Tips to Improving Your Rose Garden Articles | Rose Gardening

By: Joe Dively

Although roses have unfairly earned a reputation for being difficult to grow, a rose garden can be both simple and rewarding for even the most beginning gardener.  Maintenance and protection as well as careful pruning will keep your rose garden looking its best and producing beautiful blooms for years to come. 

As with any garden, a rose garden should be cleaned regularly.  Keeping fallen leaves and other garden debris away from the roots of the plants will enable you to water the plants directly at the roots as well as keep fungus and other problems at bay.  Avoid watering the leaves, stems or flowers of your roses.  Always water at the to keep away mold and rust

Careful feeding of your rose bushes will keep them looking their best throughout their flowering season and will keep the plants healthy during the dormant period.  Your local garden center will have many choices for fertilizer for your roses, and you should carefully follow the instructions for the product you have chosen in measuring the fertilizer according to your type of rose.  In general, you should feed your roses in early spring, as soon as you can see buds beginning to swell.   Feed again after the plants have produced a full bloom.  Another feeding should follow in late summer for most climates.  If you have a long growing season, a fourth feeding in early October will hold your plants through the winter. 

In the summer, mulch will keep weeds away and help to keep the moisture level of your plants consistent.  For this benefit, add mulch to your regular care shortly before the first bloom appears.  In winter, careful mulching will protect your roses from a dangerous cycle of freezing and thawing.   By reinforcing the plant with several inches of soil and mulch, you will protect the plant’s root system until spring.

The final tip for improving your rose garden is careful pruning.  Early spring pruning will ensure a healthy, productive plant throughout the blooming season.  Invest in a good quality pair of shears for best results.   Pay close attention to the center of the plant to increase the amount of air that can circulate through the plant later in the season.  You should aim to remove all dead wood, weak growth and old canes.  Cutting to a standard height, depending on your particular variety will produce a strong, flowering plant.  Be sure, also to clean your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol after each use to prevent mold or fungus from invading your plants.

With just a few simple steps, your rose garden will bring beauty to your landscape.  By concentrating on prevention of damage and some simple care, you will protect your plants and be amazed at the results.