The Park of Roses gradually expanded over the following decades, including opening its Heritage Garden in 1985.

[1] In addition to the floral displays and gardens, the park includes picnic spaces, a shelterhouse that is reservable for parties and weddings, a walking trail, and forests.

The gazebo was built in 1878 at the Fort Hayes military reservation, and was restored and reinstalled in the Park of Roses in 1975.

The Civitan Club of North Columbus hosts annual concerts throughout summer here, and was one of several organizations to procure and restore the gazebo.

The garden covers 7 of the park's 13 acres, and has about 11,000 varieties: floribunda, grandiflora, hybrid tea, climber and shrub roses.

Its plantings change throughout the year, given Ohio's long growing season from March to November.

There are nine thematic beds - culinary, tea, medicinal, dye, edible flowers, fragrance, rose, pollinator, and Native American.

It was originally planned to test commercially available roses without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, or other special maintenance, though other plantings have been added, with conservation and ease of care in mind.

[5] Columbus City Council approved the purchase of 106 acres of the E. A. Fuller Farm that was to become Whetstone Park in 1944.

[4][7] The garden was designed be a self-supporting, fenced-in space with durable structures and wide enough pathways for landscaping machinery.

[4][7] The park hosted the National Convention of the American Rose Society and was officially dedicated on September 12 during the event.

At this time, it had a flowering crab apple collection, with proposed lilac and children's gardens to be installed.