Roses are often the crown jewels of any garden, admired for their stunning beauty and delightful fragrance. If you’re thinking about adding roses to your garden, you’re in for a treat! While they may have a reputation for being a bit finicky, with the right approach, growing roses can be incredibly rewarding and enjoyable. I have certainly loved growing roses in my gardens! This year, I planted three new roses in my garden and I have been in constant awe of their beauty and powerful fragrance. I’ll share a few photos of them below, but first let’s dive into how to grow and care for roses!
Choosing the Right Rose
First things first, you’ll need to pick the right kind of rose for your garden. Roses come in many varieties, such as hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, climbers, and shrub roses. Consider your garden’s climate, the amount of space you have, and what you want from your roses (like stunning focal points, abundant blooms, or a lovely trellis cover). Your local nursery or garden center can offer great advice on the best types for your area.
Planting Your Roses
Once you’ve chosen your roses, it’s time to plant them. Here are some key points to keep in mind:
- Location: Roses love sunlight. Make sure they get at least 6 hours of direct sun each day.
- Soil: They prefer well-drained, loamy soil. If your soil is heavy clay or too sandy, mix in some organic matter to improve it.
- Spacing: Give your roses enough space to breathe. Proper air circulation helps keep diseases at bay.
- Planting Time: Spring or fall, when temperatures are mild, is the best time to plant roses.
To plant, dig a hole about 18 inches wide and deep. Place your rose in the hole with the graft union (the swollen part where the rose is grafted to the rootstock) just above the soil line. Fill in the hole with soil, water well, and mulch around the base to keep moisture in and weeds out.
Caring for Your Roses
Now that your roses are planted, let’s talk about keeping them happy and healthy:
- Watering: Roses need consistent watering, especially during dry spells. Water deeply at the base to encourage strong roots. Try to avoid getting the leaves wet, as this can lead to disease.
- Fertilizing: Use a balanced fertilizer made for roses. Feed them in early spring, after the first bloom, and again in mid-summer. Be careful not to over-fertilize, as this can cause lots of leafy growth but fewer flowers.
- Pruning: Prune in early spring before new growth starts. Cut away dead, damaged, or diseased wood and shape the plant to improve air circulation. Regularly deadhead (remove spent blooms) during the growing season to encourage more flowers.
- Pest and Disease Control: Keep an eye out for pests and diseases like aphids, black spot, and powdery mildew. Use organic or chemical treatments as needed and maintain good garden hygiene by removing fallen leaves and debris.
Enjoying Your Roses
With the right care, your roses will reward you with beautiful blooms and a wonderful fragrance. Cut a few stems to bring indoors, or simply enjoy their beauty in the garden. Sharing cuttings with friends and neighbours is also a lovely way to spread the joy.
New Roses In My Garden
This year, I planted 3 roses in my garden. I purchased them from favourite local garden centres, West Coast Gardens and Cedar Rim. All of the roses were grown by Heirloom Roses, just south of us on the west coast in Oregon. I like that they are grown in a similar climate as mine, because I assume they will be more acclimatized to the weather and seasons here and in turn grow stronger, bigger, faster.
1. Poseidon – I selected this rose for it’s lavender purple colour and because it is a re-bloomer, which means it will continuously bloom throughout the whole season. I have it planted in a pot on my backyard deck, facing South.
2. Parfuma® Earth Angel – I absolutely LOVE old fashioned garden roses for their giant cabbage-like flowers. When I saw the photos and read the description of this rose, I knew I had to have it. Those peony-shaped flowers are just incredible! This rose has already put on quite the show for a small little plant in its first season in the garden. Also a repeat bloomer.
This was Earth Angel when I planted it this past February:
And here it is now at the start of July! 
3. Dee-Lish – As the Heirloom Roses website states; “Dee-Lish is an award-winning rose with a magnificent scent! A tall Hybrid Tea, she produces 4″ deep fuchsia pink blooms in an old-fashioned shape that resist fading in the sun. ” And WOW, is the scent ever amazing! It has a citrus/guava/passionfruit hint to the strong rose scent. And the changing shape of the flowers as they bloom is providing constant delight every morning when I look at it in the garden. Again, a repeat bloomer. Personally, I have only been going for the repeat bloomers, but can you blame me? lol.
Hope you enjoyed seeing these beautiful roses! I would love to hear about your favourite roses and if you’ve been on the fence about planting a rose in your garden, I hope this post will inspire you to go for it.
