Article by Michele Rosenthal

Garden photographed at Pillar and Post, Niagara On The Lake, Canada

Winter is a wonderful time to begin dreaming up and planning a new garden. It is also a wonderful time to plan any updates to an existing garden. We recommend keeping a garden journal to docoument all of your ideas, dreams, plans and sketches. In this article we will share our decades long experience creating beautiful rose gardens. We would also like to thank our sponsors for being a part of this Sunday Guides issue!

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

We are often asked for tips on caring for, planting, and designing a rose garden. We have been growing roses for 30 years at our historic home in zone 6a Northeast New Jersey.

The Paris House Garden

There truly isn’t anything like a beautiful rose. Their sharp thorns are perhaps indicative of what’s to come. Like their thorns, they can torture you a bit with how much care goes into them. Don’t let that discourage you! Gardeners are all too aware these beauties are high maintenance. Yet with all things we love & find fulfilling it is enjoyable & worth the effort. Once you successfully grow roses in your home garden you will be rewarded with their beauty & scent.

Some roses have the most enchanting scent, perfumed fragrance floating through the garden. Others bloom repeatedly if pruned regularly.

Then there are the ones that show up for a short time leaving us speechless with their beauty and then, just like that they are gone until next year. Gardeners can feel “both mortal and immortal in their garden” I can understand that sentiment, as the garden needs us as much as we need the garden.

The Paris House Garden

Some favorites Rose are:

Constance Spry by David Austin Roses, Eden, New Dawn, Gertrude Jekyll, Zephrine Drouhin

I could live a million Springs & that would still not be enough time in my Beloved Garden. We grow hundreds of roses in our New Jersey Garden. Follow our tips and you too can successfully have a rose garden.

I don’t take this responsibility lightly, I have a team helping me & we work hard keeping them healthy. We use our gardens for our companies photoshoots etc, so it needs to be “picture perfect” year round!

In this article we will focus on the “Beginners Guide To Planting A Rose Garden”

Our garden is situated on 5 acres and requires several people to maintain. So let’s start small here as to not overwhelm.

Before you get started chose a sunny spot and prepare your soil. Clear out grass, debris and weeds.

-Planting - dig hole twice as big as pot, plant at same level - usually those instructions are on every label.

-Dirt - 3 parts good garden soil, 1 part peat, maybe some rose tone, fill hole to top of plant, water in and add more soil after first water cause original soil will settle. *** before planting gently loosen up the root ball so roots can thrive and add a layer of mulch to keep moisture in and weeds away.

-Some plants will be shipped bare root. Typically these are soaked in water before planting. Follow the directions in the box carefully or on the label very carefully

-make sure to water.

Ten Tips

Choose a sunny location & read the care instructions on your roses
Amend your soil with a rich compost - your garden center can help you with this.
Plant according to the instructions. Give your roses plenty of space.
Feed and water regularly
Spray to prevent black spots, do this in early spring before spots appear!!!
Remove Japanese beetles
Prune all dead canes each spring to prevent disease
Deadhead regularly to encourage healthy roses and encourage more flowers
Visit gardens for inspiration
Educate yourself on the different varieties of roses and their care

Rose Sources we love

The Paris House Garden, Constance Spry

David Austin Roses

Antique Rose Emporium

Heirloom Roses

Jackson & Perkins

Home Depot

Lowe’s

Local specialty gardens in our area Supplies

Country Mile Gardens, Morristown NJ, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart for pruners, shovels, organic sprays, miracle grow, garden gloves (get gloves that come up to your elbows to prevent thorns from cutting you)

The Paris House Garden, Zephrine Drouhin

Various types of roses (there are many we highly recommend reading garden & rose books to learn more)

Floribunda

Hybrid Tea

Climbers

Ramblers

Knockouts

Noisettes

The Paris House, Rose Allee

Garden Books & Magazines We love

The English Roses David Austin

Flower Magazine

Martha Stewart Gardening

Carolyne Roem

The Surprising Life Of Constance Spry

Niagara Park Botanical Gardens Niagara On The Lake Canada

Pillar and Post garden Niagara On The Lake Canada

Niagara On The Lake Botanical Gardens Canada

All products can be shopped at this link :

Shop Garden Items & Roses Here

https://ltk.app.link/5py7ODhdUAb

Pillar and Post garden Niagara On The Lake Canada

Travel & Visit Gardens

Niagara On The Lakes Botanical Gardens

Gardens in The Cotswolds and throughout England

Giverny

New York Botanical Gardens

The Mount Lenox MA

And many more

Garnish a mocktail or cocktail with rose petals from your garden. Be sure to only use pesticide free! We make a fresh raspberry/ strawberry purée from our gardens as the starting point!