A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Cultivating Beauty: Rose Gardening

by Dave Owen

Roses have received a reputation of requiring high maintenance and being difficult to grow. It is a shame because they are one of the most beautiful and distinctive flowers. But, with a little knowledge how and tender love and care, raising roses can createa fragrant and beautiful mainstay to your gardens. As a result of the efforts of many hortaculturists, modern hybrids and hardy varieties make rose gardening simpler and more rewarding than ever.

One can find roses in colors from white to almost black, and every shade in between. Along with the vast variety of colors, rose plants can be found with a different growing habits and degrees of hardiness. One can find roses that vary from a low growing shrub to elegant climbings. One of the most enjoyable experiences of rose gardening is being able to choose the varietie and color to plant. One type of rose that is becoming very popular is the antique. These can be found at many rose emporiums and have been nurtured from cuttings taken from old cemetaries.

Planting

To create a successful rose garden, one must choose the a good location for planting. Roses like full sun with well-drained soil to thrive. the prefered condition is rich soil containing plenty of organic matter. But roses are very hardy and can tolerate most soil types. To make sure your rose plants are placed in the ground as soon as possible, prepare your rose bed before purchasing your plants.

You have two options when you purchase your rose plants: bare root and potted. The least expensive of the two are bare root roses because they are packaged and shipped in their dormant state. But, if you want a quick start to your rose garden, you will probably want to purchase potted roses. As they take root and bloom more quickly, potted roses are a good choice for beginning rose gardeners.

After the bed has been prepared and the plants purchased, it is time to begin planting. To make sure you rose has the best chance of quality growth, the hole must be prepared properly. It should be large enough to contain the entire root system of the rose. This means that is should be deep enough to cover the root ball to the crown.

Pruning and Care

To maintain the health of your plant, rose gardening involves some ongoing upkeep. To encourage growth and maintain health, roses should be pruned in both spring and fall. If done properly, pruning will cut out any dead or weak branches and remove twiggy, non-productive growth.

If you live in an area of cold or snowy winters, preparing your rose bushes for winter is an important part of rose gardening. To protect your rose bushs from winter chills, simply mound mulch around the base of each rose bush and secure it in place with a collar or cage.

Often known as the hobby of royalty, rose gardening has a long, rich history. It is being enjoyed by an increasing number of modern gardners because of the beauty and hardiness of the plants. To enjoy this beautiful hobby only a little knowledge, a patch of garden space and a love for beauty.

About the Author
Dave Owen is the owner of My Roses, where you can find the information to take care of the worlds most beautiful flowers...

Thursday, February 15, 2007

How Roses Can be Easy to Grow

by Thomas Straub

Many people ask whether roses are hard to grow. The answer is, no.

Roses are really quite easy to grow and require little more care than any other perennial plant. You can learn all you need to know to grow beautiful, healthy roses in the new e-book "Gardening Made Easy," available from our site.

Here's an overview of the planting, care and maintenance of roses from the chapter on rose gardening in "Gardening Made Easy."

Planting Roses

Soil preparation for roses is extremely important because roses use a lot of nutrients. Preparing the soil bed for roses using 100% organic compost is a very good practice, not only for the nutrients that the compost provides, but also because compost will drain well and still retain plenty of moisture. While Roses require a well-drained planting bed, they also require plenty of water.

Maintaining Your Roses

Because roses bloom throughout the growing season, they are heavy nutrient users and will require regular fertilizing. Feed your roses in the spring when the leaves begin to bud out and again in late summer or early fall, depending on the part of the country you live in.

Dealing With Diseases That Effect Roses

Roses are susceptible to fungi and mildew, as well as insect infestation. Many of these diseases can be prevented and all of them can be controlled with regular applications of fungicides and insecticides.

There are also several beneficial insects that can be imported into your garden to help you control insect infestations without the use of chemicals.

Winterizing Your Roses

If you live in a warmer climate you will not need to do much in the way of preparing your roses for winter other than a good layer of mulch. In climates where temperatures regularly go below 25 degrees F, you will need to protect your roses with additional mulch.

Building cages around your roses and filling the cages with mulch after the first freeze will ensure that your roses make it through the winter to bloom again in the spring.

These simple and easy suggestions will help your roses renew their beauty for many seasons yet to come.

About the Author
Tom Straub is a successful author and webmaster of the Best Gardening Tips website. Discover everything you ever wanted to know about gardening... but never dared to ask.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Rose Garden Can Be An Owners Pride

by Peter Finch

The beauty of the rose garden can never be underestimated. Belonging to the genus Rosa, roses have dominated literature and history by being associated with beauty, love, war and politics. Botanically the genus Rosa has 150 species dispersed around the northern hemisphere.

The Origins

Cultivating roses in gardens probably began in China around 5000 years ago. Various anecdotes and references to the rose are also available during the Roman period and 15th century England. Josephine, Napoleon Bonapartes wife, was believed to be very fond of this flower and took great interest in cultivating a rose garden a little away from the heart of Paris. In the late 18th century, cultivated roses were introduced to Europe from China. Modern day roses are usually traced back to this ancestry.

Kinds Of Roses

If you would like to cultivate your own rose garden, there are five kinds of roses to choose from:

1. Species rose. These are the variety of natural roses as gifted to us by genus Rosa. Vigorous and disease resistant, they are naturally abundant in the northern hemisphere. You may often find them lying on the ground or climbing upright with simple 5 petaled flowers varying in shades from white to pink to crimson. They mostly bloom in early summer and the most familiar species is Rosa rugosa owing to easy maintenance and disease resistance. Rose lovers may grow them in their rose gardens owing to their historical significance and easy maintenance.
2. Old European garden roses. This revered assembly represents the hybrid group of roses that prevailed prior to the 18th century and include Gallica, Damask, Alba, Centifolia, and Mosses. Rose gardens of this group enjoy a reputation of thriving better on cooler zones.

3. Repeat blooming old roses. This hardy group of roses are a gardeners delight. They usually grace a rose garden with their exquisite bloom & fragrance, tolerance to cold climes and disease resistance. However these roses lack recurrent bloom throughout the summer.

4. Modern Rose. Consisting of hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora, this species was born in 1867 when hybridzer Jean Baptiste Guillot cultivated La France in his rose garden.

5. Shrub roses - While all roses are shrubs, this group of roses generally refers to those of the genus that do not fit into the other groups. They can add variety to any rose garden and are marked by their rounded shapes, free flowering, winter hardiness and disease resistance. Popular members of this group are English Garden Roses,David Austin Roses, Sub-Zero Roses, Dr. Buck Roses, Kordesii Roses, Canadian Explorer Roses, Parkland Roses, Meidiland Roses,
Hybrid Rugosa and Hybrid Musk.

Selecting The Rose

After finalizing the group that you would like in your rose garden, you may have to choose the grade of rose. It is important to remember that you need to choose a variety that will suit the size of the garden and the local clime.

Grafted roses, which you may purchase for your rose garden, are usually based upon American Nursery Standard grades 1, 1 1/2 and 2. Grade 1 plants are supposed to be the best of the lot and are therefore premium priced. Usually they have three or more canes with 3/4 of an inch in diameter. The roots are usually large and well developed. Second in the order of quality are the Grade 1 1/2 roses; they are usually marked by two strong canes and can be nurtured to the Grade 1 quality. Grade 2 roses are usually termed as the "bargain" or "cheap" roses.

Buying The Rose

It is very important to enquire and then decide on the right source to purchase plants for your rose garden. Choices are rampant. Your local garden centres, retail outlets or the mail. It would be wise to select a reputable dealer who would ensure quality.

A rose garden needs good care and nurturing. Ensure that you seek proper advice to plant and prune the shrubs, add the appropriate fertilizer, secure pest control treatment and take special care of the shrub during winter. Proper care and technique added to your enthusiasm will guarantee you a blooming rose garden the next summer.

About the Author
Get all of the latest in rose garden know how from the one and only true rose garden resource at http://www.gardendesignadvice.com/ Be sure to check out our rose garden pages on our web site.