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A lot of negative publicity has hounded rose gardening, mostly criticism about the difficulty in growing and keeping them. However, this should not deter you. You can easily get accustomed to rose gardening, and the rewards are quite fragrant and beautiful, to say the least.

Deciding what type of rose to plant is the first step in rose gardening. It's not just about the color; there are many other things to decide. You need to think which rose plant to take ' bare-root, prepackaged, container-grown, etc. The bare-root rose plants are available from winter to early spring. They are meant to be sown after the frost thaws over and the ground can be used for planting. Prepackaged rose plants are similar to bare-root rose plants, but they are sold in a box with sawdust or similar material so that the roots can keep some moisture. Then there are rose plants available in containers too, in the early spring season. These rose plants are generally budding and ready to bloom.

The manner of planting a rose plant is similar to that of other plants. The soil must be healthy. If you have experience planting shrubs, you are well-qualified to plant any kind of rose plant too, since the method is the same. The area must have good water drainage, be adequately sunlit and not be too cramped for the roses. Remove all the dried leaves and the unhealthy shoots before planting. Do not keep the roots too long; trim them. If the rose plant is bare-root, you will need to keep it soaked in water for 10 to 12 hours so that the moisture content in them is regenerated. Then, make a large enough hole to sufficiently accommodate the roots of the rose plant and plant it. Use compost or organic mulch if you want. Roses thrive on added nutrients.

The main ingredients needed for growing rose plants are the same as those for other shrubs, but roses might require a little more of everything. They will need to be fertilized more than other plants, and for a longer time. You must start in the beginning of spring, and continue fertilizing till the beginning of fall. But do not fertilize excessively. You will also need to supplement the fertilization with proper irrigation. Roses are very thirsty plants. You will need to completely water the rose bed once every three to four days.

Remember that roses need pruning too. Pruning makes roses bloom better and increases the overall health of the plant. Pruning is done differently for different rose types, and you must follow the suggestions given when you first buy the plant.

The most required ingredient for suitable rose gardening is watering. Also, the right kind of fertilizer and the right quantity of it is of paramount importance. Pruning is another aspect of rose gardening which is not just esthetically important; it adds to the health of the plant too. All this makes rose gardening quite a laborious task, but you can be sure the final reward you get when the roses come out in full bloom will be work every ounce of work you put in.