Choices, Choices!
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The main thing to remember is that roses are delightful plants to grow in your garden. Few other plants are as attractive or burst with as much color as roses do.
You are sure to find great satisfaction from growing rose flowers in your garden. But roses can also seem like picky, finicky plants that need a great deal of attention. That is why you should be careful in choosing your rose flower varieties. There are several factors you should take into account before you select which roses you want to grow.
- What planting zone you live in
- What type of soil you have
- The location & size of your rose garden
- Your budget
- How much time you have to work in your garden
- Your personal preferences for color, fragrance, and size
These are all important environmental factors to consider before you choose your rose flower variety.
There are countless types of roses to pick from. Some are sun soakers, while others only need a bit of light a day. Others only do well in warm climates, while some are capable of persevering through cold seasons.
For example, hybrid tea roses are some of the most popular roses in the United States, because of their beauty and fragrance. However, tea rosees are not very winter hardy and they need to be coddled a bit.
If you don’t have that kind of time or your climate is subject to frigid temperatures, tea roses may not be for you.
But those aren’t reasons to give up on your rose garden aspirations. There are many roses that are sturdy enough to brave cold weather or other less than mild climates.
For example, Albs and Rugosas are rugged rose flowers that only need three hours of sunlight. They are great for just about any environment.
Red shrub roses are sturdy plants that produce brilliantly colored blossoms that bloom deep into autumn. They grow to be five or six feet tall and are capable of surviving both the winter and drought weather.
This type of rose is powerful enough to fend off the troublesome Japanese beetle and only needs three or four hours of sunlight a day. The red shrub rose is a great choice for those in cooler, drearier climates.
Climbing roses are also tough. They fight off blackspot and mildew efficiently and usually give continuous flowering.
But, no matter what your climate is, don’t fret. Chances are that you can grow bright, breathtaking roses. Some roses require a green thumbed garden work horse. That means that you better be ready if you should happen to adopt pretentious pre-Madonna roses that will keep you in the garden for an extended period of time.
Learn more about which rose flowers grow best in which climates
You can learn more about some of the different rose flower varieties by following the links at the top of this page.
To learn more about planting zones, click here.
First off, roses need good, healthy soil. They won't grow without it. You also need to know what type of soil you have... clay soil, sandy soil, loamy soil, rocky soil? Knowing your soil type will tell you what type of nutrients you may need to add, how moist it is, what the drainage might be like.
Soil pH is also important. Roses need a pH of around 6.5. pH measures acidity levels, and a pH of 6.5 is slightly acid soil.
Neutral soil is about 7.0. Alkaline soil is pH above 7, acid soil pH is anything below 7.
The type of soil you'll find in a forest is usually acid loamy soil, while that found in a valley is usually clay or sandy soil.
Clay soil usually translates to bad drainage, less frequent watering, and high pH. It also needs large amounts of organic matter (such as compost) to be added.
On the other hand, sandy soil usually translates to great drainage, but drier soil overall, which means more watering. You'll also need to add organic matter (compost, manure, grass clippings, etc) to sandy soil, just as you do with clay soil.
High organic soil is the best and usually means high acidity (low pH), good drainage, and good retention of moisture. You'll just to add a little crushed limestone in order to increase the pH.
In the US (and maybe other countries as well), you can send off samples of your soil to a soil testing lab and find out what your local pH is. That will help you to plan what type of rose flowers are right for you.
Once you get your roses planted in your rose garden, it will be important that you dig out or till your garden every year. This helps to aerate the soil and is essential in maintaining the health of your rose flowers.
Not all roses will grow anywhere. Some need room to climb, while others spread. Most thrive in full sun, while others do better in shade.
Click here to learn about 3 types of roses that love the shade...
Don’t be cheap. Buying the lowest priced roses you can find will only end up costing you more money in the long run. Go for top notch bushes that have hearty, virile root systems.
By spending more money now, you will save money later. Cheaper often translates to more work for you. And it certainly doesn’t indicate better quality.
Before you decide on what color roses you will plant, think about size and maintenance requirements. While you may favor some roses over others, those roses may fall into the high maintenance category.
Find out what you are going to have to do to keep the rose alive before you plant it. If you don’t want a lot of hassle, get some of the more independent types of roses.
Common maintenance tasks include pruning, soil preparation, watering, and warding off disease.
As you doubtless know, rose flowers come in more than 16,000 varieties. You can choose many different colors, such as:
- Red
- Yellow
- Black
- Blue
- Purple
- White
- Pink
- Combination
Then, there are the many kinds, such as:
- Hybrid tea rose
- Wild roses
- Heirloom
- Climbing
- Floribunda
And... they come in varying amounts of fragrance. Click here to read about the most fragrant roses.
So you see... growing a rose garden is an excellent choice. Roses can be an elegant and beautiful additions to any garden.
But, if you run out and get the first rose you see, you might end up having a less than favorable experience with your rose garden.
To assure that your roses do not come back to haunt you, take your time when choosing roses. The overwhelming majority of reasons why roses fail is due to lack of research. Do yours and you're certain to find success!
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