The best time to plant any type of climbing rose is early spring. Follow this advice and your roses will have about six or seven months to become established before the cold sets in. Before choosing climbing roses for your home, you should first get acquainted with the three distinct categories of climbing roses: ramblers, trailing roses, and true climbers.

The most intrusive climbing roses are the ramblers. These exuberant roses can grow up to twenty feet in one season. Although most of the roses from ramblers are quite small, many of the newer varieties produce large roses. Unfortunately, ramblers have a tendency to be susceptible to mildew.

If you're looking for a climbing rose that is tougher and less prone to mildew and disease, your home might need the touch of trailing roses. These climbers look great planted along walls. It's suggested that you stake them because otherwise, the long canes will grow along the ground instead of upright. Trailing roses typically bloom approximately two to three inches in diameter. Two of the more popular trailing roses are the cultivars and Rosa Wichurana.

If you enjoy climbing roses with large flowers, true climbers may be what you're looking for. These types of roses produce flowers in large clusters. There are two categories of true climbers: bush climbers, and climbing hybrid teas. Bush climbers will continue to bloom throughout the season, while climbing hybrid teas may only last for a few weeks out of the season. The bush climber has more resistance to mildew and disease than the climbing hybrid teas.

Planting your roses is an easy task. The first thing you'll need to do is choose an area to dig a hole. Your hole should be approximately one foot from your trellis or arch. Once you've dug a hole, you'll also need organic matter. Well-rotted manure or compost should be added to the soil. Next, carefully remove the rose from its container. If you come across tangled outer roots, gently untangle them with your fingers. Place your plant in the hole and fill it in with any extra soil. Water it thoroughly once you've planted it.

You should water your climbing roses at least once a week. The soil should be saturated. Once your rose's canes have grown long enough to reach the trellis or arch, tie the canes to the structure. Unlike a vine, which is equipped with tendrils, climbing roses have to be attached to a structure. You can tie them with a soft cloth or string. The idea is to give the canes enough room for growth and expansion. Be sure not to tie them too tightly.

Choose the right roses for your home and watch them climb for years to come!

Climbing Roses:

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While "old garden roses" and own-root species are generally hardy enough to make it through the winter unscathed, the more fragile varieties, such as hybrid teas and budded roses, can have a rough time if they aren't well protected.

Preparing for the ravages of winter should start way back during the rose selection process. When you're browsing online and printed catalogs, or admiring the selection in your local home and garden store, be sure to select varieties that are capable of withstanding the coldest winter temperatures that your geographic region is capable of dishing out. If possible, refer to your area "hardiness zone maps" before you buy.

The key to having your roses survive the cold of winter is to force them into total dormancy. Stop applying fertilizer by mid August, and stop dead heading and cutting flowers after the beginning of October. Allow hips to form to further promote dormancy.

In extreme cold areas, your goal is to keep the plant frozen throughout the winter and to prevent them from entering freeze/thaw/freeze cycles repeatedly. With that in mind, don't cover your plants too early. Wait until the first hard frost has struck and the leaves begin to wither and fall. This is a good time to remove ground foliage and other garden debris from around the plants that may contain diseases and insects that will hibernate during the winter and return to feed on your roses in the spring.

Take a few minutes to prune back the taller roses before you begin covering the plants for the winter. Avoid doing a thorough pruning as you'll want to cut back the dead and diseased canes come spring. This is also a good time to tie the canes together to protect them from being damaged by the howling winds of winter.

"Hilling" is a very common winter protection method. You simply pile a loose and well-drained soil or compost around and over the rose bush until you reach a depth of approximately 10-12 inches. Be sure that whatever soil or compost material you use has no excess moisture in it. You want to have only cold and dry soil for a winter covering.

Once the soil mound has frozen completely, you can cover it with leaves or hay, or evergreen branches.

Healthy roses, protected by clean and well-drained soli or compost, have a very good chance of surviving the winter season if you take the time to properly prepare them.

Once you have put your garden to bed for the winter, take some time to clean and sharpen your tools and put your shed or garage back in order so you'll be ready for spring.

As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, you'll be ready to sit back in front of the roaring fire and start ordering next year's roses from your favorite catalogs and web sites.

Because your bushes are not yet in hibernation they still require some attention from you. Water continues to be a prime need, so make sure that the soil around their roots continues to remain moist. Give them a good soaking as need be, but, as always, don't over-water.

Water is an important part of your roses' winter survival requirements and properly hydrated roots will help them stay protected when the cold weather arrives.

Stop all pruning and deadheading activity so you do not encourage new growth. You should have stopped applying organics last month, and you don't want to apply any more fertilizer now either. Your goal is to keep your roses healthy while, at the same time, encouraging them to begin the process of going into dormancy.

Continue spraying at least once each month to combat black spot. Spider mites are still active during late autumn so keep your eye out for them. Spritz your blooms and foliage with water whenever you see signs of infestation. Aphids are also active now, so have a bottle of soapy water ready to send them packing.

Pick off any diseased leaves and rake away any fallen leaves from your rose beds. This not only improves the appearance of your garden, it also removes any disease residue which may be still on the leaves.

This is also a good time to prepare your new rose holes and rose beds for next year's growing season. They will have time to "mellow" over the winter season and will be ready to accept new bushes in spring.

Begin the process of piling mulch around your more delicate varieties such as "St. Patrick", "Color Magic", "Oklahoma" and "Signature". Your hardier varieties can wait until next month. See our "Winter Gardening" article for mulching tips.

You worked hard all season to keep your roses healthy and beautiful. If you did everything right, you were probably rewarded with waves and waves of beautiful blooms. Your hard work is almost over for the year, but don't neglect your roses during these important final months.

Your work isn't quite through yet, however. While fall is the best growing time, you also need to start thinking about the coming winter months.

Your bushes are working hard to produce blooms which will delight you and make you proud. They need a lot of water to fuel the process. Continue watering deeply and do it as often as is needed to maintain growth.  If you are going to be showing your rose blooms then watering daily is fine as long as you do not use too much.

Keep applying water-soluble fertilizers until the end of September, and don't be afraid to use some of the commercially available bloom-boosting fertilizers. You can recognize these because they will have a large number in the middle of their formulation. Stop all fertilizing activity at the end of October so your bushes will be able to begin the journey into hibernation.

Conditions are still good for blackspot and mildew to form, so continue with your spraying program right through the end of October.

You can cut roses for bouquets through the end of October without harming the bush. If you want to let rose hips form, then just remove the petals of your spent roses.

This is also a great time to start planning next year's garden, so visit the web and start ordering catalogs to read throughout the winter. Order your new roses early while the best selections are available. Rose growers know the best time to ship your new bushes according to your climate zone.
 

Here's a look at what we can do to keep our roses beautiful and healthy until the cooling days of autumn arrive.

• Make sure that your roses have all the water that they need. Remember to water from the roots and not from the top to avoid fungus development and to make sure that your bushes can drink their full.
• Water daily when the temperature is at or above 90F. Pot-grown roses may need to be watered twice per day. Avoid watering during the hottest times of day to guard against excessive evaporation.
• Spray fungicide on a weekly basis to keep these humidity-born diseases at bay, and cut back canes and foliage which show any signs of infection.
• Apply light feedings of fertilizer at least three times per week. Don't over-fertilize as this will cause burning.
• Apply 2 to 3 cups of organics weekly, and stop applying your organics during the last week of August.

July and August are prime times for spider mites who thrive in the heat and humidity. Spritz your foliage and buds with water on a regular basis to show these pests that they are not welcome on your roses.

Now is not the time to fall behind on your deadheading chores. Your canes need all of their strength to support new growth, so pay careful attention.

Start cutting back your roses in the latter part of August so they will be ready to produce those huge autumn blooms which are right around the corner.

Trim the stems and branches that are trying to grow toward the center of the bush. This not only increases air circulation, but it removes prime breeding grounds for spider mites and helps to reduce the appearance of fungus infections that thrive in hot, moist areas within your bushes.

If you are planning to exhibit your roses in any of the fall shows, you'll need to carefully time your cane pruning activities in order to allow enough time for recycling to occur.

Here is a chart of the most common recycling times for selected species. Soil condition, temperature, bush health and other planting and growing conditions may cause these times to vary widely, so use this chart only as a guideline.

• Slow recycling roses, such as "Uncle Joe", "New Zealand" and "Touch of Class" require 50 to 60 days to recycle.
• Medium slow roses, including "Crystalline", "Elizabeth Taylor", "Peace", and "Olympiad" will require 50 to 54 days.
• Your average varieties, which include "Color Magic", "Double Delight", "Gold Medal", "Nicole", and "French Lace" only require 45 to 49 days.
• Fast varieties, like "Altissimo", "First Prize", and "Fragrant Cloud", will need 40 to 44 days.
• "Dainty Bess", "Playboy", "Playgirl", and the other very fast varieties will recycle in just 35 to 39 days.

Begin your deep watering program

In early May, heavy rains could still be left over from April. If that's so, then adjust your watering schedule accordingly. Otherwise, maintaining the correct moisture level is an absolute necessity.

Although Roses don't need as much water as other plants do, they prefer a root soaking rather than watering their blooms and leaves. Of course, over-watering can cause mildew and related fungal diseases to appear so be careful.

Start your deadheading program

Deadheading your rose plants results in an extended blooming season. Simply cut back a few branches with outward-facing buds that have more than five leaflets.

This is also a good time to enhance the overall appearance of your bushes by removing any faded blooms.

May is the start of the organics season

Once your roses have produced their first flush, it's time to apply the organics. Organics, including blood, fish, alfalfa, and cottonseed meal are an excellent food source for roses as is seaweed and wood ashes. Rinse seaweed in fresh water before using.

This is also the right time to start working on your soil amendments by applying compost and manure, shredded leaves, and grass clippings freely and abundantly.

Summer Pest Control Issues

Insects and diseases will be trying to get off to a good start this time of year as well. You can nip them in the bud, no pun intended, by recognizing and counteracting the effects of these common rose threats.

Aphids

These green or brown-colored insects form small colonies and suck the fluids from your roses. While their presence is often fatal to your roses, treatment is simple and effective. Just spray them with a mild soapy water solution.

Black Spot

This fungal disease can be recognized by the black spots that appear on the foliage. This condition is caused by incorrect watering. First prune away the affected foliage and discard the clippings in a trash can. Do not leave them on the ground around your roses. Next, start soaking your roses at the roots rather than watering from overhead.

Canker

This fungal disease causes the canes to turn black or brown before dying. Canker usually forms while the rose bush is under winter protection. Prune back affected canes to below the canker spots and discard the canes in a trash can.

Midge

These are maggots which bore into your roses and cause the buds to turn black. Prune out and discard the affected buds in a trash can.

Rust

This fungus disease can only be treated with a commercial fungicide. Symptoms include an orange-color powder which gives the disease its name. Rust is usually the result of mild, wet winters which allow the fungus to thrive when it would normally be killed.

Spider Mites

Initial infestation becomes evident when the foliage starts to turn a dull red color. As the infestation increases you will begin to notice small webs. Treatment is as easy as spritz the mites, as well as the affected areas, with plain water.

Early spring is a time of great activity in the rose garden as you prepare for the beautiful buds that will be sprouting almost any day. Here's a summary of what needs to be done in order to prepare your roses for the tough growing season that lies ahead.

If you covered your roses with dirt or other protective winter coverings, your first step is to gently remove the protective materials so you can introduce your dormant bushes to the warming spring sun and gentle rains that lie ahead.

Before beginning your spring pruning activities, cut back any dead and damaged canes that did not survive the winter. Be sure to clear away any debris and residue from around the bushes as well.

Prepare the soil to nurture your plants by adding some organic compounds. You can either buy pre-packaged organics from your favorite garden supplier, or you can mix up your own recipe using composted manure or mushroom compost, or any of the usual meal blends which can include alfalfa, cottonseed, fish or blood meal.

Work your soil with a spade or other tool if it has become too compacted during the winter or if you notice standing water after watering your plants. Roses require well-drained soil to thrive.

After soil preparation is done you can plant any new additions to your garden including container-grown roses.

Next it is time to begin your fungicide spraying regiment either immediately or, if you prefer to wait, approximately 14 days after you complete your pruning.  Opinions on the best time differ. The choice is yours.

Remember to rotate through different fungicides during the year to prevent any fungi from becoming immune to any one product.

Don't use any pesticides unless you see evidence of damage, but remember to keep a sharp eye out for aphids which are as much a sign of spring as April showers are. Hit them with a blast of water to remove them, or apply insecticide in a mister to the affected areas.

Imagine how hungry you'd be if you just woke up from a long winter hibernation! Well, your Roses are hungry too. The best way to coax them from dormancy to budding is to feed their little bellies now and every other week through the remainder of the growing season. Water well after feeding!

There! Your rose garden is ready for spring, but your work is far from over. If spring is near then summer can't be far behind. Read our <May-June> article to learn how to prepare your roses for the coming heat.

The best part about roses, is that they are a perfect way to express almost anything that you want to say without having to say a word. After a date, if you want to say, "Let's remain friends," sending a small bouquet of roses that are yellow or pink is the nicest way to do it.

Here are a few of the occasions where roses are not only a perfect gift, but that will let that special someone know exactly how you feel.

• Anniversaries 
• Birthdays
• Graduations
• House Warming
• Getting a new job
• Getting a promotion
• Other holidays
• Or for no reason at all

There are different ways that roses can be turned into gifts that will always be remembered.

Bouquets
This is the most commonly used method of giving roses as a gift. Rose bouquets look great in any color when they are mixed with Spanish moss and an occasional green leaf plant. It is an attractive and simple gift that goes with any occasion.

Potpourri
Potpourri is a lovely and simple way to get all of the great joys out of a rose, without having to do all of the upkeep that goes along with giving fresh roses. Turning roses into potpourri is a simple and rewarding process that gives off a delicious fragrance that lasts for weeks.

All you have to do is follow the air dry technique. Once the roses are dried, simply take the blooms and separate them. You can put the shreds in a nice porcelain container, or a sealed piece of hosiery.

Dried Bouquets
Dried rose bouquets are beautiful and last as long as you want them to. All you have to do for this is to follow the sanding method for drying your roses, and plant them in a makeshift pot. You can mix your roses with dried green, fresh or fake moss and any other dried flower that you would like to use in your arrangement. It is an economical and fragrant gift to give anyone. You can also ask your local garden center professional which types of clear sprays you can use to give your flowers a glossy look.

Candied Roses
You do not necessarily have to use completely fresh or dried roses alone in making up the perfect gift. You can mix real roses with candied or chocolate roses to add to the originality of your gift. It is a delicious way to let someone know that you care.

There are a many things that can be done to help prevent diseases and pests from damaging your roses. It all seems like so much work for flowers that only have a life span of about 6-10 days. Of course a healthy bed of roses will constantly produce new buds so that you will rarely even notice as they come and go.

Roses look so beautiful in any room that they sit in. They add an elegance that is unsurpassed by any other flower. But there is the problem of wilting and drooping roses once they are placed in vases.

As beautiful as roses are, they do have a certain vulnerability that is common with every flower. They are prone to sag, droop and wilt after a few days exposure in a vase. To preserve that beauty for as long as possible , here how to make your flowers last longer.

1. Before putting your roses in the vase, separate them, but keep them emerged in luke warm water as you do it.
2. Make a fresh cut on the stem while it remains in the water because you don’t want to get air into the stem.
3. Take each flower, one by one and roll it in newspaper, then close the paper with a rubber band to keep it from unrolling.
4. Put each rose while still wrapped in the newspaper in a sink or tub filled with water and let them soak for several hours while still separate.
5. Once they have soaked, unwrap them carefully, and place them in a vase of fresh warm water.
6. If you want to preserve the health of your roses, put some 7up in the water to help prevent any bacteria that can clog up the stem.

More Tips:

• You can always place a penny and an aspirin tablet in the vase water. Some say the combination keeps flowers fresh longer. The theory is that the copper acts a fungicide and the aspirin makes the water more acidic.
• Add one part lemon-lime soda (not diet) to 3 parts water. Then to each quart of this solution, add 1/4 teaspoon bleach. Thereafter, add 1/4 teaspoon bleach after each 4 days of use.
• To 1 quart water add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon bleach.
• Add 2 ounces Listerine mouthwash per gallon of water. Listerine contains sucrose (food) and a bactericide. Listerine is acidic and is said help water move up the cut stem.

If you live in an area that is prone to harsh winters, you will likely find it relatively easy to find good, cold climate roses at your local garden center. You want roses that can survive during the winter frost.

Cold climate roses are great for many reasons. They are very low maintenance flowers, especially good for the novice. Cold climate roses also have their very own protection set up against diseases and bacteria that can plague any flower. Here a brief list of cold climate roses. The cold climate roses are as follows:

• Rugosas
• Griffith Buck
• Modern Roses
• Centrifolias
• Species Roses
• Gallica
• Alba
• Shrub Roses

This is just a particial list of cold climate roses. Be sure to check with your local garden center for other varities.