Although all kinds of gardening is my passion in life, nothing

but nothing gives me greater pleasure than my beautiful rose

garden. They are just so stunning, and I do really love the

colors and the amazing varieties which are available.

To get the best from your rose garden however there are quite a

few important pointers to bear in mind, and I would like to

share some of these with you.

When the spring comes and the ground is thawed it is time to

start planting your rose garden. Roses have actually been a

cherished aphrodisiac since biblical times, and have been

around for over 3000 years. Despite this, they still hold a

particular mystery and fascination, not to mention the fact

that they look and smell fantastic.

One of the most important rules of growing roses is to plant

the rose bush in an area that receives around 4 to 6 hours of

sunlight every day. It is also advisable not to plant too many

trees or other plants around the rose bush, because many of

these are likely to either mix with the rose or stifle it's

growth. If you are replacing an old rose bush, approximately

1-1/2 cubic feet of old soil should be removed, and fresh soil

added to replace it. When positioning your rose in the garden

or landscape, make sure that you consider the growth

characteristics of the rose in question.

To give you an example, place climbers and ramblers along

fences, trellises, or next to arches or pergolas. This location

offers them unrestricted growth and greatly increases the

potential for some superb looking blooms.

Roses also look really beautiful in island beds mixed in with

perennials, and miniature roses make great edging plants in

front of the taller varieties. If you plant them singly, shrub

roses can make excellent specimen plants, or they can be

clustered to make a flowering hedge. You can also use them to

camouflage unsightly parts of your garden.

Dig a hole large enough for the root mass, and loosen the

bottom of the hole. I suggest that you should also add some

bone meal which is a slow acting source of phosphorus. This

leads to healthy root growth in the rose plant.

The plant should then be placed in the hole very carefully and

the hole refilled with soil, making sure that the roots are

properly covered. Water the rose plant well, and let it absorb

the water before applying the final covering of soil. When this

has been completed, water the plant some more and create a mound

of soil about 6 inches high. The dome will keep the stems from

drying out until the plant is rooted. Gradually remove the

excess soil as the leaves start to open.

Special care should be taken with the planting depth, which

varies considerably according to the climate you live in.

If you live in a colder area, plant a bit deeper and consult

with other people growing roses in your area. If you are buying

potted roses, you should plant them about 1 inch deeper than

their potted level. The best time to plant roses varies

depending on the winter temperature.

Where temperatures don't drop below -10 degrees F in either

fall or spring, planting is satisfactory. If you live in an

area where winter temperatures drop below -10 degrees F, spring

planting is preferable. Plants should be planted in a dormant

condition if purchased bare root, but container grown plants

may be planted throughout the growing season.

Spacing of the rose plant is highly influenced by the

temperature. In regions where winters are severe, the rose

plant does not grow so large as when in mild climates. Taking

this into consideration, hybrid tea roses should be spaced

1-1/2 to 3 feet apart, but large vigorous growers such as

hybrid perpetuals will need 3 to 5 feet of space, while the

climbers need from 8 to 10 feet of space.

If the winter temperature is below 10 degrees F, roses can grow

healthily if proper care is taken, so the gardener must be

prepared to endure that cold and probably wet experience. In

colder areas, roses enjoy their last fertilization of the

season by August 15th or thereabouts.

These few pointers will help to ensure that your roses grow

well, and bloom nicely all summer long.

I would also like to share with you a few important additional

thoughts on how you can avoid the diseases which can attack

your roses.

To make sure that your most prized roses are in the pink or

even red of their health, simply follow these tips on dealing

with the most common rose health problems.

Black Spots On Leaves.

This disease is commonly known as black spot. Black spots

appear as circular with fringed edges on the leaves, and they

cause them to yellow. The solution is to remove the infected

foliage and pick up any fallen leaves around the rose.

Artificial sprays can be used to prevent or treat this kind of

rose disease.

Stunted Or Malformed Young Canes.

Known as powdery mildew, this is a fungal disease that covers

leaves stems and buds with wind spread white powder. It makes

the leaves curl and turn purple. Spray with Funginex or Benomyl

to treat this particular disease which could totally ruin your

rose garden.

Blistered Underside Of Leaves.

A disease of roses known as rust, it is characterized with

orange-red blisters that turn black in fall. In spring it will

attack the new sprouts, and this disease can even survive the

winter.

What you should do is to collect and discard leaves that are

infected in fall, and also spraying Benomyl and Funginex every

7-10 days will help.

Malformed Or Stunted Leaves And Flowers

The one most likely cause of this is the presence of spider

mites. These are tiny yellow red or green spiders which cling

to the underside of the leaves. They will suck the juices from

the leaves, but the application of Orthene or Isotox may help

in treating this infestation.

Weak And Mottled Leaves Showing Tiny White Webs Underneath.

This might be caused by aphids, which are small soft-bodied

insects which are usually brown green or red. Often found

clustered under leaves and flower buds, they suck plant juices

from tender buds. However Malathion or Diazinon spray may help

roses to survive these bugs.

Flowers That Do Not Open Or Are Deformed When They Do Open.

Thrips could be the reason behind this deformation and unopened

flowers, which is characterized with slender brown-yellow bugs

with fringed wings thriving in the flower buds. They will also

suck the juices from the flower buds, so therefore you should

cut and discard all infested flowers. Using Orthene and

Malathion will also treat this health problem with your roses.

I do hope that the information I have given you regarding the

diseases that you can find in roses will prove very helpful in

making your rose gardening more rewarding and fruitful.