Creating Inspirational Rose Gardens

Other garden types waft in and out of favor, but the enduring popularity of rose gardens never fades.

Types of Roses and Rose Varieties

In 1971, the World Federation of Rose Societies reclassified modern roses into two broad categories: climbing and non-climbing. But confusion still remains, even among experts, as to the precise definition of the different types and varieties of roses. The following summary may help:

Rose Type	Description	Examples
hybrid teas	classic, large-flowers, long, straight stems, height between three and six feet, or taller	Alexander, blue moon, brandy, dawn chorus, double delight, gemini, Ingrid Bergman, keepsake, Mr. Lincoln, St. Patrick, peace, polar star, rosemary harkness, veterans' honor
climbers & ramblers	climbers: more recent type, robust, quick growth and spread; ideal for walls, trellises, pillars, entrances, arches ramblers: older type, small cluster blooms; useful for covering trellises, pergolas	America, altissimo, berries 'n' cream, climbing Ena Harkness, Dublin Bay, Handel, Parkdirektor riggers, white cockade albertine, American pillar, Bobbie James, seven sisters, Newport fairy
floribundas	modern polyanthus roses with small clusters or single blooms; excellent bedding or container plants	ainsley dickson, French lace, angel face, bright smile, champagne cocktail, Elizabeth of Glamis, eye plant, French lace, iceberg, playgirl, playboy, simplicity
grandifloras	combination of floribundas and hybrid teas, first defined as a separate rose type in 1954	Arizona, Queen Elizabeth, Octoberfest
old garden roses	refers to roses that existed before 1867 when the first hybrid tea, La France, was introduced; varying in height between one and fifty feet (old english roses: new hybrid of old garden roses and modern shrub roses)	Baronne Prevost, Lady Banks, Rose de Rescht, sombreuil
miniatures	small stems, leaves and bloom; height one to three feet; perfect for small rose beds, garden nooks, patio containers (mini-floras: recent addition to the miniatures' type)	autumn splendor, behold, bush baby, cachet, child's play, Cinderella, fairhope, orange sunblaze, red ace
polyanthus roses	predecessor of floribunda; small roses distinguished by spray-like blooms and low-growing foliage	Cecile Brunner, China doll, the fairy
shrub roses	roses that do not fall into another category; typically hybrids of other rose species	ballerina, bluff beauty, Constance Spry, complicata, golden wings, Graham Thomas, hansa, hawkeye belle, perdita, starry night

Special Nooks and Rose Garden Retreats

Imagine the scene: it's a balmy summer's day and you're relaxing with friends in your favorite spot: your rose nook garden retreat. The subtle hues and scents stimulate the senses and fuel the conversation. Nothing, in gardening terms, can beat sitting in a specially created area of the garden dedicated to that queen of plants, the rose.

Rose Nook Garden Design

Choose a sunny location. You could use a garden wall as a backdrop and plant with fast growing climbers. Define the borders of your rose garden with beds of fast-growing rose bushes.

Add interest to your special rose nook retreat with an archway covered in rambling roses. Accessorize your magical rose nook with containers of rose miniatures. Add a strategically placed wooden bench, or maybe a small gazebo, if space allows, and a small reading table to set the scene.

Planting Rose Gardens

Despite the mass of conflicting advice about growing roses, certain golden rules apply:

Choose a sunny, well-drained location.
Prepare the soil by working farmyard manure into the lower layers.
Dig holes big enough for roots to spread; place small stones at the bottom of the holes to aid drainage; sprinkle with fertilizer and soil.
Soak roots for several minutes before planting.
Remove broken or damaged roots; trim back top growth prior to planting.
Plant roses immediately after purchase to avoid deterioration and dehydration.
Don't plant roses when the soil is either too wet or too dry.
Plant roses any time between early April and mid-November. For best results, plant during early November
'Bed-in' roses firmly several times, during planting.

How to Choose Healthy Roses
Two-year-old, outdoor cultivated, generously budded plants are a safe bet. Pruned roses should have stalks at least a quarter of an inch in diameter. Roses sold in tar paper containers are usually easier to plant.

The Maintenance of Rose Gardens

Tending, pruning and otherwise nurturing a rose garden is sheer pleasure for the dedicated rose gardener.

Feeding Rose Gardens

Hybrid teas, polyanthus and floribunda roses should be fed, in early springtime, when buds begin to swell, after the first bloom and towards the end of the summer.

Depending on climate and region, roses may also be fed again in early October. Other rose types should be fed in early spring and again when the roses begin to flower.

Pruning Roses

Pruning procedures vary according to rose type. Most roses can be pruned in early spring as soon as the buds begin to swell. Pruning roses involves removing all dead wood and spindly twigs and trimming back to live growth, but no lower.

Did you know that . . .
. . . ideal soil for rose gardens has a pH of around 6.5 to 7? A soil testing kit helps you measure the soil pH and includes instructions on modifying soil composition, if necessary.

Rose Care in Climatic Extremes

In arid conditions, avoid light sprinkling; instead, irrigate the soil to a depth of at least six to eight inches. Mulch the rose beds a couple of weeks before blooming.

In sub-zero temperatures, rose care involves generous mulching with straw, peat and garden compost.

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