"Kentucky Roses," the Hallmark Channel's newest Kentucky Derby‑season romance, is blooming right on time. The film, which unfolds against the backdrop of the Kentucky Derby, was fittingly shot at Churchill Downs and in picturesque pockets all across Louisville. And in perfect Hallmark fashion, it will make its debut during the 2026 Kentucky Derby weekend.
In the lead‑up to the premiere, The Courier Journal visited one of the film's settings, Earl Thieneman Garden Center off Old Henry Road. Owner Anthony Goetzinger walked them through the property, sharing how his everyday garden center transformed into a movie‑ready flower market.
"It was Halloween morning when the crew decorated the exterior of the greenhouses to look like a flower market," Goetzinger said. "Of course, there weren't any flowers actually in bloom at that time of year, so they had to use artificial ones. And it was so cold that the actors had to do a really good job pretending they weren't freezing in their spring wardrobe."
The production didn't stop at the greenhouses. When the film needed a cozy interior setting, Goetzinger's own home, tucked right on the property, became the perfect location.
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