Send "green" flowers the environmentally friendly way with Portland florists.
Environmentalists have dubbed Portland, OR as the "greenest city" in the United States. It actually ranks second in the world behind Rekjavick, the capital of Iceland. It is the first U.S. city to establish and implement a plan to reduce CO2 emissions. Portland heavily promotes the use of its public transport system as well as bike lanes to keep cars off the road and has over 90,000 acres of community green space.
Portland has several nicknames. Bridgetown, Rip City, and Beertown or Beervana are just a few. The latter two stem from the fact that Portland is home to more breweries that any other city in the country. Most people know Portland as the "City of Roses". In preparation for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial celebration, Portland had 20 miles of their streets bordered with roses which gave birth to the moniker.
For the past 100 years, Portland has hosted the Festival of Roses. It is here that roses and several other Portland flowers are responsible for bringing the city together for a 16-day event that plays a major role in Portland’s economy. It is estimated that 2 million people attend this well known Portland flower festival prompting it to have earned its place at the top of the International Festival and Event Associations (IFEA) list of top festivals in the world.
The highlight of the Rose Festival is the Grand Floral Parade. This draws up to 500,000 spectators who line the street to catch a glimpse of the floats all covered in Portland flowers. Awards are handed out for the best floats each year and the rules are that every surface the judges are able to view must be completely covered in plant material. The average float entered in the parade costs between $30,000 and $60,000 to make. Although several Portland flower growers offer to contribute, float designers must be creative in their approach due to the expense that would be involved in using fresh Portland flowers to cover the entire float. In addition to Portland flowers, it is not uncommon for floats to incorporate the use of peanut shells, leaves, bark, carrots and other vegetables in to the decor. Portland florists as well as plant wholesalers are also often responsible for some of the greenery found on these amazing creations.
The Grand Floral Walk invites people to walk alongside the parade and hands out prizes for the best costume. Organizers encourage participants to incorporate flowers in to their attire. Portland flower shops are often busy in the days before the parade as walkers generally snatch up all of the flowers in Portland to add to their costumes. When the Portland flower markets and grocery chains are sold out of the inexpensive flowers, people have no choice but to turn to a local Portland florist for flowers to wear during the walk. The Grand Floral Walk has become a yearly event for families and community groups alike as the four mile walk is a fun opportunity to get fit while participating in the “City of Roses” most cherished tradition.
Portland Attractions
Often described as one of best places to live, Portland offers many things for residents and visitors to do:
- Portland Center for the Performing Arts
- Oregon Historical Society
- The Rose Garden - Arena for the Portland Trail Blazers and Winter Hawks
- Portland International Raceway - Home to G.I. Joe’s Presents Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland
- Eastmoreland Golf Course and Heron Lakes Golf Course
Our florists in Tualatin or Lake Oswego flower shops can help deliver beautiful flower arrangements right to your front door. Milwaukie florists and flower shops in Beaverton that are located right in the neighborhood can guarantee the freshest flowers available. You can trust real Hillsboro local florists and Tigard flower shops for reliable florist-delivered flowers.