Creating a beautiful rose garden at home may not require a special degree in gardening but it does require some imagination and lots of patience. Usually, rose gardens are considered a formal affair as the plants must be planted in a geometric bed within the right distances. However, when you are doing this at home, you just need to respect the proper planting distances and you will have a beautiful rose garden to be proud of. The one rule that must be followed is that the taller plants in the garden must be planted in the centre or the rear of the beds. For the perfect rose garden, you will need the right preparation and maintenance.
Here Are A Few Guidelines To Help You Get Started:
1. Look for a location in your garden that has well-draining soil. Roses require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight on a daily basis and afternoon sunlight works best for these plants.
2. Test your soil for the nutrients and pH levels. You can get the soil tested in a lab nearby to determine its quality. Usually, roses grow best in acidic or slightly alkaline soils. If you find that nitrogen is missing in the soil, you must add it externally for better nutrient content.
3. Fall is the best season to plant your roses. Before you plant them in this season, add some organic materials like leaves, tea bags, coffee grounds and pine needles to improve the nutrients and quality of the soil.
4. By using a tiller, till the area of the soil around 1 feet deep before planting your roses. Tilling helps to break the soil and gives the rose roots a chance to grow and work in the soil easily.
5. Once you have done the basic preparation, it is time to plant the roses. Bare root roses must be planted in early spring or late winter while potted roses can be planted in spring or fall.
6. To maintain your plants, apply an organic mulch of about 2-3 inches thick throughout the bed and around your roses. These help to regulate the soil temperature and conserve water for the roses.
7. It is important to add compost to your rose garden regularly to improve water retention and enhance nutrients in the soil. If you are using clay soils, use a rose fertilizer once a year; use it once a month if you are using sandy soils.
Tips for a Beautiful Rose Garden
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If you want to control pests, it is a good idea to interplant roses with companion herbs like garlic, rue, feverfew and pennyroyal.
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Using an organic liquid fertilizer, you must fertilise your plants at least 2-3 times during the growing season
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Use a drip irrigation system to water roses in the morning during a dry period as this will not wet the foliage of the plants
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Plant the roses in a way that you can view them from your home and enjoy the fruits of your hard work with a visual treat
There are 13,000 varieties of cultivated roses and it can be a difficult task to choose and plant the right ones. However, with the right study, time, and effort, you can have a fragrant and colourful rose garden at your home!
