Of all the garden plants you can grow, roses offer the very best value. They flower for a long period, providing colour and fragrance. With a little care you can enjoy them year after year.
Buying Roses
When buying a rose the secret is to purchase early in the gardening season, in November or March depending on the type of plant. You will find there is a greater selection available in garden centres at these times.
From autumn into early winter, many garden centres stock bare-root roses. These have been lifted from the ground and their roots wrapped to protect from dehydration. The roses are dormant and can be planted, weather permitting, any time up to mid-March.
At any other time of year, roses can be purchased container-grown. This prevents disturbance of growing roots and allows you a longer planting period. Container grown roses are usually available from the beginning of March until mid-summer. When buying a rose, quality is all important. It is recommended purchasing from a reliable source.
This way, you are guaranteed true-to-name varieties and excellent young plants, which get the very best start.
Planting
For best results, bare-root roses should be planted from October until the end of March. Container-grown plants can be planted at any time of year, providing the weather and soil conditions are suitable. Best results, though, are achieved by planting in either spring or autumn.
Soil preparation is all-important. Once you have planted your rose, you will expect many years of pleasure and enjoyment from it, so a little time and effort spent on preparing the soil is setting up the right conditions to guarantee you a healthy and beautiful plant for as long as possible. Dig the soil well in advance and incorporate organic matter, for example, well-rotted manure. This will help to enrich the soil, improving its texture and quality and also provide necessary nutrients for the new rose.
As far possible, position your roses in full sun. This will encourage extra flowers and a strong, healthy-growing plant. Avoid soil where there are extremes of either wet or drought. Roses enjoy average moisture and, in very dry spells, may require additional watering.
Next time: Rose Care!
Bord Bia It’s Garden Time
With thanks to Bord Bia for this article. For more information on Bord Bia and for further gardening tips and advice, visit http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/gardening/itsgardentime/pages/gardentips.aspx
At any other time of year, roses can be purchased container-grown. This prevents disturbance of growing roots and allows you a longer planting period. Container grown roses are usually available from the beginning of March until mid-summer. When buying a rose, quality is all important. It is recommended purchasing from a reliable source.
This way, you are guaranteed true-to-name varieties and excellent young plants, which get the very best start.
Planting
For best results, bare-root roses should be planted from October until the end of March. Container-grown plants can be planted at any time of year, providing the weather and soil conditions are suitable. Best results, though, are achieved by planting in either spring or autumn.
Soil preparation is all-important. Once you have planted your rose, you will expect many years of pleasure and enjoyment from it, so a little time and effort spent on preparing the soil is setting up the right conditions to guarantee you a healthy and beautiful plant for as long as possible. Dig the soil well in advance and incorporate organic matter, for example, well-rotted manure. This will help to enrich the soil, improving its texture and quality and also provide necessary nutrients for the new rose.
As far possible, position your roses in full sun. This will encourage extra flowers and a strong, healthy-growing plant. Avoid soil where there are extremes of either wet or drought. Roses enjoy average moisture and, in very dry spells, may require additional watering.
Next time: Rose Care!
Bord Bia It’s Garden Time
With thanks to Bord Bia for this article. For more information on Bord Bia and for further gardening tips and advice, visit http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/gardening/itsgardentime/pages/gardentips.aspx 
