Ten thousand plantings of more than 500 species are grown in the garden. They've got just about every type of rose you can imagine. There are floribundas, hybrid tea roses, grandifloras, climbing roses, English roses, miniature roses and rose trees.
The International Rose Test Garden is one of the largest public gardens in the United States. This garden is used to test new species of roses. One or two species are chosen to be "Rose of the Year."
The variety of colors found in the garden is absolutely amazing.
Alyson, Korinna and Alex admire the miniature roses. Miniature roses are smaller than floribundas or traditional hybrid teas, but their color can be just as vibrant and exciting.
This is my eight year old grandson, Alex. All the way down to Portland, he kept whispering to his mother, "Mommy, do we have to go to the rose garden? Do we have to go there?" I suppose visiting a rose garden sounds rather dull and boring to a boy. Once he saw the field of flowers, Alex was as wild about the roses as the girls.
Just remember the old adage, "Real men grow roses."
I like this photo of Kristina standing near the fountain.
This arch of red climbing roses was breathtaking. Now you know why Portland, Oregon is called "The City of Roses."
