Regional Growing Guide: Northern & Central Midwest
Harsh winters and humid summers are the greatest challenges to growing roses in our nation's midsection. Preventive measures in the northern states are extreme. In fall, the "Minnesota tip" involves loosening the roots, digging a trench, then tipping over the rose and burying it beneath leaves, branches and straw. In southern states, gardeners who can't rely on snow to insulate their roses wrap them in rings of newspaper filled with mulch. Planting cold-hardy roses helps ensure success, as does selecting new hybrid teas, floribundas and shrub roses that bear thick, waxy leaves and have been bred to resist disease.
Select a season: Spring Early Summer Late Summer Fall
Books
If you've ever wondered about companion planting, here's a fun book that explores the topic in detail. Roses Love Garlic: Secrets of Companion Planting with Flowers, by Louise Riotte (Garden Way Publishing, 1998; $15), describes how flowers help or hinder vegetables and other flowers. The book suggests companions for many commonly grown annuals and perennials, plus it discusses the medicinal uses, history, and folklore of many plants.
The Ultimate Rose, by the American Rose Society (DK Publishing, 2000; $19.95) showcases the incredible diversity of rose types, flower shapes, and blossom colors. The history of the different types is quite interesting, and the large color photographs will tempt you to add new names to your wish list.