Blue Nile

Needing to get out of the house, clear my mind, I thought I'd head somewhere I haven't been in four years, even though I work only a half mile away: the International Rose Test Garden. Portland is home to the United States' oldest public garden, and boy is it beautiful. If you ever visit in the summer, you must visit the gardens. Even though I'm not a huge fan of roses, I prefer tiny flowers & ground cover, there are a few varietals here that are seriously brilliant; incredibly sweet fragrance, clean and innocent. Plus the names of some are adorable: Nina Simone, Strike It Rich, Judy Garland, Iceberg, Just Joey, First Kiss... the list goes on and on. My personal favorite, the last photo, is the Blue Nile - a soft blue/purple rose that smells like candy. Candy!
All the color is unbelievable. Today was pretty overcast, it even rained a little while I was up in the hills, which worked in my favor since it made all the beautiful corals, peaches and violets pop against the green foliage.