How to Choose the Right Roses for Your Garden
Thursday, April 26th, 2007There are many different types of roses that you can grow so this makes it very hard to pick the best one for your area. To make it easier, here are a few important factors to help you narrow down your of choices.
Color
How will the color of your roses affect your garden? You should consider the colors of nearby plants and flowers that will be sharing the garden. Will the assortment of colors look good together, or will they clash? For some gardeners, color is a priority; for others, it’s no big deal.
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 your climate is too hot or too cold, or has the wrong amount of humidity, it could weaken your roses and make them vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Size
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.
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.
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.
If you’re new to gardening and want to try your hand at growing roses, landscape roses may be your best option. These roses are easy to care for and disease-resistant. They’ll look gorgeous just about anywhere. If your garden has trellises, you can add several climbing roses as well. Although climbing roses look very similar to landscape roses, climbing roses have been trained to grow upward like vines. They add a beautiful touch to any home.
Whatever variety you choose, roses will be a wonderful addition to your home.