Chances of winning: Portland Botanical Garden nominated for the title of the best in the USA

Botanical gardens in the United States are not only places of amazing beauty, but also centers of scientific research and conservation of rare plants. Among them, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, located in the southeast of Portland, stands out.

This year, this garden claims to be the best botanical garden in the United States and is nominated for the annual Newsweek Readers' Choice Award. What is known about this amazing place and how the winner will be chosen, writes oregonlive.com.

The Crystal Springs Garden was established in 1950 and has since become one of the most famous and visited botanical gardens in the Pacific Northwest. Crystal Springs is home to many species of flora, including rare and exotic plants that attract the attention of botany enthusiasts and professional scientists alike.

In addition, the garden hosts flowering festivals, exhibitions, and concerts, making it an attractive place to visit all year round, and it is also very popular during the Mother's Day holiday.

It is the only garden nominated in the Pacific Northwest and one of three on the West Coast.

In addition to the Crystal Springs Botanical Garden, there are many other natural sites in Oregon. For example, in Portland, there is the Leach Botanical Garden, the Portland Japanese Garden, the Lan Su Chinese Garden, and the International Rose Test Garden. There's also the Oregon Garden in Silverton, the Shriner Iris Gardens in Salem, and Shore Akers State Park outside of Coos Bay.

Who else is in the nomination?

In addition to this botanical garden, the Newsweek nomination included major urban attractions such as the New York Botanical Garden, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, and the U.S. Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C.

Smaller attractions such as the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, and Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina are also up for grabs.

How the voting takes place

The winner is chosen by a panel of travel writers who selected the nominees.

Readers are allowed to vote for their favorite garden once a day until the polls close at 9 a.m. Pacific Time on February 29. Registration is not required to vote.

"Best Botanical Garden is one of 15 prestigious Readers' Choice nominations under development. It should be noted that another institution was shortlisted for the best science museum - the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Seattle was not left out either, with three outstanding nominations. The Seattle Art Museum and Chihuly Garden and Glass are among the contenders for Best Art Museum, and the Frye Art Museum received a nomination for Best Free Museum.