Does growing roses make you think of hours of work pruning, watering and fertilizing.  Not anymore with the many beautiful, easy-care, disease resistant hardy shrub rose varieties.  Roses are very hardy and make a great foundation planting, accent plant or in any garden in any setting from casual to more formal gardens.  For best results follow these tips:

Roses like sunlight but that doesn’t mean only the sunniest spots will do.  With even just four hours of sunlight your shrub rose will reward you with tons of blooms and bright color.

Screaming Neon Red

Screaming Neon Red

Give them some room.  Roses don’t mind being planted with other things however other shrubs, perennials and even roses planted too closely will compete for water, nutrients and sunlight.  Allow a few feet of space around each rose bush for best results.

Ramblin Red Climbing Rose

Ramblin Red Climbing Rose

Water!  Roses do prefer a bit more moisture than other plants.  Amend the soil with compost at planting time for a soil that will hold moisture. Depending on the rainfall, the average shrub rose will need about 1-3 gallons of water a week applied at the base of the plant.  Don’t water the leaves or flowers to help prevent disease and add mulch to increase water retention.

Campfire Rose

Campfire Rose