A Tour Guide to Portland's Rose Garden - The Oldest Public Rose Test Garden

The Portland Rose Society was found in 1889. The society was dedicated towards conducting educational programs for the encouragement of landscape beautification using roses. This rose society is responsible for maintaining the name of Portland's Rose Garden for its high standards in the whole world.

If you have a love affair with roses, then there is no reason that you should not visit this oldest public rose test garden. The garden remains open to public from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

There is a specific time-period from June to September, when you can join a group of trained volunteers and visit the Garden for free. This free visit is open only for Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

You can also make a group of 10 or more and avail some good discounts on the tour fees. These are guided tours that you can make anytime round the year.

There are many Gardens established inside this Rose Garden, each with its own set of specialties. The International Rose Test Garden, Royal Rosarian Garden, Shakespeare Garden and Miniature Rose Garden are the main gardens.

And in your knowledge/love-driven tour, if you want to know more about Portland's tryst with Roses, don't fail to visit the Frank Edwin Beach Memorial Fountain, dedicated to Frank Edwin Beach, who is said to the man who named Portland as the 'City of Roses'.

The International Rose Test Garden is home to more than 6,800 rose bushes, which contain 557 different types of roses. In the year 2006, the garden was the winner of The Garden of Excellence award at the hands of the World Federation of Rose Societies.