A Sweet Challenge: Gardening Roses

Rose bushes have long been prized in flower gardens around the world both for their beautiful fragrances as well as their gorgeous blooms.  Gardening roses has traditionally taken a tender touch, as roses have typically been knows to be finicky plants, tricky to get to grow and bloom.  There is a push in our health conscious world today toward organic rose gardening, using all natural products on the roses, including the removal of insects that damage the plants. 

One thing to keep in mind while gardening roses is that before roses were 'discovered' by human beings and cultivated in gardens, rose bushes grew quite well on their own with no tending at all, thus proving that these plants are often hardier than we give them credit for.

Tips for Gardening

If the rose gardener is new to the task, it is a good idea to choose a hardier version of rose bush, depending on the climate where they will be grown.  For instance, in a hot climate, tea roses could be a good choice, but would not survive well at all if the climate is colder.  Explorer roses however would do quite nicely in a cold climate, so the choice of rose for the particular climate is key. 

This is sometimes one of the hardest decisions for new rose gardeners, since many of them have in mind the specific type of rose that they are determined to grow in their garden just like they have dreamed of doing for years.  However, this is a set up for disaster, since roses are pre-determined for certain climates, unless the person is gardening roses in a green house where it is moderate temperature at all times.

Another tip for gardening roses is to plant the garden in full sunlight.  The only exception to this is if it is already a very hot climate where the roses will need a slight break from the sun in the afternoon.  In addition, rose bushes do not usually like to grow near to each other, so there needs to be a decent amount of space between bushes so there is air circulation between them.

Some rose gardeners think about roses as being almost human, with temperaments of their own.  As such, they will talk to the plants as they move among them, although there is not scientific evidence to back up the though that this helps them to grow.  One thing that does help in rose gardening is to water the roots of the plant.  Even though it seems that watering the entire plant would simulate rain and produce a better result, watering the roots gives more water to the plant, allowing it to drink deeply.