The first roses are beginning to bloom, and they mark the start of summer – even if the temperature has not cooperated.
Roses used to be a high-maintenance plant in Maine, with the upper/flowering part of the rose grafted on a hardier root stock to survive the cold. They required a lot of pruning and chemicals to fight fungus and insects. People often covered them with Styrofoam cones so they would survive the winter.
Roses today are much more self-sufficient. They grow on their own roots, no grafting required, and you can pretty much plant them and forget them – except when you want to enjoy their beauty or cut a few blooms for a vase.
The key is choosing the right rose, what is generically called a landscape rose; they bloom almost constantly from now until fall. The best known brand for these roses is the Knock Out series. Some other brands are Oso Easy and Easy Elegance. When you buy your rose bush, ask the dealer or read the label to make sure it is an easy-care variety.
At this time of year, roses will be sold in pots. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot, plant the rose at the same level it has been growing at in the pot and water heavily. As with all plants, you should water heavily and regularly for the first year it is in the ground.
– TOM ATWELL
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