LovBear, there are some basic rules that we have to stick to if we are not to fail in growing roses:

(1) Make sure that the suckers are not allowed to grow on or else the rose will revert to its root stock, which normally is a very old rose roots. Modern day roses are budded on to those old root stock. If suckers (new branches growing from old roots deep in the ground) are not immediately taken out from the spot where they begin to grow then the whole plant will become old rose plant and the real rose at the top will be gradually lost . Suckers are always full of thorns all along the stems but modern roses have gaps on the stems rather than thorns everywhere although this rule does not apply to odd variety here and there.  

(2) New roses will simply refuse to grow in the same soil where previously you have been growing roses for several years. If you do decide to grow new roses in the same area of the garden then you will have to do either of the two things:

(a) Romove all the soil to the depth of at least 1' (31cm) and just over that in width for each new plant. This soil would be fine for growing anything else but roses. Bring soil from another part of the garden where you did not have roses growing. Add in this new soil well rotted farmyard manure (must not be new manure) or old horse manure (this is best) and plant your new roses in this mixture with some slow acting fertilizer (we use bonemeal here in UK) that will help the roots grow better during the first year.

(b) If you can buy "rootgrow" (a friendly mycorrhizal fungi that comes in sachets) in your area then there would be no need to replace the soil. This fungi attached to the roots at planting time will combat the soil sickness that prevents the new roses growing in the soil where old roses have been growing.   

(3) Roses do not like too wet soils or too dry soils, nor they like sandy soil. Ideally, roots should have moisture available to them all the time and leaves dry (leaves wet for more than 4/5 hours will invite blackspot on leaves). A soil that has clay in it is better than sandy soil. 

Roses need feeding twice every year. Once in spring just after pruning and before the new growth begins (March in UK) and the second time when the roses are in full bloom (June in UK). There should be no feeding after July.

(4) Deadhead immediately the rose has finished its best show. That way, plant will direct its energy towards making new growth rather than in making seeds.

If you can adhere to these rules then I can see no reason why you can't have a good show of roses. Try to buy varieties that have excellent or good disease resistance. I also like varieties with good scent.

0-10-10 is fine with the established roses but the new ones will need a balanced fertilizer. Established roses should quite rightly not be given too much nitrogen.

Peace

Ibn

Aug 22, 2009 -- 2:09PM, westlilies wrote:

PS...if any of our readers has experience with roses we sure would appreciate your input.     Lily

Hi Lily,

I was just passing by, read your request, and had to respond.

I like growing roses more than anything else. They are not easy to care for but the reward is immense despite all the hard work and all the blood that is shed due to thorns at pruning time and when weeding.

I have about 350 rose plants in my garden and there has never been a time this summer that I had no roses in bloom even though wife loves cutting them for the vase. 

I can tell the fellow gardeners anything they would like to know about rose growing. I am sure you can all do it.

As I am in England (UK), I have no knowledge of weather conditions at a particular place in USA and, therefore, my guidance regarding the timings would be only rough one. Also, there would be some rose varieties that we have here in UK that won't be available in some parts of USA and vice versa. 

What are the weather conditions in your part of the world? Here it rains more and more now even during the summer days.     

Peace

Ibn

Hey LILY, How's the gardening? Just wanted to mention that I am at again whereby, I started another thread up for...........you guessed it..... none other than weight loss but, hopely also looking at it from a deeper perspective. If you or anyone wants to check it out please do@ Woman and Spirtuality  

Irene

Hi Luv Bear,  thanks for your sympathy.  The food chain is something we have to respect...and I keep trying to maintain plants that the deer seem to like.  Little by little I'll replace my plants with deer resistant species.   By the way, I did buy one of those Knock Out Roses (Pink) but it seems to be dropping lots of leaves.  So I'm not the one to help you with your roses.  I know they suffer from insects and diseases.  And I suppose the weather didn't help much either.  And as far a pruning goes, that's something I have to read up on.  I think we're supposed to let them make hips at this time of year and prune them in early spring.

A winter garden...tell us (we do have readers) about it.

I've started to collect seeds for next year.  Some are just scattered for that natural effect but others I save and plant in pots next March.  It's a very satisfying activity.

Lily

PS...if any of our readers has experience with roses we sure would appreciate your input.     Lily

Hello again gardeners.  All the herbs I planted this past spring have matured and look wonderful.
I'll dry most of them for winter use.  The deer ate so many of my perennial plants...but...they left the herbs alone.  There's still time to spruce up and create wonderful containers and vignettes.  Some of my neighbors plant mums and tie corn stalks to their lamp posts.  I'm thinking about planting asters and maybe some daffodils for next spring.  Anyone care to share their plans?
Lily