International Rose Test Garden Questions

Answers

1917.

7am to 9pm, every day, year-round

No, it’s free. However, voluntary donations are accepted at donation boxes in the Garden.

City of Portland Parks and Recreation Department

Through city taxes, donations, and proceeds from the Rose Garden Store.

4.5 acres

10,000 +/-

The first buds start popping open here and there in early May, with more and more opening as it gets later in the month. The Garden usually bursts into full bloom about the first week of June – just in time for the Rose Festival!

Generally, you can count on lots of flowers from Memorial Day clear through Columbus Day – many years even into November.

Yes. The Garden is always worth a visit for its beautiful setting on a hillside overlooking the downtown Portland skyline with majestic Mt. Hood looming in the background. In the fall, the trees give us beautiful autumn colors; the camellias begin blooming in December; and spring brings masses of rhododendrons azaleas, and pink clouds of cherry blossoms!

Approximately 70 percent of the garden is accessible. Please be aware that the ramp was built well before the current ADA requirements, and is steeper than the new ADA standard.

Yes - just keep them on a leash and clean up after them!

Yes! The Rose Garden Store is open daily year round with a wonderful selection of rose related items. Or SHOP ON-LINE.  Proceeds form the Rose Garden Store go to help support the Gardens.

From April through October there is a walk-up refreshment stand serving a selection of snack foods such as hot dogs, chips, popcorn, ice cream bars, shaved ice (snow cones), bagels, muffins, fruit, pop and juice. There is no food available on site from November through March.

Free tours will be conducted by OSU Extension Service Master Gardener volunteers beginning in May of 2005. Tours are held Tuesdays and Saturdays at 1:00 pm. Meet in front of the Rose Garden Store.

There is a nice restaurant just outside the entrance to the Oregon Zoo, 2 miles up the hill. There are lots of restaurant choice just outside of Washington Park in the nearby NW 23rd district.

Yes! Over the years the garden has been the site of hundreds of weddings. (For more information click here.)

Yes. Free public concerts are held over a two week period usually at the end of July or beginning of August. (For more information click here.)

No, that’s definitely not allowed! Many roses are protected under commercial patent rights. There is a Portland City ordinance specifying a $500 fine for the unauthorized removal of roses from the garden.

No, the Rose Garden does not produce roses commercially for sale – the Garden is for testing and for your enjoyment.

Many of the roses that you see in the Garden are available bare-root during the dormant season (winter to early spring) by mail order from commercial rose growers and at your local retail nursery outlets. After bare-root season, your local nursery should have a selection of potted roses.

Those are the new hybrids currently undergoing testing. They are not yet named and are not commercially available.

Automatic underground irrigation sprinkler system which delivers water primarily to the base of the plants.

Depends on weather conditions. Roses need plenty of moisture to their roots – but not on their foliage – to thrive.  The sprinklers come on very early in the morning so that that any foliage that gets wet can dry.

A 15-10-10 fertilizer developed by the Portland Rose Society, plus trace elements.

Three times per year – April, June and August

We used it for bed prep in the past. We now use garden compost as our primary soil amendment in the spring and fall.

Yes.

For insect - Avid, Tempo II, Orthene For diseases - Funginex Triforene

At 10 to 14 day intervals as needed.

The roses are “topped” in November to about 3 ft. high. Then in February (traditionally between Valentine’s day and President’s Day) they are pruned to about 12 in. to 18 in. high, depending on growth habit. More pruning info...

One year-round, two in the summer, plus lots of volunteers.

The Portland Rose Society, the Royal Rosarians, Portland Rose Festival Association and other civic groups have contributed in many ways to help the Garden.  Rose growers, Master Gardeners, and Park Hosts provide time and services to the Garden.  And a band of local residents helps to keep the Garden beautiful by volunteering their time and energy to "dead-head" the roses throughout the entire blooming season.