‘Smiles for Miles,’ a yellow and blushing pink hybrid tea rose with a moderate fruity fragrance, has been selected as the Portland Rose Festival’s 2023 official rose.
As is tradition, a themed rose is introduced as a fundraiser for the nonprofit Portland Rose Festival Foundation each year, and people such as Carla Stenberg of Southeast Portland, a festival supporter, home gardener, and rose fancier, look for a spot in their yard to plant the new rose bush.
“Rose gardens have always been a part of my life,” says Stenberg, who has been a member of the Rose Society since the 1980s as well as a Royal Rosarian for 23 years and an officer on the festival board for ten years.
“My grandmother spent her honeymoon at the Portland Rose Festival,” she says. “My love of roses and the festival is intertwined.” Stenberg selects theme roses that evoke a memory, such as the festival’s 2010 ‘Summertime Souvenir’ or represent a positive thought like 2021 ‘Burst of Hope,’ issued during the pandemic.
Read more at oregonlive.com
