One of my favorite places to visit and usually my first stop when I go home to Portland are the rose gardens. High atop Washington Park, the gardens are a fragrant and peaceful escape from the city down below it.
Portland is known as the city of roses, but nearly a century ago, a citizen convinced the local government to set up a rose test garden during World War I to preserve the species of European roses that might be decimated by the bombings. Thus, in 1917, the International Rose Test Garden was born, and lives on as the oldest official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States. What does that mean for you? If you visit from April through October you can walk among the luscious rose bushes; June is when they’re most bountiful.
The garden is free, open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Parking is limited, but Washington Park offers a free shuttle or you can choose to walk or bike up to the top.
The gardens are a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Strolling through the pathways of rose bushes is not only pleasant on the nose, but educational as well. The garden features an inventory that shows the names and locations for all of the roses. An inventory that equals over 10,000 plants and over 650 different varieties. If it’s not here, it may not exist.
The gardens are great place to catch a view of the city and Mount Hood, relax with a picnic lunch on the lawns or simply enjoy an afternoon among the flowers.
My high school boyfriend and I used to watch the sunset in the gardens. The boy is long gone. but thankfully the gardens are still flourishing.
Set your gps here to visit the Portland Rose Gardens
400 sw kingston avenue, portland oregon 97205
michelle in the wild 