Best place to smell the roses
Not far from the madding crowds of Fenway Park is the "best-kept secret in Boston," according to Parks Department spokeswoman Mary Hines. Hidden behind a hedged-in fence are the 2000-plus bushes of the Kelleher Rose Garden. Step inside and the world is transformed into an Edenic vision of petal-laced pathways, vine-covered trellises, and hundreds and hundreds of meticulously nurtured, sublimely scented blossoms in shades ranging from the purest white to the deepest red. And if you look closely into the trellises you can find the nests of the robins that fill the garden with song. Established in 1925, featured in a 1933 edition of House Beautiful, and named after former parks superintendent James P. Kelleher, the garden has offered solace to brokenhearted Fenway fans for almost as long as the World Series drought persisted. Extensive renovations, including the planting of 1000 bushes, are now under way. They should be complete by June, which Hines says is prime time for smelling the roses. "If people thought it was beautiful before," she says, "wait until they see it then."

The James P. Kelleher Rose Garden, Park Drive behind the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, (617) 635-4505.