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Wish you had a rose garden that would be neighbor’s envy, but owner’s pride? It is not that difficult really. All it requires is a bit of pre-planning and alert maintenance. When these two elements are in place, you could enjoy a healthy blooming rose garden all season long. The way to go is to remember the five import P’s: Plan, Prepare, Plant, Prune, and Protect.

Plan: Proper planning is the first important step in any gardening and rose gardening is no exception to this rule. Start by scanning through various catalogues, magazines related to gardening as well as information available at your local garden store. Color is the most important aspect to consider when choosing a plant. Visualize your garden with the roses and all the accompanying plants. Next think about the size and shape of the plants you wish in your garden. Here you have a lot of choices: from tough climbers to miniature roses suitable for container gardens, there is a plant to suit every position and need of your garden. There is one point to remember though: the rose plant needs a lot of sunlight to grow – a minimum of 4 to 5 hours depending on the variety you have chosen. This means that a shady spot in your garden may not be the right spot for growing roses.

Prepare: After you have selected the variety of rose, its shape and size, your next step is to prepare the soil. According to experts, pre-conditioning and priming of the soil is critical if you want the end result to be healthy and beautiful. In other words, all the hard labor that you put in at the beginning will pay rich dividends later by way of healthy and robust plants. You have to start the soil preparation by digging the soil about a foot deep. Do not throw away the soil as you will need it later. Then make a mixture of compost, peat moss or manure into the soil. Then put in the dug soil and begin your plantation.

Plant: After the soil has been made ready, you can begin your plantation according to specifications which may vary according to the type of rose. Start by digging a hole which is about six inches larger and deeper than the plant you are inserting in the ground. Remove the sapling very gently from its packaging or wrapping so as not to damage the roots during the transplantation process. Put back the soil gently but firmly around the plant and water generously. At this stage, add a layer of mulch which will retain the moisture of the soil as well as protect the root system of the plant during its growth phase.

Prune: Though the newly planted plants may not need any pruning till the next growing season, all the existing rose plants may need pruning. The best time for pruning is during early spring when the buds are starting to swell.

Protect: Rust, pests, fungal diseases and inclement weather are some of the imminent dangers which your rose garden will have to face and conquer. Pests can be controlled by using simple and mild pesticides; fungus and rust can be prevented if you only water the roots, avoiding the stem, leaves and flowers as well as by careful pruning and deadheading. You could depend on mulch for providing adequate protection to your plants during summer as well as winter.

Practice these five important P’s: Plan, Prepare, Plant, Prune and Protect and become a successful and proud owner of your own beautiful rose garden.

Darren Williger is a tea drinking, guitar playing, meditating, wine making sales maker who writes for MiniGarden.com, RoseMaven.com, and HomemadeWine.com.