by W. Diane Van Zwol

Created on: September 04, 2008   Last Updated: December 05, 2008

Thorns Never Harm The Roses: On Planting Rose Bushes

Planting roses successfully, is an art that every amateur landscaper or gardener can learn quite easily. Growing roses can be extremely rewarding as a hobby, because when rose bushes blossom, they are gorgeous to behold and the blossoms on each rosebush can be totally unique.

Roses are not all that difficult to grow, but there are some very specific things to be aware of, when you are planting roses. Remember that not all roses are exactly the same and thus each one can have its own quirks, or peculiarities.

Roses can grow in total wilderness under extremely rugged conditions, in many parts of the world. Rose bushes are actually very hardy. Of course, there are some cultivated rose bushes that can be more difficult to grow, but even they will thrive, if given the right conditions.

Let's look for a moment at how to plant roses. Rose bushes are generally started in three different ways. They can be grown from the seeds that are found in rose hips, or they can be started as grafts taken from one rose bush and grafted onto another rose bush. The third way to grow them is to transplant a rosebush from the wild, or from a garden center. This is the option that will be discussed here.

Ideally, planting a rose bush in the same kind of environment, in which it has been found originally, gives the rose bush its best chance at survival. In other words, a wild rose bush will be able to survive under wilderness conditions, if it is transplanted some place where the conditions are essentially the same.

What about cultivated roses?

Let us consider the rose that you purchase at a garden center, as this is the most likely place where you will obtain a rose bush.

*Here are some important guidelines to consider.

1. Find a rose bush that is known to be hardy in your area. This is important because some rose bushes will not survive the winter, where the temperature stays below zero for too many months of the year, even if the plants are mulched.

2. The location in which you plant your rose bush is also important. Find a place where there is sandy-loam soil that has excellent drainage. Rose bushes do like moisture and they will thrive, if there is proper drainage. They can be planted fairly close to buildings and will still do well. In fact, being planted close to a house, or in a sheltered corner of a yard, gives them added protection from the elements.

3. Rosebushes love the sunlight, so find a place where there is full sun during the

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