- roses
- pruner
- trellis
- long-handled cultivator
- mulch
Often called the Queen of flowers, roses have played a starring role in gardens for centuries. But, contrary to what you may have heard, many roses don't require royal treatment to keep them in top form. In fact, it's really easy to create a rose garden that blooms all summer with only minimal attention from you. Here are some tips to get you started.
 |  | DIFFICULTY:  ratings key CAPTION: Rose gardens add beauty and fragrance to any home. |
When you're buying roses for your garden, don't forget to include fragrant varieties. Surprisingly, many beautiful roses (especially modern varieties) have little fragrance. Having some scented varieties in your planting plans will perfume your entire garden.
• Roses are sun worshipers. Be sure to plant them where they'll receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day.
• Eliminate weed competition by spreading a three or four inch mulch of shredded bark or other material under your roses. Because roses have shallow root systems, it's best to use a long-handled cultivator instead of a traditional hoe.
• For best effect, plant roses of complementary colors next to each other. If you plant a jumble of colors together, your garden could end up looking more like a circus than a bed of roses.
• Grow vertically. Climbers and ramblers trained on a trellis or arbor can add drama, color, and fragrance to any garden setting. Just remember that, over time, climbing roses can get heavy, so be sure your supports are sturdy.
• Good air circulation is essential if you want to keep your roses in top form. Find out how large your plants will be at maturity and space them accordingly.
• Do a soil test before you plant. Soil pH is an important aspect of keeping roses, or any other plant, happy and healthy. For roses, the ideal pH is between 5.5 and 6.6. You can use a kit to test your own soil.
• At one time or another, all roses require pruning. That's why it's wise to use top quality equipment. Cheap tools have a short life span and often do more harm than good.
• During dry periods, water your roses in the morning so the plants have time to dry out before nightfall. A drip irrigation system is probably your best bet because it delivers water directly to the root zones of the plants and it does not wet the plants' foliage.
• Rose gardens look their best when they're "framed" by a fence, hedge, or wall. Just be sure you don't plant on the north side of a structure because it will shade your roses.
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