Virginia Woolf on June nights and roses

June 7, 11:34 AMDenver Flower and Gardening ExaminerColleen Smith

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Denver Flower and Gardening Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Roses grow and glow in Colorado's bright sunshine.                    Photos by Quincy Benton    

 
“The June nights are long and warm; the roses flowering; and the gardens full of lust and bees, mingling in the asparagus beds.”

--Virginia Woolf   Diaries

So far, our June nights have not been what I would call warm. I still have my down comforter on my bed.

But the roses are flowering, and the bees are mingling.

Roses fare well in Colorado. We have hundreds from which to chose--everything from simple five-petaled flowers to the most elaborate, poofy ones; climbing roses or shrub roses; heirloom roses or new hybrids. 

My only criteria is that the rose have fragrance.

June is for roses. If you don't have any, do plant some. Even if you have only the limited space of a lanai, you can find a miniature rose in a container that will work for you. If you have the luxury of roses in your garden, do cut some to bring indoors in a bouquet or a rose bowl where you can enjoy them--as roses are meant to be enjoyed.

And remember when working with your roses to wear a long-sleeved shirt and some heavy-duty gloves to avoid being scratched or punctured by the thorns.