How to Make the Transition in Your Rose Garden

Since the U.S. is so large and made up of so many climatic regions, when it comes to rose gardening, it can hard to address every area of the country. However fall is nearly the same in all areas as it is a time when roses bloom well nationwide. Plus, roses are the only plants that bloom nearly all summer, usually coming on in flushes throughout the growing season.


After the last major heat wave, the weather will begin to cool down with nighttime temperatures finally rolling back to allow the bloom sizes to increase some. Cutting off the dead blooms will help promote and stimulate new growth on your roses so it’s a good idea to “deadheaded” as soon as possible.

Roses like to be deep-watered, if there’s no new growth on your roses – distinguished by its reddish hue -- your plants are telling you they haven’t been watered enough this season. Remember to be generous with the hose next year! And if you accidentally underwater, a good deep soaking will stimulate new growth after you have cut the old stems back.

To continue to enjoy your rose plants when summer seems a distant memory, leave some of the fall blooms on your plants so they form seed hips. The fruit of the rose can turn lovely shades of orange and yellow during the winter and will provide color to normally drab winter gardens.

As we bundle up again the cold, your rose plants will appreciate the same defense against the elements. If you live in zones 3-7, you should be sure to provide your roses with protection. This can include scraping the soil up over the canes and bud union, adding mulch or compost over the canes, using rose cones to protect them, or even piling leaves around your roses. Even in zones 7-9, it is wise to have some mulch handy just in case the forecast heads toward the single digits. And as the hard storms start to press, it’s a good idea to cut back your roses to waist high to keep them from whipping too hard in the wind and shaking loose from their anchoring.

Once that’s all completed, summer will seem a distant memory, but remember, 2006 is right around the corner. Order all the rose catalogs you can get your hands on so that you can start preparing your plan for next spring. By the time you are ready to plant, many may be sold out so order early for best selection and don’t forget the AARS winners each year. These will be some of the best quality performers in any garden.

Are you a gardening hobbyist with an interesting story to tell? Has gardening helped you overcome a personal challenge, enriched your daily routine or challenged your creativity? The All-America Rose Selections is looking for women in their 20s, 30s and 40s to share a personal and unique story about how gardening has impacted their life.

If your story is selected, it may be featured on the Web site, in the newsletter or used as part of an education campaign about roses and gardening.


To share your story, please email rose@rose.org and include your name, age, phone number, city/state and your story.