International Rose Test Garden and the 'City of Roses' jokes

The International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park was established in 1917 as a testing ground for hybrid roses and is one of the oldest public rose test gardens in the United States. Portland’s long-standing nickname 'City of Roses' stems in part from this garden and the annual Portland Rose Festival. Locals frequently make lighthearted jokes about Portland's identity as a rose city-especially when the city's rainy weather interferes with peak bloom season.