Portland, Oregon is home to the International Rose Test Garden. This garden is open to the public and features over 10,000 different varieties of roses. The roses in this garden are tested for their resistance to disease and pests. The garden is also a popular spot for weddings and other events.

The IRTG is a testing ground for new rose varieties, and has been since World War I. Hybridists from around the world send roses to Portland to be tested in the garden. The garden blooms from late May to October, and features over 610 different varieties of roses.

The International Rose Test Garden in Portland, Oregon, is the oldest continuously operated public rose testing garden in the United States. The garden was established in 1915 by Jesse A. Currey, president of Portland’s Rose Society and Sunday editor of the Oregon Journal. The garden was created as a safe haven for hybrid roses grown in Europe during World War I. Rose lovers feared that these unique plants would be destroyed in the bombings.

Founded in 1917, the garden was created to help preserve European hybrid roses people feared would be lost to persistent World War I bombing raids. The garden flourished and has since helped firmly embed its beautiful tenants in Portland’s cultural identity. Visitors can enjoy Rose City Genmaicha tea from Steven Smith Teamaker’s, the pistachio-rose croissant at Nuvrei, permanent bicep petals at New Rose Tattoo shop, and cheering on the fierce all-female Rose City Rollers roller derby league.

Step into the tranquil Shakespeare Garden, located behind tall hedges on the south end of the park, below the Rose Garden Store. This garden was donated by the LaBarre Shakespeare Club and was dedicated on Shakespeare’s birthday in 1946. It is planted exclusively with flowers, herbs and trees mentioned in his plays. The requirements for residency are not as strict these days and now includes roses named after Shakespearean characters – an appropriate nod to the writer who famously wrote “Of all flowers, methinks a rose is best”. Even with such a beautiful setting, the Shakespeare Garden thrives – it is such a popular spot that many midsummer night’s dream weddings take place here.

Arrive early in the day. Park in the lot below the Washington Park tennis courts, then descend a stone staircase into the dramatically terraced garden, getting a the lay of the land. You’re largely on your own here; except for the neatly labeled varietals, signage is at a minimum, so start wandering, stopping to smell the roses, of course. Alternately, you can walk or bike from downtown—it’s a heart-pumping, steadily uphill two-mile trek. Or, when the park’s free seasonal shuttle is in operation (daily, May through September, weekends during April and October), take the MAX light rail to the Washington Park station and hop the shuttle. On the right side of the garden, by the gift shop, there’s a wheelchair-accessible ramp, but much of the garden is quite hilly, so not all areas will be easy to get to.

Arrive early in the day. Park in the lot below the Washington Park tennis courts, then descend a stone staircase into the dramatically terraced garden, getting a the lay of the land. You’re largely on your own here; except for the neatly labeled varietals, signage is at a minimum, so start wandering, stopping to smell the roses, of course. Alternately, you can walk or bike from downtown—it’s a heart-pumping, steadily uphill two-mile trek. Or, when the park’s free seasonal shuttle is in operation (daily, May through September, weekends during April and October), take the MAX light rail to the Washington Park station and hop the shuttle. On the right side of the garden, by the gift shop, there’s a wheelchair-accessible ramp, but much of the garden is quite hilly, so not all areas will be easy to get to.

Those with allergies to roses or a severe fear of flowers should avoid the garden. Everyone else should experience its beauty. The plants usually bloom from mid-spring to late fall, with a peak in June during Portland Rose Festival week.