Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

Portland’s reputation as the City of Roses did not come about by accident. It was an image crafted as carefully as the impeccably-manicured public rose gardens around town, which are just beginning to bloom for the season.

We can thank volunteer gardeners and parks officials for that effort, as well as the Portland Rose Society, a club founded by Georgina Pittock that turns 130 years old this year.



What started as a private display in Pittock’s garden in 1888 soon turned into a city-wide obsession. The rose society was founded the following year, and over the next two decades Portland planted thousands of rose bushes along city streets in anticipation of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1907 – the same year as the very first Portland Rose Festival.

In 1909, Peninsula Park became the city's first public rose garden. That same year rose gardens were created throughout the Ladd's Addition neighborhood, spaces that became small public parks 1981. The International Rose Test Garden, now the biggest and best known in Portland, opened to the public in 1917.



Today you can also find roses in the gardens of Pittock Mansion, the hilltop estate where Georgina and husband Henry lived for only four years before their deaths. It now serves as a historic museum, tourist attraction and reminder of the woman who made Rose City bloom for generations to come.



Roses typically bloom between April and October in Portland, but the best time to see them is in June, when most gardens will hit peak bloom.

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Grant Butler/The Oregonian

1. International Rose Test Garden

The crown jewel of Rose City, no time spent in Portland is complete without a visit to the International Rose Test Garden. One of many worthwhile attractions at Washington Park, the garden is home to more than 10,000 roses of some 650 varieties. Pathways wind throughout the garden, offering views of Mount Hood and downtown Portland.



Open 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; 400 S.W. Kingston Ave.; parking is metered and very limited, but the garden is accessible by bus on route No. 63 (Washington Park/Arlington Hts.) as well as the Washington Park Shuttle.

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Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

2. Peninsula Park

Our city’s original rose garden is still a stunner. The formal French garden in North Portland’s Peninsula Park features more than 5,000 roses, arranged in a symmetrical pattern with brick walkways running through it. The beautiful fountain at the center of the garden is as big a draw as the roses themselves, making it a popular spot on sunny days.

Open 5 a.m. to midnight daily; 700 N. Rosa Parks Way; street parking is free around the garden, and it’s accessible by bus on route Nos. 4 (Fessenden) and 44 (Capitol Hwy./Mocks Crest).

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Rob Finch/The Oregonian

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Olivia Bucks/The Oregonian

3. Ladd’s Addition

Ladd’s Addition is an oddity among Portland neighborhoods, designed not as an orderly grid but as a symmetrical X-shaped subdivision, known for its tall trees and beautiful home architecture from the early 20th century. Roses are planted at Ladd Circle in the center, and at each of four diamond-shaped gardens spread around the neighborhood.

The gardens are found on S.E. 16th Avenue and S.E. Harrison Street in Ladd’s Addition; street parking is free in the neighborhood, and it’s also accessible by bus on route No. 10 (Harold St.).

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Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

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Courtesy of Pittock Mansion

4. Pittock Mansion

Georgina and Henry Pittock only lived in their mansion for four years, but the building has endured as one of Portland’s most iconic landmarks. While most people show up for tours of the historic home and views overlooking Portland, the gardens are a beautiful attraction on their own, in large part thanks to Georgina’s beloved roses.

Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (Feb. to May), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (June to Labor Day), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (Sept. to Dec.); 3229 N.W. Pittock Drive; admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for kids; parking is free on-site, and the mansion is also accessible via a hike from Macleay Park.

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Serge A. McCabe/The Oregonian

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB