ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 20, 1996 TAG: 9606200046
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: hoein' & growin
SOURCE: DIANE RELF
Roses are extremely hardy plants and will grow in just about any area of the country. In the most northern areas, however, plants do require some winter protection. Roses can be planted in any location that meets the following requirements: the spot must receive at least four to six hours of direct sun each day, there must be enough room to allow 18 to 24 inches of space around each plant for air circulation, and the soil must drain well enough so there is no standing water.
The best time to plant is either in the fall or in the early spring - when the roses are dormant and the ground is workable. Floribunda, hybrid tea and hedge roses bloom six to eight weeks after planting. Climbers bloom a little during the first season, but are at their best by the second year. Climbing roses send out long shoots or canes that can be trained over fences, arbors or trellises. Because they originated from several types of roses, climbing roses have a range of characteristics. Some bloom only once, while others bloom continuously. Some have large, hybrid tea-type blooms, while others bloom in small clusters.
When planning a large rose planting consider color combinations. A mix of many colors needs to be unified. Landscape designers accomplish this by surrounding a rose bed with a hedge or edging.
Beds of roses look best if outlined in a neutral color, such as green or white. Some materials to consider are boxwood; a low-growing, spreading yew, such as Taxus x brownii; the woody herb, germander (Teucrium species); or the miniature rose "Green Ice." The fastest edging for a rose garden is annual, white, sweet alyssum.
When selecting roses, look for the letters, AARS (All-America Rose Selections) on rose tags. Roses bearing this insignia have undergone two years of comparison with other new varieties as well as previously introduced ones and have proved superior. This selection process helps the consumer decide which of the many new varieties available each year should do well.
The test roses are judged by official AARS judges, usually either professors in college horticultural departments or supervisors of large public gardens. During the two years of evaluation, the roses are graded by a prescribed numerical scoring system on vigor, growth habit, disease resistance, foliage, flower production, bud and flower form, opening and finishing color, fragrance, stem and overall value.
Diane Relf is a consumer horticulturist with the Virginia Cooperative Extension and a member of the Virginia Tech faculty.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 linesby CNB