Rose Garden Care » Special Rose Gardening

Roses Instead of A Lawn

Administrator — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:04:09 +0000

Are you tired of having to mow your lawn every week? Then the solution for you is to plant roses as a groundcover. This will give you an amazing landscape with lower maintenance. Roses as a groundcover stop weeds from growing , therefore you will still need to prepare your ground to reduce the chances of weeds growing underneath your groundcover.

They can grow out as wide as six feet and upwards as high as 2 feet. This will give you an idea, on how to decide the number of rose plants you will need to purchase for the space you want to cover.

The picture of a rose plant is usually that of a rosebush, not as a groundcover. This is a fairly new concept. The beauty of it, of course, is more than just the benefit of coverage, but also that of gracing your yard with the ever-popular rose.

The advantages of rose as groundcover are many. Here are just a few: It helps prevent erosion on banks, grows low, and covers a wide area. The groundcover rose is not to be misinterpreted as a ground-hugger.

It’s better to choose for repeated blooming and disease resistance. Pruning may still be necessary, depending on the effect you desire. Of course, to keep the groundcover looking its best, remove dead stems when you see them.

Some available choices for groundcover roses are: Flower Carpet Coral, Flower Carpet Appleblossom, The Fairy, Baby Blanket, Red, White, or Pink Meidiland, Foxy, My Rosy Carpet, and Sea Foam.

If you want strong fragrance, be sure to check on that feature before you purchase your groundcover rose. Many modern roses are simply not bred for a strong fragrance, but more for your viewing pleasure.

Groundcover roses do tend to be quite thorny. Thorns for a true rose grower are but a minor inconvenience. If you’ll need access to the areas or plants nearby, choose carefully the layout to avoid being pricked and scratched. Weed removal is more of a challenge with this type of plant.

A particular favorite among groundcover roses seems to be the Flower Carpet Series. However, Rosa ‘Glacier Magic’ has a spectacular white flower. It is said to have glossy, large, self-cleaning flowers that are highly pest and disease resistant. The white blooms help the plant stand out and demand attention. It’s like adding a light to the darkness of a non-blooming groundcover!

Some groundcover roses don’t resemble your traditional expected vision of a rose. For example, the Rosa ‘Nearly Wild’ has fewer petals and opens wide. It’s a colorful vision that is a joy to own.

When deciding where to plant your groundcover roses, remember to avoid areas where foot traffic would be a hindrance or vice versa. Consider whether you’ll need to drag a water hose out to the area. If so, you may want to purchase a soaker hose, and make sure it will be the proper length. If you’ll have a big area to maintain or if your groundcover will be spread out to include various areas of your yard, the purchase of a wheelbarrow could be an asset. Gloves that protect against thorns may be needed. Such items as a hoe for weeding, clippers for pruning, and knee pads could be necessary purchases.

Revive Wilting Roses

Administrator — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 14:27:32 +0000

With all of the possible diseases that a rose can pick up, you would think that anybody would be crazy to even plant them. They are such high maintenance flowers that it would seem to some to be far too much work just to have a bit of beauty in your garden.

As this guide has already stated, there are a great deal of things that can be done to help prevent diseases and pests from damaging your roses. It all seems like so much to do for flowers that only have a life span of about 6-10 days. Of course a healthy bed of roses will constantly produce new buds so that you will rarely even notice anyway.

There is also the problem of wilting and drooping roses once they are placed in vases when they are given as gifts. Roses look so beautiful in any room that they sit in. They add an elegance that is unsurpassed by any other flower.

As beautiful as roses are, they do have a certain vulnerability that is common for every flower. They are prone to sag, droop and wilt after a few days exposure to a vase. Anybody would like to preserve that beauty for as long as possible and think that its hopeless, but I will show you how you can save your roses if this happens to you.

1. Take your roses from the vase.
2. Separate the roses, but keep them emerged in Luke warm water as you do it.
3. Make a fresh cut on the stem, again while it remains in the water because you don’t want to get air into the stem.
4. Take each flower, one by one and roll them in newspaper and close the paper with a rubber band to keep it from unrolling.
5. Put each rose while still wrapped in the newspaper in a sink or tub filled with water and let them soak for several hours while still separate.
6. Once they have soaked, unwrap them carefully, and place them in a vase of fresh warm water.
7. If you want to preserve the health of your roses, put some 7up in the water to help prevent any bacteria that can clog up the stem.

Extra tip: Roses droop for one of two reasons. Either they had been cut too early when put into the vase, or they may have been out of water too long before putting them into the vase.

Growing Organic Roses

Administrator — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:46:57 +0000

Many people are now getting into growing all things organic. Farmers are doing it with produce and meats, so it is natural that you might want to grow your roses that way also. Many people have problems using the pesticides and insecticides that go along with growing roses and keeping them healthy. Well now you can use more natural methods of growing your roses. This section will show you how in a step by step method.

1. Each bush that you want to plant will need to have a foot of space all around it so that the flowers can get the proper amount of circulation. It also helps to prevent leaf diseases for your roses.

2. You will want to purchase organic roses. You will want to buy roses that have a sturdy green stem and no blemishes on them. Bare root roses are best for this.

3. Along with roses that have green stems, you will need to look for stems that have evenly spaced leaves that are close together.

4. You will need to use well drained soil so that you can promote the healthy growth that will give the flower all of the water and nutrients that it needs from the root to the flower’s head.

5. Fix the soil so that you can build organically. You should use a raised bead if drainage is a constant problem. Ask your local garden center rep about how best to fix your soil to be organically correct.

6. Soak your bare root roses in a large container of composte tea for many hours before you plant them.

7. You must mound up enough good organic sol that is mixed with an equal amount of composte in the middle so that you can spread the roots out and down from where they meet at the trunk.

8. Now, plant the rose at the point where the stem breaks into the root so that it is at soil level, or approximately 1 inch below the top level if you live in an area that is prone to hard winters.

9. You have to check your bare root roses first. If your roots grow out in a tight circle, you have to cut a straight slice down each of its four sides. A knife is good for this. Then you will dig a hole that is 2 inches deeper than the container and at least twice as wide.

10. Mix your organic soil garden soil with an equal amount of composte and use your hands to gently spread the roots into the soil mix.

11. You have to mulch to help you prevent your roses from being exposed to weeds, and water stress complications. It will also ensure that your roses remain at their lowest possible maintenance level.

12. You must feed your roses organically also. Fertilize with organic fertilizer and maintain a regular watering schedule.

13. Water your organic roses deep at the planting, and then once every week after that during growing season so that you can promote deep roots. Watering in the early morning is best.

14. You must cultivate the top inch of your soil around each of your roses and fertilize on a monthly basis with a balanced organic fertilizer. You will need a good granular type of fertilizer that you can work into the soil. Either that, or you can use a fish emulsion or seaweed based product that you can mix with water because it has all of the necessary nutrients that a healthy flower needs. Check the ingredients listed on the labels to ensure that they have nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and calcium.

15. To help protect your bed against the various types of pests and insects that can plague your roses, put sticky yellow bars every ten feet to catch them.

16. You may use an organic pesticide if the problem is bad.

17. If your pest problem is severe enough, you may use insecticidal soap to spray over your roses.

Now you have all of the necessary knowledge that you need to grow your own bed of earth friendly roses. Your flowers will be just as beautiful as those that are not grown organically, and will likely have the healthiest life span that a rose can get.

Organic roses have some of the best color and “immune systems” that a rose can have. The fragrance of them can’t be beaten. Of course, it still helps to know how to prevent your roses from being taken over by diseases. The next section will help you with that.

Organic Roses in the Flower Garden Part 1

Administrator — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 10:10:07 +0000

By Sandra Dinkins-Wilson

Many people believe growing their flowers and vegetables organically is healthier for them and their environment. It is natural that you may wish to grow your roses this way also. Using the pesticides and insecticides that are usually considered to go along with growing roses and keeping them healthy can cause many people have to health problems . Maybe you just don’t want those kind of chemicals in your garden and around your children. This article will give some pointers in using more natural methods of growing your roses.

1. First do your homework and find out what type of roses grow well in your area. Buy disease resistant varieties. If you live in an area that has problems with a certain disease, look for a variety that is resistant to it. If you can, purchase organic roses. As they have already been growing with organic methods, this supposes they are “healthier”. and not already loaded with chemicals. Thus they have a stronger immune system. Of course, buy roses with no blemishes on them.

2. Roses like full sun. Make sure they are placed so as to get 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day.

3. Do not crowd your roses together. Ensure that stress is reduced by providing lots of space for air to circulate around the bush. Take growth of the rose bush into account.

4. Plant your roses in good loamy soil. If your soil is not ideal, then amend it with organic material such as from your compost pile. You do have a compost pile, don’t you? Roses like well draining soil but they don’t want it draining as fast as you might get with sand, so amend your sandy soil. If you have clay soil, an alternative requiring a bit of work is to build a raised bed for your roses much like vegetable gardeners use. It should be at least a foot deep but more is better. Fill it with will amended soil.

5. Keep your watering consistent. Don’t allow your plants to dry out and suffer stress before watering. Roses can need up to 2 inches of water a week. Water every two to three days. This, of course, depends on your area and the type of weather (how much rainfall) you are getting. Also, be careful not to stress the plant by overwatering and depriving the roots of oxgen.

6. Mulch, mulch, mulch! Mulching can reduce the stress on your rose in several ways. It helps to hold in moisture which can be very good in a hot, dry climate. It helps maintain a more even temperature in the root zone. And mulch can smother weeds that could be competition for your lovely roses. As the mulch decomposes, it adds more nutrients to the soil around your plant. Lastly, it can cut down on some of your work.

7. Roses are, what could be considered, heavy feeders. They respond well to fertilizer and should be fertilized on a consistent schedule. Most organic fertilizers are slow-acting and may produce less spectacular results of a non-organic fertilizer. Some organic fertilizers to consider are composted manure, fish emulsion, alfalfa meal, blood meal, and cottonseed meal. If you wish to have a truly organic rose garden, you should ensure that your fertilizer is also organic. Of all these the only one you can be sure is truly organic would be your composted manure if you know exactly where it comes from and how the animals are raised. Perhaps you should consider your own animals raised organically. Chicken manure is very high in nitrogen and some localities allow a small backyard flock. Make sure it is composted thoroughly as chicken manure is very “hot” and will burn your plants.

8. Prune your roses in the early spring. To keep your roses healthy, get out the dead wood, damaged wood and anything that starts to look diseased (and don’t compost these trimmings). Thin out your plant to keep it from being crowded. Don’t allow branches to rub against each other. This will allow air and sunlight to get to the whole plant keeping it healthier.

About The Author
Copyright � 2005, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson. Find more Rose Garden articles, and other gardening tips for Flower Garden Lovers at our website flowergardenlovers.com

Planting Roses in Pots

Administrator — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 04:27:58 +0000

In years past, serious rosarians would never consider having a potted rose on their property unless it was just waiting for its home to be prepared in the garden.

Times have changed and potted roses now have a place in the lives of condo and apartment dwellers, city slickers who don’t live within sight of a tree, and anyone who has an empty space on their terrace or patio in need of the beauty that only a rose can bring.

Not all roses are good candidates for growing in pots. The following varieties have been found to do best. However, you should feel free to experiment with any other varieties, even climbers, and see how they make out.

All that Jazz Ballerina Blush Noisette Bonica Cecile Brunner Clotilde Soupert Green Rose Gruss an Aachen Hannah Gordon Hermosa Katharina Zeimet Mrs. Oakley Fisher Peace Perfume Delight Precious Platinum Sea Foam Sexy Rexy Souvenir de la Malmaison Stanwell Perpetual The Fairy Valentine Whiskey Mac

Planting potted roses is relatively easy, as long as you do your planting in the spring after any chance of a frost is long past. If you live in a warm climate, then hold off planting until autumn when the ravages of July and August are far behind.

When you’re ready to plant, choose an appropriate sized container with drainage holes. Make sure that the container has enough room for your plant to grow without having to transplant too soon.

Fill the container with garden soil that contains some compost or organic fertilizer. Dig a hole that’s large enough to spread out roots without bending or cutting back.

Knock the rose loose from its shipping container, and set it in the hole so that the bud union (“knob” from which canes grow) is just above soil level. Dig a shallow trench or moat around the base of the plant to hold water, then water it well.

Potted roses are susceptible to the same diseases as garden roses, and they require feeding, pruning and all of the other rose care basics. Potted roses aren’t less work or responsibility; they simply take up less space than a regular rose garden. Don’t plan to treat your roses as if they were ordinary potted plants, or you will lose them.

People often ask if they can grow potted roses indoors. The answer is: “Maybe, but it’s a risky proposition.” That’s because roses need high humidity and a lot of direct sunlight. Most modern homes with air conditioning do not have high humidity. However, if you live in a warm, humid climate, and you don’t have air conditioning, then you can probably get away with it as long as you put the rose in a sunny spot.

Of all the rose varieties that are likely to survive indoors, miniature roses are your best bet. Miniature roses are regular roses that have been bred to grow into smaller, more compact plants with equally small flowers. They do very well in pots and are quite beautiful. If you’re willing, go ahead and experiment. You’ve really got nothing to lose and you just might discover a whole new aspect of rose gardening!

About the Author
Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit Grow-Roses-Now to learn more about this popular gardening activity.