Winter Photo Walk with Leland, Dec. 15, 2013 - Portland's International Rose Test Garden, No. 5

Several miniature roses--once frozen, now thawed--caught my eye. Hope you enjoy both images.
 

This particular one I like better as black and white.
 

This one I like better in color.

Winter Photo Walk with Leland, Dec. 15, 2013 - Portland's International Rose Test Garden, No. 4

Thorns galore. Therese Bugnet, hybrid rugosa.
 

Red branches in winter. Therese Bugnet, hybrid rugosa.
 

The last leaves of summer. Therese Bugnet, hybrid rugosa.

Winter Photo Walk with Leland, Dec. 15, 2013 - Portland's International Rose Test Garden, No. 3

I wish I could remember for sure, but it seems to me that when I've been to the Rose Garden in the summer, the fountain has been on. When you see some of the photos I'll share with you soon that I took at the Portland Japanese Garden, our second stop of this photo walk, you won't have a bit of trouble understanding why the fountain is water free on this particular December day. I took this photo while sitting on a bench that I had never noticed before.

Here's some information that I found online about the sculpture: Set in a sunken section on the upper level of the garden, the Frank Beach Memorial Fountain was dedicated in June 1975. The stainless steel sculpture, titled Water Sculpture, was designed and built by Oregon artist Lee Kelly. The fountain was a gift from the Beach family to honor their father, Frank Edwin Beach (1853-1934), the man who is said to have christened Portland the 'City of Roses' and who first proposed the annual Rose Festival.

Winter Photo Walk with Leland, Dec. 15, 2013 - Portland's International Rose Test Garden, No. 2

Two more blooms I photographed in the Royal Rosarian Garden.
 

Do you think faded roses look as romantic as those in their prime? Less romantic? More romantic? I'm curious what you think. For me, it depends on the shape and color of the faded rose, the curl of the petals, the angle of the blossom. Thus, the first photo represents a romantic, faded wistfulness, a lingering reach for something just beyond one's grasp. The second photo doesn't strike me as romantic at all, just sort of interesting. I took these photos with this in mind, to ask you what you think and to illustrate what I think.

Winter Photo Walk with Leland, Dec. 15, 2013 - Portland's International Rose Test Garden, No. 1

Not long after we had walked into the garden, we stopped at this section to take photos of once frozen, now thawed roses that for some reason had yet to be clipped by the gardeners. Leland works at getting the shot he wants.

Here's some info I found online about this particular section of the garden: Part of the original design, the Royal Rosarian Garden is home to the namesake roses of all past Prime Ministers of the Royal Rosarians, a civic group which serves as the official greeters and goodwill ambassadors for the City of Portland. Founded in 1912, the Order of Royal Rosarians modeled their mythical 'Realm of Rosaria' after the government of England’s King Henry VII, whose rise to the throne in 1485 ended the War of the Roses. Members are 'knighted' into the organization under their chosen variety of rose, which is then their 'namesake' rose.

Here's my photo of that same rose.