Rose Growing Tips - Planning a Rose Garden in 6 Easy Steps
If you have ever thought that you would like to have a rose garden but felt it was too difficult or time consuming, then you should read this article to learn just how easy it is to plan a rose garden.
Planning a Rose Garden in 6 Easy Steps
The first thing you should do is to visit your local nurseries and look over the rose bushes they offer. Talk to the plants men or women and find out which kinds of roses are the best suited for your local gardening zone.
Order catalogs or do research on the Internet to learn more about the various types of roses that are available by mail order or locations of area public gardens.
Learn more about the 3 main classifications of roses: Wild, Old Garden and Modern. Wild roses are plants that remain unhybridized (not cross-bred by growers); Old Garden roses (OGR) or also called "antique" or "vintage" roses are plants that were cultivated before 1867 (when the first modern hybrid was developed). Modern roses are plants originated in or after 1867.
Planning a rose garden is not that difficult if you keep the following tips in mind:
Walk your property and take notes. Since roses are a type of shrub, the areas where you place your rosebeds should be more or less permanent. Look carefully at the planned area. It must get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight a day. If you are not sure, place rocks or stakes to mark the proposed rosebed and then watch how the sunlight moves over it during the course of the day.
Measure out your rosebeds. Most plants require a 2' by 2' hole and should be planted at least 2-3 feet apart. This is a lot of growing space. Know the growing habits of the plants you want to use and where you are going to use them.
Design your rosebed. Think outside the raised bed or box!
Borders, boundaries and fence lines. Use climbing roses to create both a colorful and thorny barrier between you and unwelcome neighbors. Plant just a few roses alone your border line and train to run along a rail or bare chain-link fence.
Corners - got a bare spot near a garage or shed or where two fence lines meet? Use a large, everblooming rose variety to "fill in" what is a normally useless space with color and drama.
Make an Entrance - The roses, not you! Use a trellis kit from your local home improvement store and let rambling or "traveling" rose bushes climb up and over to make an inexpensive showpiece that says you are home.
Dramatize the Drab - If like many people in suburbs or rural areas, you may have a lamp pole or light post (metal or wood) in your yard for security. Use roses to colorfully camouflage this necessary "eyesore".
Cover up your heat pump. No, not really but you can build a screen made of latticework and grow small rose bushes against it to make a more pleasurable view.
Think "Height" - Use smaller size rose plants to make border lines without fences or climbing one to add color to dull privacy fences.
Well, now that you have some useful tips on planning a rose garden, you are ready to start measuring your rosebeds and stop looking longingly at plant catalogs. Get out there and use these tips!