If I were starting over with a new garden, these would be the key points I would consider: 1) Locate the roses in full sun, away from tree roots, and on higher ground rather than a low site, for the sake of drainage. 2) Plant in beds rather than in individual holes and amend the entire bed to about 12 inches with 1/3 by volume organic matter. Keep the organic content of the soil up with an annual compost mulch. Forget about soil pH unless you are gardening on free lime or in a peat bog or you just enjoy fussing over pH. 3) The real key to easy roses is choosing the right varieties. People on the Forum, especially those in your area can give you lots of advice but you should know that many, maybe most, of us are simply dedicated to trying every variety of rose known to man

I have a climbing rose that I planted 3 years ago, full sun, higher flower bed. Never did anything at all until this year- 2 roses. Every other variety I have planted has died. So now I would like to grow a beautiful rose bush for the hubby and I woud like to do it right fom the start. The location I hve chosen is in a large igher flower bed right by the house, full sun...so I guess I'm going in the right direction so far. Now I need the right variety for zone 7. He likes the reds, so any suggestions for easy growing variety?

Maria

Welcome to the world of roses. There are all sorts of ways to grow roses successfully--I'll give you a few tips on how to get started, trying to keep it quick and easy at first.

1. If by roses your DH means those long-stemmed ones with the big blooms (as in a Valentine bouquet), then you are in trouble. Those are hybrid teas and often difficult to grow well. Instead, begin with some shrub roses like any one of the Knock Outs (available at almost every garden center nowadays). The Knock Outs are brightly colored and, very important for a newbie, highly disease resistant. The more disease-resistant your roses, the fewer headaches you will have. (Hybrid teas too often are not very disease-resistant.)

2. Pick a place that gets lots of sun (6 hours or more), and for each rose, dig a BIG hole--maybe 1-1/2 to 2 feet deep and wide. Probably you will need to add some amendments--manure or peat moss or compost (you can buy them by the bag at places like Home Depot, Wal-mart, etc.). Mix the amendment in with your garden soil.

3. If you can, buy the rose growing in a pot. Take it out of the pot and set it so that it sets about the same level as it grew in the pot, spreading the soil around it until the hole is about 3/4s full.

4. Flood the hole with water and wait until it disappears. Add more soil to the hole, filling to the top. Water abundantly again and wait for the water to settle and disappear.

5. Water maybe every few days. You don't want to waterlog it, but you don't want it to dry out completely either.

6. About a month or two later, after it puts out leaves and blooms, you will have to start thinking about fertilizers and fungicide sprays, but come back here at that time and ask for more directions. Too often newbies load up on everything on the Home Depot shelves and try to use it all of the poor baby rose which gags on all that stuff.

I'm not sure if it is advisable to plant new roses this time of year in Zone 7. In Zone 6 where I live, I would wait until early spring. Hopefully some Zone 7 posters will come along and advise you on when to plant in your region.

One word of caution: rose-growing is addictive!!!!!!!

Kate

Maria, I'm too far away to name you some good varieties (you're in New Jersey, right?), but I bet it would help people to know if your husband prefers the high-centered bloom of hybrid Teas or any of the variety of bloom shapes in the old garden roses, most of which are represented in David Austin's roses.

Maria:

Going to be pretty hard to improve on some of the advice you have had here already but a couple more thoughts. You say your honey likes reds and I trust that is the case. However if you want to play around a little with learning what's out there, check out a couple of reputable online retailers like David Austin's roses or Heirloom Roses. Of course the list goes on and on but that's who I have ordered from with the greatest frquency in the past. Get their catalogs delivered and see if you can get your husband to be not too focused on the traditional red rose. There are roses out there that will make you melt that are very non-traditional.

To get a taste check out the excellent resource of helpmefind.com . To see how it works go to the web address and find your way into the rose search section. Then type in the rose name 'Braveheart'. It will tell you the basic info about the rose, give you an option to check out photos, retailers and then if you want to know more come back here and search using that criteria.

I think you and your DH might enjoy the rose Braveheart. A gorgeous red. Providing you with a link below.

Have fun!

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: Rose 'Braveheart' at HMF

.....and also on the rose gallery here, you will see lots of wonderful photographs posted from our group. If you like the picture, then go check it out on HMF...then you will be a happy rose-gardengirlz
Pauline - Vancouver Island

Go to the American Rose Society web site and find a local rose society or have them put you in touch with a Consulting Rosarian for your area. They will know what roses are easy to grow and available in your area and can help you with all your questions.

BTW, your climbers doing fine if you got some blooms this 3rd year. There's a saying about climbers. 1st year they sleep, 2nd year they creep, 3rd year they leap. I'll bet you get a great spring flush next year.

Wow! Thanks all for the tips!!!!! I am asking advice now but will in fact wait until spring to plant the roses.I'm getting all my ducks in a row now- pulling and relocating perennials to get a sweet spot for my roses which I have always loved but until now have been unsuccessful with.

I have learned that gardening requires patience, which I usually lack! I am tired of wasting money on plants that don't grow well b/c they are not in the right spot, bad soil, planted at wrong time of the year, etc.

Seil, thanks for the climbing rose tip..it as driving me crazy;0)

I guess this forum will be another of my favorites...I'll be hanging around for more info!

Thanks again to all and please keep more info coming my way.

Maria

Maria, let me know where you are in the state, and I can help find a Consulting Rosarian close to you to help. If you're in Monmouth County, it would probably be me (sorry!). ;-)

If you ARE in Monmouth, there is a rose garden in Eatontown, on Rt 35 S, just south of Ft. Monmouth. It is "no spray" meaning that they are very disease resistant. They are pruned once a year and fertilized twice a year, watered by the borough. We are having some troubles with the "red", but the best ones have been Knock Out (bright cherry red, also comes in a fuller form called Double Knock Out), Home Run (child of Knock Out and is a true, rich, red) and the burgundy/brown Hot Cocoa. Also in Eatontown, there is a traffic island on Grant Avenue just south of Rt 36 with Knock Out and Blushing Knock Out.

If you are looking for roses that look like those that come from the florist (they are in the Hybrid Tea class) know that they will be more work, as they will require treatment for a fungal disease called blackspot.

The Jersey Shore Rose Society's Rose Show is September 15 & 16 at Dearborn Market in Holmdel, you can see a lot of roses and ask a lot of questions there.

Gotta run, but will be back later with more info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jersey Shore Rose Society

Possible reasons why your first roses died--
--You chose roses from the garden center by appearance rather than seeking out roses that are adapted to your climate. Except for the Knock Outs, these superior varieties usually need to be mail-ordered.
--They defoliated from blackspot and lost the strength to grow and survive winter.
--They were planted too high, with the critical graft knob exposed to killing frosts (generally around zero to +10 for hybrid teas).

Your area has very bad conditions for blackspot, so don't trust claims of disease resistance in catalogs. Listen to experienced gardeners in the East. However, you can grow most roses if you spray fungicide, and you can grow some roses without fungicide.

gardengirl, roses are actually hardy and do well with just some tlc. My best advice to you would be for you to buy plants from repudable vendors. Don't go cheap! There is a difference.

Take the fall/winter to go through catalogs and websites and find what you want then come here and ask for input from people in your zone and area that have the same roses. It's invaluable information that you really can't get anywhere else.

Hi Maria:
I have roses on LBI and they do well. Hybrid teas are a challenge down here due to the BS but rugosa roses do well, along with some OGRs and a bunch of climbers - especially New Dawn and Autumn Sunset. I just read one of your postings and mentioned you were looking for a red rose for your DH, try Linda Campbell. It is a real lipstick red rugosa and does very well for me. Good luck!

Carol,
I just got some rugosa roses cuttings a few days ago...I know they do well in the area. I see them all over Barnegat light and LBI and I see they grow like weeds!LOL!

I respectfully disagree that Hybrid Tea roses are "often difficult to grow well" as someone above said. It is true that they take more care and more work than the carefree shrub roses, but that doesn't make them difficult, necessarily. In my area they require spraying with a fungicide and they appreciate a monthly feeding (what rose doesn't?) and always need lots of water, but in my opinion that doesn't make them difficult.

I have to agree with rose nutty. HT does not equal difficult. They don't seem to be any less hardy than my shrubs or floribundas either. In any class there are going to be roses that require spraying and some that don't or ones that do well in heat and those that prefer it cool. The trick is to find the ones that like your conditions best and go with those. Then any rose can be easy to grow. That's why I think talking to local people is your best bet for getting the roses that are right for you.

I daresay that if your DH expressed his love of roses and he specifically loves red roses, he does not have Knockout on his mind. KOs would be disappointing for him and for you, too. I would stick to a few red HTs, and would choose one or two, which are fragrant.

In my humble opinion, the most important thing is to choose a respectable vendor to order roses from. In your area, as far as I know, multiflora grafted roses do very well; so do search the websites of Pickering and of Palatine roses. They are excellent vendors and Palatine sends exceptionally healthy and huge plants.

Additionally, grab DianaNJ offer - she is very helpful and can give you super advise re what grows well in your area, alas, she does not like red roses :-(((
There are quite a number of Hybrid tea roses that are not that difficult to grow. Royal William (Duftzauber), for example, is an excellent dark red rose that is easy to grow and it produces long stemmed dark red blooms in great number. Furthermore, Palatine offers a relatively new red HT that is the first ADR rose in red and ADR certification means that it should be very disease resistant.

In other colors you may want to explore Buck roses and ask the forum members which are disease resistant in your area.

I can also recommend the newest very disease resistant Kordes floribunda or shrub roses - most available from Palatine, a few are available from Pickering and also, a few are available own root from Ashdown roses.

However, if you get red roses, I would advise you to plant them in eastern exposure so that they are protected from scorching sun in the afternoon otherwise the petals of red roses can burn.

Any of these above mentioned choices in roses would give you both greater satisfaction than to start with Knockouts.

If you can, prepare a rose bed instead of individual holes. In the long run it will be easier to maintain and better for the roses as well. The bed can be prepared in the fall (actually it is better to prepare it in advance) and it will be ready to receive the rose(s) in early spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Palatine roses

Hrumph, I have one red HT (Let Freedom Ring) and one red blend (Brandenburg Gate). Still might add Veteran's Honor. Still don't see what all the fuss is about WRT red HTs... ;-))

The Kordes floribundas have been great. I have 2 from Ashdown on their own roots and 3 from Palatine (along with 1 HT). The "Fairy Tale" series have so far been really pretty. I have been lax on blackspot treatment this season, but my new Kordes roses have been very resistant.

I am sorry, but what is LBI. I know I am going to feel awfully stupid when you tell me. I really am not comfortable with the innitial world.
Pauline - Vancouver Island

Even more info... you guys are keeping me busy!

Moody- LBI is Long Beach Island- a barrier island along the NJ shoreline. I don't do well with initials either. You can go to UrbanDictionary.com- they have most of them listed.