Centennial Logo for the International Rose Test Garden, Portland, Oregon

Do you love roses and wish to offer some time at Portland’s premier public rose garden?!  We’d love to have you join our team!  Volunteers deadhead according to their own schedule in the garden weekdays, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:00 am and 2:00 pm (Wednesdays start at 10am), and Monday evenings from 6:00pm – 8:00 pm.    An orientation is required.  Please email us with your interest or with any questions: waparkroses@gmail.com

And please show your support with a donation following the links below!

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT: We acknowledge that the Portland metro area and Washington Park rests on traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River.  We thank the descendants of these tribes for being the original stewards and protectors of this land.

International Rose Test Garden — learn more!

Review the history and current elements of the rose garden by following this link:  IRTG Brochure

Review this stand-alone map of the International Rose Test Garden by following this link: IRTG map

Centennial Logo for the International Rose Test Garden, Portland, Oregon
The International Rose Test Garden (IRTG) in Washington Park celebrated its centennial in 2017!  The rose garden and Portland’s identity with roses are inextricably linked.  Back in 1888, Georgiana Burton Pittock, wife of pioneer publisher Henry Pittock, invited her friends and neighbors to exhibit their roses in a tent set up in her garden.  An annual rose show grew in popularity and size.  Georgiana and her friends established the Portland Rose Society in 1889.  Jesse A. Currey, a former Rose Society president, chose the garden’s site and convinced city fathers to inaugurate a rose test garden in 1917 with the support of the American Rose Society, City officials, and civic-minded citizens.

The primary purpose of the garden continues to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. In the beginning, hybridists were encouraged to send roses from around the world to Portland’s garden for testing.  Today, the Washington Park IRTG is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States and welcomes nearly 700,000 visitors each year.

Come see this exhibition garden of 4.5 acres, with over 10,000 rose bushes and 600 varieties of roses!  There is no entry fee.  A trip to Portland isn’t complete without a visit to WA Park and the International Rose Test Garden, an iconic representation of The Rose City!

About Us

Friends of Washington Park’s International Rose Test Garden is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EID 85-2892999.  Our mission is to preserve, protect, and enhance the International Rose Test Garden. The Friends recruit and support hundreds of garden volunteers who contribute their time and expertise deadheading, leading tours, and answering questions of garden visitors. The Friends assist in increasing public awareness of the garden and support efforts to maintain and improve the garden. We work in partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation.

Logo of Friends of International Rose Test Garden

How Your Donations Help...​

Donations are used exclusively to maintain and enhance the WA Park International Rose Test Garden.  The Friends of IRTG are a 501c3 charitable organization and your donations are tax-deductible. You can click the button below to make a donation via PayPal.  If you would prefer to send a check, post it to our mailing address: Friends of IRTG, 850 SW Rose Garden Way, Portland, OR  97205.  And thank you!  

 

Interested in Volunteering?

Deadheaders are needed during the rose season to prune off spent flowers. Interested?  Contact waparkroses@gmail.com for a volunteer orientation.   

You’ll need to complete PP&R volunteer forms and bring them with you. Click Learn More.

Contact Us

Visiting the Rose Garden

The International Rose Test Garden is located in Washington Park, above downtown Portland, Oregon. Parking can be challenging in WA Park due to a multi-year Portland Water Bureau project. Visitors are encouraged to take TriMet MAX Light Rail to Washington Park stop. Starting in April, the free WA Park shuttle runs through the park each weekend and from May through September, the free shuttle runs seven days a week, with a stop at the rose garden.  Visit Explore Washington Park for further information.

Washington Park's International Rose Test Garden

Friends of International Rose Test Garden is a non-profit Oregon Corporation, dedicated to preserve, protect, and enhance the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon.  You can reach us by email at waparkroses@gmail.com or by postal mail at:

Friends of International Rose Test Garden
c/o Rose Garden Store
850 SW Rose Garden Way
Portland, OR 97205

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