Creating a Rose Garden

Specialist Linda Keese shares her many years of experience with growing roses.

Elaine: How should you begin to create a rose garden?

Linda: Choose a spot that you walk past each day and have a water spigot nearby. The old adage that a gardener’s shadow should fall on the garden each day for good production is true. Outline a rose bed with native rock or landscape timbers. Remove the weeds or grass by hand or hoe, and do not spray.

Elaine: Is the soil important ?

Linda: Yes, buy garden soil. Any home improvement store has the bagged kind and some have a compost/soil mix. Buy as many as you can lift and get at least 2-3 inches in depth once spread out over the area.

Elaine: What about buying roses?

Linda: Always buy roses on their own roots. Almost all grafted roses in the US are growing on roots which come from one variety of climber native to Florida. If the top of a grafted rose dies, what will grow from the roots is that spring blooming, rambling climber.

Antique roses are hardy even under the poorest conditions. However they will thrive for many years if planted in rich, well-drained soil and given at least 6 hours of direct sunlight and good air circulation.

Climbing roses and some shrub varieties such as Archduke Charles can get by with 4 hours of sun.

Elaine: What can be planted with the roses for pest control?

Linda: Interplant roses with companion herbs. For natural pest control try pennyroyal, garlic, feverfew and rue. Birds will love the sanctuary and keep them bug free.

Elaine: Do you spray your roses at all?

Linda: When you are growing antique roses they don’t require much pruning or spraying for fungus which makes them ideal candidates for this type of landscaping. If rainfall is lacking or a zone 5 freeze comes to zone 8 after a week of 80 degree temperatures, there will be minimal damage.

Elaine: Do you have any tips about climbing roses?

Linda: Buy an arbor which can be curved or straight across oriental style, or construct one yourself with landscape timbers. Climbing roses get very heavy, so make it to last. We use cedar in Texas because it is plentiful. Depending on where your rose garden is situated, build the rose arbor to one side or in the middle. Use shrub roses around the base of the climbing rose to cover what will eventually become bare as it grows upwards.

Elaine: What about mixing color?

Linda: Don’t plant one red rose, one yellow rose and one pink rose together. Group similiar colors together, planting larger rose shrubs behind medium ones, leaving the smallest roses for the border. A small rose bed should be planted with one color. There is more room in a larger bed or garden for swathes of colors, planted side by side.

Elaine: Any last words for beginners ?

Linda: There is no reason you can’t buy roses with your eyes and heart. But plan your space first and choose what you need for mature height.

Linda gives more advice on Growing Roses in Pots