The Rose Geek Tour Of The Portland Rose Garden

My mom and I made it to the rose garden in Portland yesterday and it was perhaps the most perfect day on earth for it. It was warm but not boiling and absolutely everyone was out in the park. Going to this rose garden was like traveling to my mecca. I don't care how boring and over-popular you think roses are, once you start growing them it's difficult not to fall under their heady spell.

Here are some highlights of the visit:

• As we entered the parking lot, a narrow long affair, we passed by a large wedding party where the bride and groom were walking very formally together while her train was being held and everyone shuffled importantly around them. I almost yelled out the window "Vegas is the answer to all your troubles my friends!!" which is ironic since I think the only thing Vegas is good for is eloping in. But before I could shout out the window I was distracted by some white head scarves many of the women were wearing-my religious gear alarm went off...they didn't really go with the outfits and many of the women were wearing them...I guessed the family and couple to be Greek. We passed too quickly for me to hop out and interrogate the wedding party. Besides, I'm much too shy.

• The rose gardens were filled with people. I don't know what I expected, but in California, whenever my friend Sharon and I would go to Ray Reddel's test garden we were the only people there. I guess I just didn't think rose gardens were that popular. However, my mom and I stuck out like sore thumbs because we insisted on smelling all the roses. Very few other people bothered to sniff. We would rush over to some promising specimen with arms waving and excited exclamations "Oh look at this one...!" we'd lean in to sniff and then back away in horror "Oh God! Why does this rose smell like rot?!" 99% of the roses there have little or no scent. This is a HUGE oversight on the garden planner's part and makes me realize that I should have helped to plan it.

• The wedding party we had passed in the parking lot descended on the rose gardens, all white froth and black tails. I don't blame them for wanting to start their married bliss amongst the glory of all those blooming flowers. At the same time, I'm not particularly sentimental and weddings aren't all that exciting to me. A lot of fuss. Their fuss interfered with my enjoyment as they blocked many paths and specimens I wished to sniff. Plus, I didn't like the bride's dress much and one of the babies in their wedding party loudly objected to being forced to sit in the bright sun while about five hundred of the same wedding shots were taken. Gee, I wonder why? Yet no one bothered to walk the poor baby out of the blaring sun and away from the tedium of wedding photography. That baby objected piercingly for about forty five minutes.
  

• We found a shady bench to rest on for a spell and I got to chat with some old people. Something I particularly enjoy. When we walked away I couldn't help but hope that someone will enjoy talking to me when I'm old.

• Just as I thought we were free of weddings I bumped into another photo session in progress for a whole different much quieter wedding. Still, all that white froth. Brides still really love white. I got married in red. I think it would have been bad luck for me to get married in white.

• A whole lot of rose geekery ensued. I couldn't help myself. I was able to identify many of my favorite roses by sight which was so much fun and annoyingly self satisfying. I saw a pink rose that looked familiar by it's towering growth and prolifically blooming medium sized blooms and when my nose was lowered into it's orb of scent I almost died with pleasure, I excitedly told my mom I thought it must be "Frederick Mistral" and sure enough, it was. Finding roses you have grown and loved is like finding old friends out in the world. This is for you Sharon: the very last rose we found before we left was your old discovery "Jardin De Bagatelle". She's as wonderful and as intoxicating as ever.

• Apparently we were on the same time table as the Greek wedding party who left loudly honking their horns as we were walking to our car. My mom said towards the caravan "Oh, you'll find out soon enough..." and a lady behind us cracked up laughing.

I must go back before the end of the season. I must go back because it was so soothing and beautiful and absolutely the perfect place to spend time as though I have all the time in the world. I do think Portland is one of the best cities in the world, and I've seen a few. Now it's Sunday morning and I am dying to get a few garden projects finished, like training my climbing noisette rose "Kaiserin Frederich", and staking my drooping buddleia as well as clipping thyme to dry. Max is with Grandma in the city. We don't get a lot of Max free breaks so I plan to enjoy our morning. Also, we signed our refi papers on Friday and if nothing happens to curse us and ruin our lives, it should fund this week and we'll be able to pay off the credit cards!

Life is good today.