My Rose Philosophy

I’d like to post about some of the roses that I have grown over the years but first I will discuss my rose philosophy. Yep, stop rolling your eyes, that’s right, I do have a rose philosophy!

Here it is. Number one: I think when people decide to grow roses they make their first mistake right away because they become enamored with the beautiful close-up pictures of blooms. The flowers are so beautiful that it is easy to lose all perspective. Catalogs never have pictures that show what the whole bush looks like. You won’t be just growing a flower, you will be growing a whole plant so you need to step back and look at the entire plant, the leaves, the shape, the texture. Some roses with breathtaking flowers are very unattractive plants overall. For example, the hybrid teas are not good looking shrubs (they are bare at the bottom) although they do hold their lovely flowers on long stems which are great for the vase.

Rose plants come in many shapes and forms so you will need an idea of what will fit nicely in your garden. Do you want something to climb on your fence or trellis or do you want a shrub? Big or small? Do you want something arching like a waterfall or stiffly upright? The plant will make a big statement in your garden so it should be a shape and form that will fit in attractively.

That’s one thing to consider but even more important is the health of the rose plant. So, number two: only consider roses that are disease and pest tolerant. Hybrid teas along with their unattractive shape suffer from Black Spot and other rose maladies. They need a very regular and intensive spray program. Spraying isn’t good for you or your garden and it isn’t necessary! There are plenty of great roses that don’t require it.

Oh, and lastly number three: roses love sun so don’t even consider planting a rose in a shady area. Give a disease tolerant rose lots of sun, good air circulation, and decent soil and you will have a healthy low care plant.

So, look at the whole plant when picking a rose, then make sure that it is disease tolerant and plant it in the sun where it can thrive.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting on the five different roses that I have grown. I’ve had some that I can highly recommend and I will tell you all that I know about them. One thing I can tell you right now, though, is that I have become sentimental about all the roses that I have grown so far. I may lust over the glossy photos of temperamental rose blooms in the plant catalogs, but my love for the tough roses that I have grown is the real thing!