Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Test Roses
While I have been to the Portland Airport and spent some time just over the river in Vancouver, Washington, I had never visited Portland before our road trip. It's a fun city. Since we were there such a short time, we visited all the touristy things like Powell Books, Voodoo Donuts, the Saturday Market, the Sunnyside neighborhood, and the "Keep Portland Weird" sign. But my most favorite attraction in the city was at Washington Park - The International Rose Test Garden. The garden's main purpose is to test new varieties of roses. It is one of the oldest test gardens in the United States. Here's a little bit of information and history. The park is stunningly beautiful and smelled so good.
Even though this is the rose garden, when you first walk in these hydrangeas are at the entrance gate. Kind of funny, but they were amazing - the size of my head.
We only had a couple of hours to visit, but I could have spent all day there taking pictures and literally smelling the roses.
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I had never heard of Voodoo donuts until about a week ago when some friends of mine visiting Portland posted them on Facebook. We have a company relatively nearby that makes similar ones as well. I'm always glad they are closer and more convenient or I would be many many pounds heavier!
ReplyDeleteWhile Voodoo was a fun experience - it's a pretty groovy place and the donuts are very creative and cute - if I'm being honest I've had better donuts at our regular donut place. I feel like they have gotten quite big and are turning out a quantity of donuts that they can't keep up with and keep them fresh at the same time. We had fun there, but the donuts were just meh.
DeleteThe only time I ever have a donut is if someone brings them in to share at school. And I'm thankful that that doesn't happen very often. :)
So many gorgeous colors and varieties of roses!! I'll admit that I'm drawn to those hydrangeas, though. SO pretty!
ReplyDeleteIt was really something. I wish we'd had more time to really follow the "tour" and keep track of what each rose was. It was so overwhelming (in a good way) because each and every one was so amazing and everywhere you turned just got more beautiful. We have some pretty gardens here, but this one blew them all away.
DeleteAdding to my Bucket List--I would adore the Roses!
ReplyDeleteYou would! It was something.
DeleteThe roses and hydrangeas are the ONLY advantage of a wet temperate climate. Rain forest really. We lost the Hydrangeas in the 90s for the most part, the UK in the late 80s. Unless that is you had a outlet from a watering system under the subshrub.
ReplyDeleteRoses on the other hand got better with the lift in temp and the lack of water in summer. But mostly it was the changes in planting. And of course growing more to the plant and not control freakery of the hi-bred teas. Idiots breeding roses like they do with French bulldogs and those distorted goldfish.
Ha!
DeleteYa know, I’m not really a rose fan. There are other flowers that I like better, but this place was pretty great. I was out for a walk this morning and noticed one of my neighbors has a HUGE hydrangea Bush in full bloom...it’s been over 100 degrees for all but maybe 1or 2 days in July. How does she do that? Anytime I’ve tried to grow them they die in like a week - most plants die in my presence but this was extra fast. It is along the side of the house where we have an outdoor faucet/hose.
Hydrangeas shouldn't really grow lower than Portland, even with water. We have rain most years and we don't have the plants like we had when I was a kid. And I thank the lord for that too. For in truth they are they plants of the forest and beside a lake/pond. Even a Viburnum might struggle in LA.
DeleteI think roses look good in solid colours, maybe 50 shrubs to a planting. Or as single/three in a border. That mishmash above would begin to do my head after a while.
We’ll have to agree to disagree. ;). I like them the way you described, but all those pretty colors in the garden!?!? I loved it!
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