Peninsula Park Rose Garden

The Peninsula Rose Garden, located in the Historic Piedmont neighborhood, is a treasured location for the area. This beautiful garden, Portland, Oregon, is the city’s first, public rose garden. This century-old location is known for its majestic fountain and bath stand placed amid over 5,000 roses. The most famous flower in the garden, the official rose of Portland, is the Madame Caroline Testout. It allows the city to claim the title of ‘City of Roses.’ (1)

History

Emanuel Mische made this formal French rose garden in 1912. The garden maintains the architecture and vibrancy of the era of its inception. The street lamps, walkways, music pavilion, and fountain are a throwback to the 1900s era. The music pavilion is used for a plethora of summer weddings and concerts throughout the year. (2)

The park had over 300,000 visitors in its year of creation. Since then, it has calmed down a bit, but its charm is everlasting to many. As time passes, the struggle to preserve it sometimes takes a toll on the roses. Throughout the years, periods of abuse have damaged the garden of its initial luster. Anything from budget cuts to disease, to the water shutting off, have hurt the garden. However, three Oregon State University students founded the Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden in 2012. Its mission is to combat the ailments the garden has suffered and to preserve its glory. Three thousand roses were planted in 2013, during the garden’s centennial year. These two events have brought a resurgence and new level of care the garden needed.

Park Features

Besides the admiring the beauty of the garden itself, there are many activities in the garden year-round. The park is open from 5 am to 12 am, giving you plenty of time to not only admire the park but to explore the surrounding city as well. Even without its unique style, there remain the typical outdoor activities a park usually has. There are many brick walkways, tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds, and picnic sites, the garden and Peninsula State Park have to offer.

Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden

Portland has had the Portland Rose Festival for over 100 years now. There are three parades, the Grand Floral Parade, the Starlight Parade, and the Junior Parade. Everyone in the community is welcome to participate in them, and people do. Kids, adults, volunteers, visitors, and everyone lucky enough to be it can attend. There is also a sing-off, rose competition, races, auctions, and many other activities to partake in the Portland Rose Festival. Or, if you’re a gardener wanting to enjoy the outdoors and love the historic rose garden, you can become a volunteer in the Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden.

It does not take much time in Portland, Oregon to notice they have an affinity for roses. You will wonder why, but when you visit the Peninsula State Park Rose Garden, you will understand.