That is, unless you happen to glimpse a rose garden. May is to roses what July is to fireworks, which is to say, it’s when they go off. Glum, pruned-back bushes erupt with stupid-pretty blossoms that evoke pastel supernovas, origami whirlpools and tiny watercolor ball gowns.

And they aren’t just easy on the eye. According to Karen Haney, who teaches horticultural therapy at UCLA Extension, rose blossoms can be a balm for the mind too.

“Roses give us a wide range of sensory experience that we can use to improve our mood,” she told me, noting that the kaleidoscopic colors and textures can actually engage our brains to reduce anxiety.

Then there are the fragrances — those mysterious swirls of floral, herbal and animal notes that have intoxicated poets and perfumers for millennia. “When you are experiencing that scent, the mindfulness that you’re giving to that moment is providing a restorative experience for your brain, a little bit of softness,” Haney said. “Our heart rate might lower, we take deeper breaths and we’re calming our sympathetic nervous system.”

Luckily for Angelenos, these natural mood-boosters are easy to find. Abundant sunshine and mild weather make Southern California an ideal climate for rose gardens, from charming historic plots like the Orcutt Ranch Horticultural Center to world-class collections like Huntington Gardens and the Expo Park Rose Garden.

The blooms stay spectacular from spring all the way through the beginning of winter, when most gardeners prune their blossoms to help the plants recharge for the next year. But there’s no time like the present, so we’ve put together a useful map to help you discover the most show-stopping, fragrant and relaxing rose gardens in the L.A. area right now.

Adam Markovitz is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles.