Voodoo Gardening & Virtuality: I Touch Roses

I've never met a rose I didn't like.

From the first rose I received from a "secret admirer" back at Jackson High to the several dozen I've received over the years, I have loved them all. Sure, tulips are great, peonies are a wonder, and magnolias are simply magnificent.

But roses ... ahhhhh, they are my favorite.

And yes, I have roses in my yard: mutabilis and old blush and double pink knockouts and even a floribunda. But Portland, yes, Portland is the place to be if you love roses, like me.

On the first night of my recent trip to Portland, I walked down the neighborhood street to check out the area. I passed a yard with so many magnificent roses. They were huge! Bigger than anything I've seen growing in south Louisiana, and just, well, magnificent. I was in awe. So I passed another yard with more roses, and another, and another. It was amazing! There were all these fabulous roses, everywhere I looked!

To top it off, my dear friend Dawn had recommended a visit to Portland's International Rose Test Garden. I did some research and learned that it's next to what purports to be a mighty fine Japanese garden and in the same park with the zoo and an arboretum. I did more research to figure out the Portland public transportation system, about which I've heard nothing but good things, and figured out how to get to the rose garden sans car.

Upon arrival, I was amazed. There were just rows upon rows and gardens upon gardens of roses. The garden has over 10,000 plantings of 550 varieties of roses. It almost goes without saying that I spent quite a bit of time smelling the loveliness, but there were too many to sniff each variety.

It was absolutely incredible. One rose even smelled like a freshly sliced apple! And yes, even Drew seemed intrigued by the sights, textures, and of course smells of the garden.

There were so many colors: red, yellow, white, and purple! No one had ever created a true blue rose, but I hear there are attempts on-going. The purple, though ... I could think of a few yards around here that might like a few purple and gold roses!

And some were just HUGE!

And of course, there were pink roses. Pink roses are my absolute favorite, and that says a lot, considering how much I love roses! All the roses in my yard are pink. And a dozen pink long-stemmed roses on my desk is nearly enough to make me melt!

Of course, there were some stunning pink selections at the rose garden. Alas, my favorite is not yet on the market and - fortunately, since I am out of room - cannot become a member of my home garden just yet.