Dangerous Beauty

Cultivating Beauty: Rose Gardening
By Dave Owen
Roses have received a reputation of requiring high maintenance and being difficult to grow. It is a shame because they are one of the most beautiful and distinctive flowers. But, with a little knowledge how and tender love and care, raising roses can createa fragrant and beautiful mainstay to your gardens. As a result of the efforts of many hortaculturists, modern hybrids and hardy varieties make rose gardening simpler and more rewarding than ever.

One can find roses in colors from white to almost black, and every shade in between. Along with the vast variety of colors, rose plants can be found with a different growing habits and degrees of hardiness. One can find roses that vary from a low growing shrub to elegant climbings. One of the most enjoyable experiences of rose gardening is being able to choose the varietie and color to plant. One type of rose that is becoming very popular is the antique. These can be found at many rose emporiums and have been nurtured from cuttings taken from old cemetaries.

Planting

To create a successful rose garden, one must choose the a good location for planting. Roses like full sun with well-drained soil to thrive. the prefered condition is rich soil containing plenty of organic matter. But roses are very hardy and can tolerate most soil types. To make sure your rose plants are placed in the ground as soon as possible, prepare your rose bed before purchasing your plants.

You have two options when you purchase your rose plants: bare root and potted. The least expensive of the two are bare root roses because they are packaged and shipped in their dormant state. But, if you want a quick start

to your rose garden, you will probably want to purchase potted roses. As they take root and bloom more quickly, potted roses are a good choice for beginning rose gardeners.

After the bed has been prepared and the plants purchased, it is time to begin planting. To make sure you rose has the best chance of quality growth, the hole must be prepared properly. It should be large enough to contain the entire root system of the rose. This means that is should be deep enough to cover the root ball to the crown.

Pruning and Care

To maintain the health of your plant, rose gardening involves some ongoing upkeep. To encourage growth and maintain health, roses should be pruned in both spring and fall. If done properly, pruning will cut out any dead or weak branches and remove twiggy, non-productive growth.

If you live in an area of cold or snowy winters, preparing your rose bushes for winter is an important part of rose gardening. To protect your rose bushs from winter chills, simply mound mulch around the base of each rose bush and secure it in place with a collar or cage.

Often known as the hobby of royalty, rose gardening has a long, rich history. It is being enjoyed by an increasing number of modern gardners because of the beauty and hardiness of the plants. To enjoy this beautiful hobby only a little knowledge, a patch of garden space and a love for beauty.

Dave Owen is the owner of My Roses, where you can find the information to take care of the worlds most beautiful flowers...