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As a fledgling gardener I was extremely apprehensive about having one rosebush on my property. I was certain that any flower or shrub that received that much hype was going to be high maintenance. I was certain that roses were highly overrated. So deciding early not to plant them has led me an obsession with roses, and suddenly I understand all of the "talk".

At one time I was under the impression that a rosebush would require all of my attention; just so it wouldn't die, let alone bloom prolifically. I thought they were to formal, to boring, and to conformist.(And believe me, at the time I was all about not conforming.) I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I bought one rose bush. Perhaps it can be chalked up to maturing as a gardener. Now I have approximately eight different varieties. Many of which have not been given the attention that they may have deserved. These neglected roses have bloomed like crazy, leaving me wondering if maybe I was wrong. The world of roses is so diverse. For the most part, roses are truly independent. In Northern Alberta, I see very few roses grown in local gardens. This may be because we only receive on average 116 frost free days a year. But if I can grow them with little thought, than you can certainly grow them where you live.

As an aside, roses are one of the oldest plant species. "Fossil remains indicate that a primitive form of the rose existed over thirty-two million years ago." (Lois Hole's Rose Favourites, 1997, Lone Pine Publishing) Perhaps the only limitation in rose gardening is choosing from the thousands of varieties that are available. Make sure to check whether or not a particular variety can live through the winter in your area. There is no difference between growing a rose or growing a tree or perennial. You can choose ramblers, hybrid tea roses, climbers, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, polyanthas and shrub roses just to name a few. Within each class of rose the varieties are endless.

The key to planting your chosen varieties is ensuring they are planted correctly. if you purchase plants that are boxed, bagged or bare root, plant in the spring. If you have purchased container grown roses you can plant any time. Try to plant as early as possible to allow the plant to have enough time to get settled and hardened off before winter. Follow the planting instructions for each specific rose. (They generally come with planting directions on the label that you were attempting to unravel from the thorns of the

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