The Rose Garden

Ah, summer. It's in full swing, and I love it. There's a big secret here in the Pacific Northwest, and I've talked about it before. The secret is that the winters aren't as bad as anyone says they are, and even if they were, the summer weather would totally make up for it. It's cool in the evenings (65 - 70 degrees), warm during the day (mid-80s), no humidity, and no bugs. When I talked about this before, I only had a hunch that all the boo-hooing about the winter rains was just a front to keep people from moving here. I'm now absolutely convinced that is the case.

This is one of my favorites... reminds me of a candy cane.

Anyway, one of the absolute best places to visit during the summer in Portland is the International Rose Test Garden. Remember how I told you that one of Portland's nicknames is "City of Roses"? Well, here it is in full force: in a space of about 4 acres, there are over 7,000 rose plants of about 550 different varieties. The rose garden is tucked into beautiful Washington Park, a fantastic place to spend an afternoon if you want to be outdoors.


Why is it called a "test" garden, you ask? Well, it's just that: new varieties are sent here from all over the world to test them out... see how they grow, check for diseases, color, and fragrance. It started as a safe place to send roses for safe-keeping during World War I, because people didn't want their roses destroyed during the bombing in Europe. Which, I think is interesting...like, didn't they have other more important things to worry about than what would happen to their rose bushes? Weird.

The roses bloom off and on from April through October, with the peak coming in June/July depending on the weather. I highly recommend going before summer is over. I went in August last year, too, and there were still plenty of roses to enjoy. Plus, it's free, it's outside, and there's a pretty great view of downtown Portland with Mount Hood in the background. Here are some tips: parking kind of sucks, but be patient. Lots of people are coming and going, so you can easily snag a good spot if you keep your eyes open. Or, you can take MAX (Red Line or Blue Line) if you don't want to drive. Also, there's not much shade there, so wear sunscreen, and if it's a hot day, I wouldn't recommend going in the middle of the day. It can get pretty hot up there.

I mean, really, everywhere you turn there is an amazingly beautiful rose. I took so many pictures when I was there. And oh they smell so good. The whole place is so fragrant, and every rose I see beckons for me to put my nose right in and take a whiff. Mmm!

And with that, here are some more pictures for you to enjoy! This is just a small sampling of the beauty you will see there. I couldn't post all my pictures, because then you wouldn't go, would you?

The black rose. Yep, that's right. BLACK. (Apparently this is as close as they can get.)

Another black rose (which is really just dark red if you ask me.) Did you know there's no such thing as a blue rose?

If you're lucky like me, there will be a lady there playing her harp.

So go! And, while you're there, hit up a short hike in Washington Park or over at the Hoyt Arboretum. I highly recommend the Redwood Trail. And don't forget your camera! If you're not into hiking, then visit the Oregon Zoo, or the Portland Children's Museum instead. There's plenty for everyone!