Rose Garden Considerations

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Robert J. Dolezal

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Not sure what type of rose you’re looking for? Visit the Learn2Grow Plant Database to learn more about individual species.

Preparation is important for any rose garden, whether you’re adding a simple bed with a few bushes to enhance your home’s entrance or an elaborate formal garden that will get rave reviews from your neighbors and friends. For great roses, it’s the work that goes into the bed beforehand that will pay off with gorgeous blooms that are a treat to the eye and the nose all season long.

Think the prep work is just a nuisance or bother? You’ll thank your muse for years to come that you took time for these critical steps before you went to your local garden center to pick out plants. The difference between a thriving rose garden filled with flowers and one with weak and spindly plants is all in the site preparation.

In addition to picking the roses you like and that are right for your garden, you’ll need to choose an appropriate location and build a home for your roses. You’ll also have to evaluate your soil to determine what nutrients, conditioners and amendments may be required before your soil is ready to plant. You’ll also learn the proper mix of soil and fertilizers to use for containers and raised-bed planters – a useful aid for gardens faced with too rocky, dense or otherwise unsuitable soil.

Of course, preparing the site isn’t where the real fun of rose gardening is. But with these necessary steps out of the way, you’ll be set to choose your roses – bare-root or containerized stock – selecting those that are the most healthy, vigorous and easy to plant. With the right building blocks in place, your rose garden – be it small or large – is sure to give you, your neighbors and any visitors hours of pleasure with each unfurling bloom.

Tips

Raised beds are an ideal answer to sites with changing elevation and those with less than perfect soil. Choose brick, masonry block, timber or wood for the planter, and fill it with rich, loose-textured soil to make it ready for planting your roses.
If you don’t know what kind of rose garden to grow, visit displays at local nurseries and public gardens. Take lots of pictures and then sit down and start to plan out your own garden design ideas on paper, bringing in the best of the ideas you liked that will work in your site. In addition, check out Learn2Grow’s Design by Function plan for a rose patio screening.

Faqs

Q: I’ve got a lot of turf and I don’t know how to break it up to bring in some roses. Any ideas?
A: Consider removing an oval, a square or a rectangle and creating an island bed frilled with roses. Your payoff will be a new look and you’ll save maintenance time and water with roses instead of turfgrass.
Q: I’m new to roses, and the lingo is confusing. How can I figure out all the different rose names and classes
A: With so many roses and so many types of roses, it’s easy to get confused. Check out Learn2Grow’s Rose Primer.

Come to The Garden Party and share your roses with the rest of our Learn2Grow community! Post some pictures of your rose garden, create a blog, or learn from our experts and other home gardeners some more ways to add fragrance and beauty to your yard with wonderful roses.

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Articles

Love at First Site (Finding the Right Location & Soil for Your Rose Garden)
The right site and soil is the best way to get your rose garden growing on the right root. Learn what sites work best in different parts of the country, as well as the best soil to use for inground or containerized roses.
Making Your Rose Bed (the Step-by-Step Prep)
If you want to grow a stunning rose garden, you need to make your bed! Learn the tips to finding the best site your yard has to offer and the proper steps to take when preparing that site for planting.
Your Rose Garden Checklist
The best way to create the perfect rose garden for you is to plan ahead. Taking the time to answer this list of important questions will help in planning and achieving your goals in creating a garden that’s as beautiful as it is rosy.

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