Rose Gardening- How To Take Care During Winter

by Beverly Kane

While winter is the season of hibernation and dormancy for your roses, it can spell disaster, if you let it face the season with out taking any precaution.

The tougher varieties like old garden roses and own-root types normally survive through the bitter cold, but the more delicate varieties like hybrid teas and budded roses can wither easily, if left unprotected.

Preparation process for your rose bush, begins right at the time of selecting the roses for plantation. While browsing the net or printed catalogues, or even admiring the roses on display at your local garden store, be careful to choose only those types which are tough to glide through the harshness of winter, typical of the area in which you live in. consult the "hardiness zone maps", if necessary before you make that final selection.

The key to making your roses make it through the harsh winter is to deliberately make them hibernate or push them into dormancy. You can achieve this by stopping any fertilizing activity by mid August, ceasing all dead heading and pruning activities by the beginning of October. You must let hip formation to further ensure dormancy.

Be certain to keep your plants in a frozen condition, if you live in very cold areas. Prevent the freeze/thaw/freeze cycles to happen repeatedly. To ensure this, never put any early covers on your plants. Bide your time till the first hard frost hits and the leaves start falling. Remove all fallen leaves, diseased leaves and other debris from around your rose bush at this time, as these insects and fungi hibernate during winter and return to damage during spring.

Prune and trim the taller roses, before you put on any winter covering. Do not prune these too thoroughly, as you will have to prune again to remove dead and disease-infected canes in spring. You can tie the canes together - this will protect them from the cold and gusty winter winds.
One of the very popular and easy methods to protect your rose bush during winter months is called "hilling". This method involves piling a lot of moisture-free loose soil or compost around your rose bush. This piling should be around 10 to 12 inches in depth. This is a very good covering for the plants, provided it is dry.

You should cover the mound with hay, leaves or evergreen branches, once it has frozen completely.

With this type of dry covering, with moisture-free soil or compost, your rose bushes have the winter protection that they need so badly to survive.

After your have successfully put your rose garden to rest for the winter, take some time off to sharpen your garden maintenance tools, so that you can start afresh in spring.
Winter is the time for short days and long nights. As you sit and warm your heels by the fire side, browse through the websites and printed catalogues to order for next year's roses.

About the Author
Beverly Kane is a staff writer at Home Garden Enthusiast and is an occasional contributor to several othe websites, including The Shopping Gazette.

Roses that Bloom in the Shade

by Susi Carter

Most roses need five to six hours of sun to prosper and bloom and there are indeed very few roses that tolerate or even enjoy being in partial shade. No known variety will thrive in full shade. There are some miniatures and a few climbing and shrub roses that are fairly shade tolerant and will adjust to partial shade.

Roses are natural sun lovers and no matter what variety you choose, most will produce less bloom even in partial shade. However, it is possible to select roses that do okay in the shade, and that do not noticeably lose any blooms. Those that can be adapted will produce larger and more lush bloom and foliage. Pale colored roses actually look better in the shade because shading helps them fully display their colors, where they would appear somewhat faded looking in full sun.

Here are some suitable varieties if you want to try to grow roses in partial shade:

Rosa 'Ballerina'

Ballerina is a variety of a hybrid musk rose producing single, very dainty five petaled flowers which grow in clusters. The flowers are pink and white, and held erect and above the foliage, creating a beautiful display. As with all musk roses, Ballerina has a distinct and delightful fragrance. Because it is naturally disease resistant and tolerant of partial shade, this is a variety that is relatively easy to care for. It will bloom well into the autumn, creating a long blooming season and will then produce vividly colored attractive hips. It can be trained as a climber, but looks better in its natural shrub form. Ballerina is a versatile easy to grow rose and makes an excellent subject for growing in part shade.

Knock-Out Rose

Rosa 'Radrazz', otherwise known as Knock-Out Rose is the award winning rose variety that is the most shade tolerant of any rose variety. The bright, cherry red blossoms are in a perpetual state of growth and production. The mildly fragrant bloom starts in early spring and continues the cycle through the summer, autumn, and even into winter. Not only is the Knock-Out tolerant of partial shade, it is also disease and drought resistant. Resistance to blackspot makes it a good subject for areas of high humidity. This versatile rose is a superior choice for beginners and pros alike as it practically guarantees success.

Playboy

Playboy is perhaps the most spectacular of the shade tolerant roses. It produces glossy foliage which sets of the bloom to perfection. The semi-double flowers are fairly large. Bloom color starts out in shades of yellow and then progresses to orange and finally reaches a deep red color as it ages and fades. Playboy has a very dramatic appearance and is beautiful at all stages as well as disease resistant. Being fairly easy to grow makes it a good choice for your part-shade garden and is especially suitable for a border or as a hedge.

Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'

Zephirine Drouhin is a well known old fashioned climbing rose with the added attraction of having thornless canes. The rich dark green foliage contrasts beautifully with brightly colored pink blossoms which are borne in profusion even in partial shade. This is a great rose for training over an arbor or trellis where it's clouds of intensely fragrant flowers can be admired from spring through fall.

No matter which of the above rose varieties you select, you are likely to have a positive rose growing experience, even in partial shade.

About the Author
Susi is webmaster of BackYardGarden.info dedicated to plants and flowers you can grow in your back yard garden.

A Flower Garden Adds Color to Your Yard

by Carol Stack


If you are looking to beautify your home, few things will do it as cost effectively as a flower garden. Just think of it; the garden can be large or small, in one area or spread out, roses, tulips, daffodils or any other kinds of flowers you fancy.

Some people think you have to have the proverbial green thumb to have a beautiful flower garden. While this is true with some types of flowers, if you stick to the easy to grow varieties you can have a gorgeous garden in no time!

Visit your local nursery or check online to discover what flowers grow best in your area. You will want to choose flowers that blossom at various times of the year so that there is constantly some flowers blooming.

Before you begin to plant your flower garden, you will need to prepare the soil, which means getting it ready to receive the plants. This should be done whether you are planting bulbs, seeds or annuals.

You will want to select a spot that is near a water source so you will not have to carry a bucket to and from the flowers every day. Next, remove any weeds or rocks from your new garden. Using a shovel or tiller turn the soil over. This will let oxygen in and help promote healthy roots.

Next, add some slow release fertilizer, making sure to follow the directions. Turn the soil again and you are ready to start planting.

After you have gathered the necessary tools, it may be helpful to arrange the plants while they are still in their seedling containers so you know where you want them to go.

Now, remove the plants and gently loosen plants that are root-bound. You only want to put the plants as far down as the soil it is in now. In other words, do not get over zealous and bury it too deep or not deep enough. A good thing to keep in mind while planting is that the crown of the root ball should be level with the soil.

Now, place the plant into the hole you just dug. Then push down the plant and soil with the side of the trowel or with your hands. You want to make sure the plant is set, but do not manhandle it.

Water the plants right away, the plants will be thirsty. Using a low-pressure garden hose or a watering can, try to keep the water on the roots, not the leaves of the plants.

When planting, do so either in the early morning or later in the evening. This will help prevent the roots of the seedlings from drying out.

If you are going to start your plants from seeds, you will want to do so inside six to eight weeks before you plan on putting them outside.

Bulbs for flowers such as tulips and daffodils should be planted in the fall so they have time to rest over the winter and be ready to sprout in the spring.

With a little work and a little expense anyone can have a stunning flower garden to brighten up their yard. Nothing adds beauty to a yard or patio like some colorful flowers.


About the Author
Carol Stack enjoys writing articles. She lives with her husband, children, four dogs and seven cats in the United States. They have a large yard that they are constantly working on to make more beautiful. Her website, http://www.freegardentips.info covers lawn care, organic gardening, landscaping and more.

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