The Perfume Bee

Today was one of those absolutely perfect days that Portland offers up like a precious jewel. Eighty degrees, no humidity, a light breeze, blue sky, and flowers blooming everywhere we looked. I had the rare good fortune of walking downtown with my two teen-aged sons (rare because they would so much rather be with their friends before the jobs and vacations of summer begin).

We turned the corner and came upon a Flower Festival at Pioneer Square, fondly known as “Portland’s Living Room.” There were gigantic pods of brightly-colored flowers scattered around the brick-lined square. It was so beautiful — like a visual perfumer’s palette in supersized 3-D.

The boys yielded and gave me about 3 minutes to take pictures (maybe 4 minutes), so here’s what I got:

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Portland, Oregon, is lovingly (and officially) known as “The City of Roses.” It is home to the spectacular International Rose Test Garden.

Founded in 1917, Portland’s International Rose Test Garden is the oldest official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States. In the beginning, even though World War I was raging in Europe, hybridists sent roses from around the world to Portland’s garden for testing and to keep the new hybrids safe from being destroyed by the bombing in Europe (via Rose Garden website.)

Here are a few photos I took today as my family and I strolled through this inspirational and fragrant garden:

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rose photos: copyright © 2007 The Perfume Bee

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