Check It Out: Everything’s coming up roses this month

Roses are red / Violets are blue / Except when they aren’t / Skee-diddly-do. And I say the world is a better place for it — having roses and violets in different colors, that is.

I happen to have roses on the brain for two reasons. First, June is National Rose Month, and second, Portland’s Rose Festival is now in full swing. And with all of the roses that are currently in bloom, our region definitely feels like it’s running on petal power.

My yard is rose-less, but at my previous house, I had several well-established rose bushes. This is where I learned that roses can be quite hardy, yet also prone to diseases and pests. I probably could have done a lot more to tend those plants, but they thrived anyway. I’m fine not having roses in my new yard, but I do miss that wonderful fragrance.

For anyone who loves roses, whether you have them in your garden or in a vase in your home, here is a very rosy reading list. There are guides to help you cultivate them as well as photographic tributes and even a horticultural treasure hunt as one author searches for a mysterious old rose.

And because poetry always makes things better, here is another version of “Roses are Red.” Eat your heart out, Shakespeare.

Roses range the rainbow / Violets are blue, purple, yellow, white and cream / The poem works better with “red” and “blue” / But hey, at least it has a theme.

“Chasing the Rose: An Adventure in the Venetian Countryside,” by Andrea Di Robilant. (635.9337 DI ROBI)

“The English Roses,” by David Austin. (635.9337 AUSTIN)

“Growing Roses in the Pacific Northwest: 90 Best Varieties for Successful Rose Gardening,” by Nita-Jo Rountree. (635.9337 ROUNTRE — also available in eBook format)

“Modern Roses: An Illustrated Guide to Varieties, Cultivation and Care, With Step-by-Step Instructions over 150 Beautiful Photographs,” by Andrew Mikolajski. (635.9337 MIKOLAJ)

“Practical Rose Gardening: How to Place, Plant, and Grow More Than Fifty Easy-Care Varieties,” by Inger Palmstierna. (635.9337 PALMSTI)

“Roses Without Chemicals: 150 Disease-Free Varieties That Will Change the Way You Grow Roses,” by Peter Kukielski. (635.9337 KUKIELS)

“Vintage Roses: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden,” by Jane Eastoe. (635.9337 EASTOE)

Related Stories