Always stop to smell the roses: how to plant your own

Planting and caring for roses is not as difficult as it may seem. With some gloves, shears and patience, your garden can soon include a wide variety of roses that will delight any visitor.

The rose existed long before humankind. Today this queen of flowers, with its countless colours and shapes, evokes passion and romance more than any other blossom. One of the most fragrant flowers known, the rose has a place in any garden, trellis, or arbour.

Planting and caring for roses is not as difficult as it may seem. Armed with a sturdy pair of gardening gloves to protect you from the roses' sharp thorns, some garden shears, and some patience, your garden can soon include a wide variety of roses that will delight any visitor.

Potted plants can be planted throughout the year, but roses may not always take root well.

• Be sure to plant bare-root roses after the last of the frosty days.
• Soak bare-root plants in a bucket of water for several hours before planting.
• Cut back your rose plants before putting them in the ground. Shorten fairly small thread roots by half, and larger roots by a third. In addition, cut back the branches to around 25 centimetres (10 inches).
• Make sure to plant your roses so that the graft area is just below the surface of the ground. Rose growers will argue endlessly about the exact correct planting depth, but it really depends on where you live. If you live in a colder area, it is best to plant a bit deeper.
• Pay attention to the distance between plants: it should usually be 40 to 45 centimetres (15 to 18 inches), but for dwarf roses, 20 centimetres (eight inches) is adequate. Climbing roses need at least 1.5 metres (five feet).
• Provide your roses with at least one botanical buddy — fragrant flowers or herbs will definitely help keep many pests away. Lavender, rosemary and thyme repel aphids; French marigold kills nematodes; chives prevent powdery mildew; and the sulfur in garlic and onions wards off fungus growth.