How do you make a rose bed?
Try to situate the rose bed where it will receive at least six hours of full sun. Dig the space well to a depth of one foot and incorporate some well rotted manure, compost or peat moss. Keep in mind that you can only stretch comfortably to three feet so a bed of six feet wide can be easily reached from all sides. Arrange your roses with the tallest ones in the centre (or at the back if one sided) medium ones next and little ones in the front. Tree roses can be used in the centre instead of the tall rose bushes.

Can I grow my own tree rose?
Trees roses take about 3 years to grow. They are first started with an understock on which is budded, mainly a Rugosa, which is allowed to only grow one stem. When the cane has reached 3 feet then they bud a floribunda, hybrid tea or modern shrub type rose around the top. This is then allowed to grow for another year. This process does require a sound knowledge of the art of budding roses.

How do you identify a rose?
You identify roses by the following information. 1) Size of the plant, climber or a bush. 2) Canes grow long, pliable or short plus thorns and shape. 3) Foliage shiny, small, plus colour, number of leafs 4) Type of flower double, single, fragrance, size, colour. 5) How often does the rose bloom.

How does a rose go dormant?
Roses are not day-length plants they are cold sensitive depending on their blood lines. If a rose has China blood in it then the bush will go dormant before say one with Gallica blood in it. The Japanese blood lines are the lest cold sensitive but will still go dormant when the temperature hits the freezing mark for too long. When the weather gets cold the rose canes harden off and pull down the sap to the roots which causes the leaves to fall off.

Why doesn't my rose bloom?
There are a few reasons that a rose won't bloom. The rose is a young bush, or it is in the shade and needs more full sunlight (minimum or 6 hours), there is too much nitrogen in the fertiliser which causes it to grow leaves and canes at the expensive of flowers. The bud that was used to graft with was weak or not done correctly or it may just be a once blooming variety. Using a fertiliser with the middle number very high (phosphorus) such as one for tomatoes which require fertiliser instantly, will give the rose bush an electric prod.

How do I protect my roses during the winter?
Winter care varies with the different climates so local gardeners advice is invaluable. However there are some general guidelines to follow. Rose bushes die or die back over the winter from cold drying winds, changes in freezing and thawing and from cold temperatures to the bud union. To protect the bud union mound up soil or a mulch to about one foot high after the first hard frost. Do not cut canes in the fall or give nitrogen fertilisers as both stimulate soft new growth which will be killed. Long canes on bushes or climbers can be tied to prevent wind rock. Container plants can be moved inside to an unheated space when their leaves fall off and a little water should be given monthly to prevent drying out.

Are alfalfa pellets good for roses?
Alfalfa pellets contain a little nitrogen but mixed in with the planting hole soil, they release a fatty acid alcohol which makes the uptake of fertilisers easier for the rose plant. They can also be sprinkled all around the base of the rose bush but don't let it touch the canes as it gets hot when it breaks down and can burn the canes.

Where is the oldest rose in the world?
The oldest known rose is rosa canina or Dog Rose. Hanover in Germany has one that was planted in the 9th century.