in summer heat.

Nearby

MALBA and the Japanese garden are nearby; the Palermo neighbourhoods lie south.