Taken in July 2014.

Taken in July 2014.

Taken in July 2014.

Taken in July 2014.

July means all of the roses are in full bloom at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo Rose Garden. This is a beautiful place, in the highly organized, English garden sort of way, with a diverse palate of roses arranged in the tidiest of beds. Lots of weddings are held here, which likely surprises no one. I came here right after an evening rain. I found the ambiance just right for appreciating these thorny plants that star-crossed lovers and clever florists deem to be essential elements in the critical matters of the heart. (Click on each photograph to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)