Cover Ground with Roses

If you have a yard with a sunny area that has a slight slope then cover the ground with roses and your yard will be eye appealing all summer long.  There are many varieties of roses but my favorite is the profuse blooming climbing fairy rose.  The rose flowers bloom in clusters and all seem to open at the same time.  The branches have more thorns then other types of roses so it is best to choose a garden site that is a good distance from where your children play.  

My home is located in the foot hills of the Mountains and I needed to cover the ground with a hardy plant that did not require much care, would return every year and could be planted on a slope. I searched online for the best price for bare root plants and purchased 1 dozen climbing fairy roses.  If you intend on planting the fairy rose in masses it is best to buy bare roots however if you have a small yard or you want to grow roses in containers then buy a rose bush in a nursery container that has sprouted leaves.

Planting the Roses
Determine how much space you will need for your rose garden.  If you intend on planting roses as a ground cover you would need to space plants 3 feet apart. 
Choose a rose garden that has well drained soil and 6 to 8 yours of sun and is in an open area that has good air circulation.  

The best time of the year to plant roses is as soon as the ground warms in spring.  Get the garden ready for planting by tilling the area.  Remove the sod and any rocks and then break up the clumps of dirt. Amend the soil with compost or manure.  

Plant the  roses by digging a hole that is the same depth as the nursery container and for a bare root dig a hole that is the same depth as the roots plus two inches. Set the rose bush in the center of the hole.  Hold the rose bush with one hand, and back fill the hole with the soil to the swollen knob where the rose canes grow.  Water the rose bush well. 

Apply three inches of organic mulch around the roses.  The mulch is a good way to keep the soil from drying out and to deter excess weed growth.  Water your roses once a week in the morning with a soaking hose.  Water roses at the soil line to prevent the leaves from getting wet. Roses need one inch of water a week.

Here is a YouTube video that will show you how to transplant a climbing rose.

Other Tips

1. Feed rose bushes in spring and in summer with fertilizer formulated for roses or other flowers.
2. Remove all spent blooms as this will encourage new blooms.
3. Fairy roses grow best in USDA hardiness zone 4 to 10
4. Watch the leaves for powdery mildew.
5. Prune roses after it has stopped blooming or leave it to cover the ground
6. The fairy rose can be trained to grow up a trellis or to cover an arbor.