By Kathleen Gresham
Rose shrubs hardy and versatile. They can be planted alone or as hedges. They can provide a measure of privacy, discourage casual intruders, hide unsightly features in your yard or surroundings, or provide a beautiful background for low-growing plants. All that and beautiful roses, too.
Although some rose shrubs can grow quite large, there are shrub roses that stay smaller than 4 feet. You can use rose hedges as barriers as well as for ornamental purposes, and at the same time, they can be quite compact.
Beautiful rose shrub hedges lend a touch of old-world class to landscaping. These shrubs have been around for such a long time, and they have an air of grace and luxury.
Shrub roses work well for either formal or informal landscaping, and they mix well with other plants. For a balanced look, for example, you can plant shrub roses among herbs or as a lovely dark green background for other low-growing plants.
Roses have some of the same uses as herbs. The rose fruits that develop if you do not cut the flowers, called rose hips, are high in vitamin C and have been eaten as nutritional supplements for centuries. Rose essential oil has antiseptic properties. And rosewater has been used to soothe, heal, and soften skin for centuries, too.
Shrub roses have a natural ability to resist disease. They grow in many climates and require little maintenance. That makes rose shrubs a good choice for those who are new to gardening or too busy to coddle delicate exotic plants.
You may want to plant shrub roses to hide an imperfection on your home or in your yard. If you have an eyesore that can’t be repaired or removed, you may be able to camouglage it with some of the larger shrub roses. Visitors will be drawn to look at the roses instead of the eyesore. The roses may even hide it completely.
Of course, you may not want to plant rose shrubs in an area where passersby can easily pick your treasured roses. But you are trying to win the title of “Yard of the Month”, or something similar, you will want to place them where they can be easily seen from the street.
Rose shrubs in bloom are irresistible to passing admirers. Besides people taking the blooms, the rest of the flowers could be damaged by rowdy children and dogs or by careless hands. Bruised blooms would not impress a yard-contest judge. So consider planting your rose bushes well back from the street and sidewalk to protect them.
The more rose shrubs you plant, the more beautiful roses you wiii have. Having a profusion of roses at hand will make it easier to decorate for special occasions. Having a large supply of roses will allow you to share with friends and save money on flower gifts. Almost everyone loves roses, and even the blind can enjoy their lovely scent.
An added benefit is the pride of showing others the beautiful roses you would have grown yourself. The shrubs not only provide beauty, but a fragrance as well, to share with your guests. Outdoor entertaining becomes even more inviting when you are surrounded by the intoxicating scent of hundreds of blooming roses.
You could use the roses from your shrubs in many ways. You can dry the buds and flowers to use in pot pourri or in dried flower arrangements. You can use them for romantic purposes such as covering the bed or floor with the petals from your very own shrubs. If you are an artist as well as a gardener, you could plant your rose shrubs as subjects for your drawings or paintings.
If you search on the Internet for rose crafts, you will be pleasantly surprised at how many fun things you can do with roses. Some people use rose petals for crafts. You can use them to make lovely, scented beads, for example. (You can find recipes on the Web.) Others make their own perfume.
Rose flowers and rose hips (the rose fruit) are edible. Some people collect rose hips and make them into jams. Some people make rose-petal jelly. And some recipes call for rosewater flavoring. You can add rose petals to salads for a big of color, or use a few petals to garnish the plate of a gourmet entree.
Roses have one of the most popular scents for commercial purposes. Planting your own shrubs will give you an outdoor air freshener that you can also bring inside to show off in vases placed around the house or office. Even a blind person can enjoy the uplifting scent of roses.
The scent of roses can be subtle rather than overpowering. Some roses do have a stronger fragrance than others. So remember to consider the different rose fragrances when choosing rose shrubs for your garden. with so many colors and scents to choose from, the choice is truly up to you.
