A Rose by Any Other Name

For most roses, the name is the last step in an exacting, years-long process of cultivation and testing. The perfect name can evoke images strong enough to elevate a lovely bloom into legend.

It’s no coincidence that the “Abraham Lincoln” and “Peace” roses are a staple in every rose-lover’s garden.

Diana, Princess of Wales, Billy Graham, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan each have their own namesake roses from Oregon’s Jackson & Perkins in Medford. Now you can, too, if you’ve got $75,000.

Some of the exquisite new plants produced by Jackson & Perkins each year will never be sold to the public, but instead are destined for the J&P Custom Rose Program, through which individuals, companies or organizations pony up cash for the honor of selecting and naming their own variety.

The hefty price tag brings a luxury trip for two to the Jackson & Perkins research facility near Los Angeles, where buyers choose their namesake and meet with its creator, world-renowned hybridizer Keith Zary. Come spring, 300 custom rose bushes get delivered, along with a case of premium champagne and certificates featuring the chosen name.

For the droves of rose lovers who want to immerse themselves in the scents and colors of the world’s finest roses without the price tag, however, Oregon offers many completely free options.

Start off at the Jackson & Perkins test gardens in Medford, where you’ll see thousands of roses and hundreds of varieties. Open year-round during daylight hours. Located on — where else? — One Rose Lane, adjacent to the Harry and David plant at South Gateway Center, Medford. Call 800-872-7673, or visit www.jacksonandperkins.com.

Portland’s International Rose Test Garden is the oldest continuously operated public rose test garden in the U.S. Begun in 1917 as a safe haven for roses grown in Europe during World War I, it’s a sumptuous 4 1/2-acre site with more than 8,000 plants and the rose-themed Rose Garden Store. Open year-round, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 400 S.W. Kingston Ave., in Washington Park. Call 503-823-3636 for more information. The garden store is located at the top of the garden to the south of the parking area. Open year-round, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; during daylight savings time,10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 503-227-7033.

In Eugene, the Owen Memorial Rose Garden is nine acres with more than 4,500 rose bushes and 400 varieties. Nestled on the south bank of the Willamette River, the park is interspersed with picnic areas and accessible walkways. Open year round, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. 300 N. Jefferson Ave., Eugene. Call 541-682-5025. Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem boasts a delicious mix of open spaces, walking paths, gardens and a Victorian greenhouse, the oldest in Oregon. The roses include extensive older hybrid tea plantings as well as the Tartar Old Rose Collection. Open year-round during daylight hours. 600 Mission St., Salem. Call 503-363-4714.

Avery Park Rose Garden in south Corvallis has received various awards for excellence. The 75-acre garden features modern shrub roses, hybrid teas and their kin, and a significant collection of Old Garden Roses. Open year-round, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. 2245 N.W. 11th St., Corvallis. Call 541-766-6918.