When to Take Photos at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon

Portland is often called the City of Roses and for good reason. We have the perfect climate for growing all kinds of roses. One of Portland’s most popular tourist destinations is the International Rose Test Garden. It is also one of my favorite places to visit all year round. It’s important to be aware that there are better times to go during the year that will yield the best flowers for photography.

A little backstory about Portland’s International Rose Test Garden. It started in 1915 as Jesse A. Currey and other rose hobbyists feared that many roses would be destroyed in Europe due to World War I. Currey convinced the city of Portland to begin a rose test garden to save some of the rare breed flowers. The garden and amphitheater was designed by landscape architect Florence Holmes Gerke.

The garden is home to 10,000 rose bushes, which bloom from late May through October. I have found that the garden is fullest between June to September. In the garden, there are also beautiful hydrangeas, camellias, and rhododendrons. The camellias and rhododendrons are glorious and are in bloom in the early spring. There are some hydrangeas in the garden too and those can be enjoyed from June to about August.

Here is a recent shoot with Bunny at the Rose Garden this summer.

Take care,

Megan