7 Tips to Create a Small Rose Garden

If you would like to create a small rose garden you don’t have to think in terms of anything formal.  

A rose garden can be very simple and you only need a few good roses to provide you with a lovely display provided that you observe a few rose friendly rules.

If your garden is particularly small, you can even grow roses successfully in containers.

Roses also grow quite happily together with other flowers so don’t worry if you don’t have space for a formal rose garden.

In fact, a garden with roses under-planted with annuals such as lobelia or alyssum will look particularly lovely.

Take a look at the container of roses above and see how a few seasonal perennials are planted around the base.  They serve not only to improve the display but also to keep the roots of the rose cool.

Here are 7 tips to bear in mind when you start to plan your small rose garden

• Whether your garden is large or small, all roses need a marked change of seasons from winter to summer.  So make sure that your climate is suitable for roses before you invest in both time and money. Fortunately roses are fairly adaptable so check with your local rose nursery for advice before you  buy and if your climate is not over friendly to roses, he may be able to suggest a few hardy varieties that would do well in your area.

• Your roses will need a minimum of at least six hours of sunlight a day if you want them to produce masses of roses. If you plant them in pots you can move them so that they catch the most sun. Some rose varieties can tolerate a certain amount of semi-shade but generally roses do not flower well unless they receive the required amount of sunlight.

• If you don’t like to use poisons in your garden there are some effective organic sprays for roses such as a concoction of garlic and soap water. Garlic planted among your rose bushes also acts as a natural deterrent against insects.

• If you garden is very dry remember to mulch your roses with pine needles or other suitable mulching material. This helps to conserve moisture around the roots.

• Allow your rose bushes to grow into sturdy bushes before cutting long stems.  Resist the temptation to cut roses for the house with long stems until the bushes are strong enough.

• Deadhead roses regularly – that is remove the dead blooms so that all nutrients and vigor go into the rose bushes rather than into the making of seed heads.

• A healthy rose bush is a bush with many leaves. Remember that leaves provide the food for the plant so make sure that you encourage as much leaf growth as possible by fertilizing and watering frequently.

 And the most important of all the tips – just talk to your roses!  I do