Roses have long been a favorite among all types of gardeners, and roses continue to enjoy great popularity today. In addition to their beauty as cut flowers and in bouquets, roses are among the most useful and attractive flowers to grace the landscape of any home.

As a matter of [...]]]>

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Roses have long been a favorite among all types of gardeners, and roses continue to enjoy great popularity today. In addition to their beauty as cut flowers and in bouquets, roses are among the most useful and attractive flowers to grace the landscape of any home.

As a matter of fact, the exterior of any home can be made more graceful and more inviting through the use of wonderful landscape roses. Choosing the right ones, and ensuring that they compliment the overall style of the home, is very important to the overall success of the landscape.

There are literally hundreds of types of roses that you can grow in your garden. With such a selection to choose from, it can be extremely difficult to choose the rose that’s right for you. To make this task a bit easier, We’ve outlined a few important factors you should consider.

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 you live in an area that is prone to cold winters, you would certainly want a rose that could survive during the off season.

If your climate is mild you have many more choses to consider. Choosing the best rose varieties for your specific climate should mean fewer pesticides, fewer disease issues and an overall healthier garden.

Color

Color may seem trivial at first glance, but it’s usually an important factor to those that want to grow roses. Usually it is simply a matter of personal preference, but you may want to try creating a complimentary color palette for your rose garden.

The goal of choosing the best color roses for the landscape should be to compliment the color of the surrounding landscape. For instance, a spray of plain white tea roses can be striking against a dark red brick home, or an arrangement of pink roses can be the perfect compliment to a stone or marble entranceway. With so many colors of roses to choose from, it should be easy to find colors that compliment and enhance any decorating scheme.

Height

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.

Space

You need to consider the size of your garden space, so that you can ensure proper exposure to the air and other elements as well. Crowding too many plants into two smaller space won’t give you the results you desire.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.

Fragrance

Old Garden Roses bloom for several months at a time, and have a strong and beautiful scent.
If however,certain fragrances would invoke an allergic reaction, you would certainly want to plant roses that have a softer fragrance than the others. Shrub roses are a good choose, they have less sent than some other types.

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.

Other Flowers in the Garden

You should also consider what other types of flowers or plants you plan to add to the garden. You want to add plants and flowers that will not create a damaging environment to your rose’s ecosystem. In other words, make sure any other plants are good neighbors.

A popular trend in the world of landscaping is to use a variety of different plants and flowers in the landscape. Doing so not only makes for a vibrant garden, but it is thought to enhance the health of the soil as well. Fortunately, roses lend themselves well to this mixture, and roses can be a beautiful part of an overall landscape of plants and flowers.

The bottom line is while there are a wide variety of rose plants, do your homework and pick the plants that are best suited to your locale and your particular garden situation. But don’t be afraid, just forge ahead and soon you will be enjoying both the beauty and fragrance of your own rose plants.

With a little upfront planning and consideration you can have a lovely Rose Garden for years to come. Enjoy the journey and enjoy your garden!

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To recreate the sort of garden beloved by our ancestors, include the old garden roses.  The old roses date back for centuries, are hardier than some modern hybrids, and include a large variety of colors and scents.  

What classifies a rose as an old garden rose?  According to the American Rose Society, old [...]]]>

By Kathleen Gresham

To recreate the sort of garden beloved by our ancestors, include the old garden roses.  The old roses date back for centuries, are hardier than some modern hybrids, and include a large variety of colors and scents.  

What classifies a rose as an old garden rose?  According to the American Rose Society, old garden roses are antique rose varieties that were introduced before 1867.  

Old roses grow well in poor conditions and are the easiest type of rose to care for. If planted in rich soil that drains well, they will continue to bloom for many years. They prefer a light feeding schedule and require a bit of patience.  They bloom only when they are ready to bloom.

Famous Old Garden Rose Varieties

Among the best known of the old garden roses are Mary Queen of Scots, the Sweetheart Rose, the American Beauty, Awakening, and Belle Amore.

Old garden roses with the traditional appearance include

 * The Duchesse de Brabant (a Gulf Coast rose with a light scent)

 * Belinda’s Dream (long stems, nice fragrance)

 * Zepherine Drouhin (unique fragrance)

 * Red Radiance (strong fragrance)

The Butterfly Rose is an ancient hybrid from China, introduced to the West in 1932.  The blooms change colors from soft orange to pink to carmine, which makes it a delight to observe.

Rose Gardening Groups and Clubs

Plenty of garden groups and clubs exist for rose enthusiasts.  A short list of some of these clubs are as follows:

American Horticultural Society, Arlington Rose Foundation, Phoenix Rose Society, Potomac Rose Society, Arizona West Valley Rose Society, and Humboldt Rose Society.

Showing Your Roses at Rose Shows

There are national rose shows and also district shows and local shows around the country where you can show your roses. If you are interested in competing in the rose shows, you might consider joining the American Rose Society.  Through such a group, you can obtain a wealth of information and contacts.  

Because it is a challenge to judge the old garden rose, the judging old roses at rose shows varies widely. Judging seminars are held to help educate judges, because fewer judges are familiar with old garden roses than with the newer modern rose varieties.  

If your goal is to show your old garden roses for prizes, you’ll have to pay a bit more attention to them and groom them properly for the shows.  Things to look for include strong, vibrant blooms, leaves, and stems.  They should have good color.  

Remove damaged petals (trim if necessary).  The foliage should be clean.

The fewer side growths there are on the rose canes, the better.  A stem-on-stem condition is considered impairment.  That is when new growth starts where old growth had stopped.

Places Where You Can View Old Roses

If you would enjoy traveling around the United States in search of gardens to view the various old garden roses, among other types, you could try the following places:

 * The Pageant of Roses Garden, Whittier, CA

 * Washington Park International Rose Test Garden, Portland, OR

 * Inez Parker Memorial Rose Garden, San Diego, CA

 * The Gardens of the American Rose Society, Shreveport, LA

* Tyler Municipal Rose Garden Center, Tyler, TX

 * Zilker Botanical Garden, Austin, TX

If traveling the United States is not an option, try the local yellow pages in your area or call or visit the Chamber of Commerce in your town to get information on local gardens, clubs, and events that feature old garden roses.

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When you think of antiques, a rose might not immediately come to mind. But antique roses have been around for centuries. All rose varieties developed before 1867 are considered to be antiques. 

Shakespeare used the word eglantine when speaking of the rose in his sonnets and plays. Eglantine is described in the dictionary [...]]]>

By Kathleen Gresham

When you think of antiques, a rose might not immediately come to mind. But antique roses have been around for centuries. All rose varieties developed before 1867 are considered to be antiques. 

Shakespeare used the word eglantine when speaking of the rose in his sonnets and plays. Eglantine is described in the dictionary as a European rose with sweet-scented leaves and pink flowers.

Just as an emporium is a large store with a wide variety of things for sale, there are antique rose emporiums to delight rose growers. You can buy an antique rose already rooted from a rose emporium.

How do you prepare to grow an antique rose? First, choose a planting location that allows for several hours of morning sunlight. It is best to give the plant room for healthy air movement as the bush will grow and develop.  

Break the soil well. A tiller is helpful if you want to plant many plants in one area. You can rent a tiller at many garden supply stores.

It is better to have rich soil in which to grow your antique rose. The antique rose will do better if you add good quality organic material and if the soil has proper drainage.

When do you prepare the area for planting an antique rose? If you live in a southern climate, It is best to prepare in the spring or summer. When you are new to planting, it is easy to assume that all planting should be done in the spring, but the best time for planting depends on the type of plant on the climate of the area where you live.  

Where do you get more specific information on planting an antique rose? If you are buying seeds, there is usually helpful maps on the back of each seed packet to use as a guide. If you are buying from a nursery, be sure to ask for all the information they can give you on the requirements for your particular variety of antique rose.

Of course, you could always try looking it up on line or going to the local library or enlisting the advice of an established gardener.

How long can you keep an antique rose in a container before planting it in the ground outdoors? If needed, you can keep it in a container for several months.  

Your antique roses will need more attention while they are in containers than they will once you get them established outdoors. Remember to fertilize and water as needed. And don’t forget proper drainage and air flow around the plants!

Should you add mulch to your antique roses? A true-blue gardener would gasp at the neglect to add mulch! It cuts down on weeds. It may seem strange, but mulching aids the growth of one type of plant while inhibits the growth of another. Mulching also means less stress on the roots from the summer heat.

How often should you water an antique rose? It helps to deep-soak your antique rose once a week—that means saturating the ground in which you have planted your rose. 

Several hours or overnight should do the trick. It is extremely helpful to have a soaker hose for soaking more than one plant at once.

An antique rose is not necessarily disease free, but it is disease resistant.  That is how it has survived for so long. It is still important to watch for insect or other damage. If you spray, it is best to use a mild fungicide. If in doubt, read the labels on the product carefully.  

Prune your antique lightly and respectfully. It won’t bloom well if the new growth has to endure damage from heat or frost.

The easiest antique roses to grow are those that have survived in your area with minimal care for generations. That means they have developed a resistance to local pests and the weaker plants have been weeded out (so to speak). Only the hardiest plants have survived.

Antique rose enthusiasts often make a hobby of rescuing antique rose plants from abandoned farm land and other places where they have thrived without care for many years. Many antique roses have been preserved from destruction by roadbuilders and real estate development projects in just that way.

It is well worth your while to seek out the antique rose society in your area and find out which roses grow best in your area. Those locally tried and tested plants are generally by far the easiest antique roses to grow in your particular area, wherever you may be.

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