Choosing the Right Roses for Your Garden

The selection of roses you can grow in your home garden is enormous. With so many to choose from, finding just the right ones may seem more like work than play. To make this process easier, here are a few important factors to help you narrow down your field of choices.

Color

How will the color of your roses affect your garden? For color ideas, look at rose catalogs, at nurseries, and at your neighbors' gardens.

You should consider the colors of nearby plants and flowers that will be sharing the garden. Will the assortment of colors look good together, or will they clash? For some gardeners, color is a priority; for others, it's no big deal.

Climate

Choosing the right roses for your particular climate zone is essential. In order for roses to grow healthy and bloom generously, they must be able to adjust to your climate.

If your climate is too hot or too cold, or has the wrong amount of humidity, it could weaken your roses and make them vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Size

The size of the roses you choose is also very important. Consider the height of the rose at full growth. If the rose grows 15 feet tall, will it look unattractive in your garden? Remember, roses vary in size. While some roses may grow up to 8 feet, others can grow as high as 20 feet.

Measure the area of your garden prior to choosing your roses. Compare your width and height measurements with roses you'd like to purchase. Your roses will need plenty of space to grow as well as room for exposure to the air.

If you have only a small amount of space to dedicate to roses, you may want to grow miniature roses. These roses do not take up much space and they are easy to plant and care for.

Maintenance

How much time will you be able to spend maintaining your roses? Are you one of those people who lives to be in the garden, or are you more of a low-maintenance gardener?

There are several types of roses which are very high-maintenance. Although they'll be dazzling in your garden, they'll require a lot of your time. The classification known as "Modern Roses" are very stunning, long blooming, and highly fragrant; however, they are very high maintenance and are prone to disease.

The rose classification known as "Old Garden Roses", on the other hand, have been bred to be very disease-resistant and require less maintenance. "Old Garden Roses" bloom for several months at a time, and have a strong and beautiful scent. The bad news is that people with strong allergies to fragrances will have a terrible time around them. If that could be a problem for you, then consider any of the variety known as "shrub roses". They are also disease-resistant and long blooming, but produce a mild scent.

If you're new to gardening and want to try your hand at growing roses, landscape roses may be your best option. These roses are easy to care for and disease-resistant. They'll look gorgeous just about anywhere. If your garden has trellises, you can add several climbing roses as well. Although climbing roses look very similar to landscape roses, climbing roses have been trained to grow upward like vines. They add a beautiful touch to any home.

Whatever variety you choose, roses will be a wonderful addition to your home.

Visit Ron's website Grow-Roses-Now to learn more about this popular gardening activity.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.

Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer.

---

Easy to Grow Roses

There are many different types of roses. If you are... Read More

Rock Gardens - A Different Kind of Garden

Planting a Rock Garden is a great alternative to the... Read More

Ultra Violet Pond Filter

Having an ultra violet pond filter will give you a... Read More

Oregano: Joy of the Mountain

Known as "joy of the mountain," Origanum vulgare is commonly... Read More

Rose Meanings Explained

Roses are the traditional gift given on Valentines Day, but... Read More

How to Plant Tulips

Quality Dutch tulip bulbs are easy to come by and... Read More

Teak Patio Furniture Is The Perfect Choice For Your Terrace

You have spent hours of time and quite a lot... Read More

Planting Roses in Pots

In years past, serious rosarians would never consider having a... Read More

Gardenscape On A Shoestring

Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while... Read More

Composting and Composters: A Basic Introduction

Why Compost?Recent studies show that an average family throws away... Read More

External vs. Submersible Pumps. Which One Should You Use?

For many people, it's never been a question of whether... Read More

Pond Filter

A pond filter is one of the most important components... Read More

Flower Meanings

Certain types or colors of flowers mean different things, and... Read More

Chives - Allium Schoenoprasum

Known as common garden chives, Allium schoenoprasum, can be grown... Read More

Choosing the Proper Pond Pump

Whether you have a preformed or a liner pond, a... Read More

Teak Furniture - The Proper Way to Care For & Clean It

Teak furniture is tropical hardwood that has a rich, golden... Read More

A Kids Tree

During my youth kids were required to pass through a... Read More

Patio Design ? Expanding Your Home Outdoors

A patio can be... Read More

10 Tips for Successful Rose Planting

Planting roses isn't actually complicated, as long as you have... Read More

Fall Garden Planning - Garden Plans for Next Spring and Ordering by Mail

It's August, the weather has cooled a bit here and... Read More

Everyone Loves Flowers

Flowers Truly Reach Your Soul.Flowers are a heartfelt, natural way... Read More

Garden for Birds #4

I would like to know...WHO STOLE SUMMER???What did you do... Read More

Taming Your Outdoors

Slapping yourself silly trying to keep mosquitoes from biting you?... Read More

Low Maintenance Teak Furniture

In all likelihood you have heard of teak furniture and... Read More

Starting Seedlings Indoors

Unless you have access to a greenhouse, or something like... Read More

Want to Build a Pond?

A pond, logically, the first question you should ask is... Read More

Granite Flexible Preformed Rock Ponds

More than just a Preformed PondTraditionally, preformed ponds are large... Read More

Fake Grass

The history of artificial or fake grass is to say... Read More

Adirondack Chairs - How to Choose One

In Blue Mountain Lake, New York, you will find a... Read More

Keeping the Balance of Nature: Pond Water Maintenance

You might be tempted to let Mother Nature, tend to... Read More

Garden Sheds: Wood Finishing and Weatherproofing Tips

To keep wood garden sheds, arbors, or trellises looking their... Read More

Liner Ponds versus Folding Preformed Ponds

IntroductionSo you've decided to build your very own backyard water... Read More

Beauty With Indigenous Species

A garden a serves a man's every day need for... Read More