Should You Try Rose Gardening?

Ask anyone who has a green thumb about rose gardening, and you may need a tape recorder to remember all the advice you'll get!  Almost anyone who has an interest in gardening flowers and plants will eventually mosey into rose territory.  It's almost irresistible because of the beauty and scent of one of the most popular plants on earth.

Cover of Rose GardeningA rose is like no other plant.  Rose gardening then will certainly open up grounds for controversy among fellow gardeners.  It's a subject like that of rearing children.  To the rose gardening crowd, their plants often become like their own children.  They must be fed and nourished and guided properly to bloom and flourish into their majestic beauty.

Gardeners have even been known to talk to their plants to coax them into perfect health. (I admit I've done this a time or two!)

Rose gardening is sure to involve getting your hands dirty.  If you want to truly enjoy the experience, you must dig in with gusto and heartily embrace your adventure.  Well, there are gloves, you know; but the earth welcomes the hands-on experience.  Some say it is quite gratifying to become like one with the soil.

There is surely an art to rose gardening.  The experience can be as simple or as scientific as you so choose.  You may want to stock up on things like mulch, a shovel, a hoe, weed-killer, a watering can or hose, and maybe some organic fertilizer or "food" for your rose plants.  Not to mention band-aids if your plants have thorns!  You're certain to get pricked at some point if you have the type of rose plant that produces thorns.  But it's all part of the true rose gardening experience.

Roses have been known to contract diseases, so you want to know your plants well to be able to recognize unhealthy changes in their leaves, color, overall health.  Some varieties are particularly susceptible to such and must be monitored.

Image by Carlos del Vaca via FlickrCertainly some research is recommended should you choose to begin rose gardening.  It would be advisable to research your particular type of rose plant.  The adorable miniature roses may need different care than another type of rose plant.  Also, a rose that grows well in one area of the globe may struggle in another.

Unsure where to start?  The internet has vast amounts of information for rose gardening.  There are gardening clubs in many areas.  You can search your local library or favored book store for the proper books or magazines.  Maybe it would be a good way to meet that neighbor you never knew how to approach.  There are also many elderly gardeners who would enjoy mentoring the right student in rose gardening.

Remember, when you choose your rose plant, you may want to share the beautiful blossoms with someone special, or many someones.  A child's teacher, some lonely person in a nursing home or hospital, someone who is unable to enjoy the rose gardening experience firsthand, a favored relative or friend.  So make sure you choose carefully and choose enough to share!  A rose just isn't meant to enjoy alone.