Easy Breezey Modern Roses & Rose Garden Recipes for Success!

There’s no need to be a master gardener to grow Roses like a pro! Unlike the old-fashioned fussy varieties from ages ago, modern varieties are hardy, adaptable and thrive on neglect. Especially when you select the right variety for your unique climate and conditions.

Modern Roses, and a few old fashioned that have stood the test of time, have been bred with hardiness, disease resistance, drought tolerance and the non-stop bloom that modern gardeners have come to expect from their landscaping plants!

• Are Roses Hard to Grow?

The stigma Roses have had from days past has been erased with today’s new selections!

1. Most modern Roses have disease resistance built right in, so fewer chemicals are needed!
2. Once established, many Roses are surprisingly drought-tolerant. Requiring occasional deep watering in well-drained soil.
3. Many varieties thrive in hot and humid climates - Deep South we’re looking at you!
4. With tougher root systems - container and balcony gardening means growing Roses without a garden bed! 
5. Many bloom for months or rebloom, so you’ll be able to enjoy them longer! Some of the newest cultivars often bloom from spring until frost shuts them down.

How to Care for Roses

All Roses are easy to grow, especially modern varieties - all you have to do is plant them in the right environment. Here’s a quick breakdown of what they need to thrive:

Plenty of sunlight

If there’s one thing they dislike, it’s too much shade. You’ll get more blooms in a sunny area, ideally with 5 hours or more of direct sunlight, favoring the leaf-drying power of the morning sun. Only provide light afternoon shade if you live in a very hot climate. 

Plenty of water (but not too much)

Roses need deep watering to keep them stress-free but also like to dry out a bit between waterings. Soggy soil smothers roots and leaves them susceptible to mold and diseases. Water at the roots and avoid overhead watering, let Mother Nature do that. Learn more about the Finger Test!

The right dose of fertilizer

Not requiring as much fertilizer as you’d think, they still appreciate feeding once a month during the growing season. Pick a fertilizer meant for Roses to keep those blooms coming!

Air circulation

Avoid planting in low areas, surrounded by large shrubs, and avoid overcrowding to allow airflow. Keep an open center free of dead leaves. Doing this prevents mold, mildew, black spot, and bacterial infection from spreading.

A comfy bed of mulch

Apply plenty of mulch to your beds. It keeps the soil temperature regulated, prevents weeds, and stops excess moisture loss. Don’t pile it up around the crown, except in winter when providing cold protection.

Foolproof Varieties by Type:

Roses have the unfortunate reputation of being difficult, but these special plants - beloved for millennia - can be a wonderfully carefree addition to your garden. No formal garden is needed to highlight their beauty! With a wide range of height and shape options, in addition to a fantastically wide array of colors!

For a bit of inspiration, here are some of the best and easiest care varieties available for you:

Floribunda - Lots of flowers!

• Julia Child
• Livin Easy

Hybrid Tea & Tea Roses - High centered single stem blossoms

• Mr. Lincoln
• Fiji™ Eleganza®

Groundcover - Low growing flower carpets

• Drift®
• Red Sunblaze®

Grandiflora - Floribunda & Tea hybrid

• Easy Elegance®
• Anna’s Promise
• Knock Out Roses

Climbing Roses

• Blaze Improved Climbing Rose
• Don Juan 

These have all been bred with hardiness, disease resistance, easy-care, drought tolerance and the non-stop bloom that modern Rose gardeners expect from their landscaping plants!

Sample Rose Garden by Region:

Each includes a Shrub Rose, Climbing, Groundcover and Specimen Rose to complete your garden!

Hot & Humid Deep South

Water at the root zone and only if they need it. Provide air circulation and morning sun to dry the leaves.

• New Dawn 
• Easy Elegance® Little Mischief
• Violet’s Pride 
• Drift® & The Fairy 
• Sweet Sunblaze®
• Barbra Streisand

Cold Climates

Protecting the roots and crown from a frigid winter means richly organic soil and lots of mulch. Loosely pile a foot of mulch over the canes after your Rose has gone dormant and don't trim them until early spring. Site your plants in the full sun. Situating near a rock or wall with full sun exposure creates a microclimate that warms the soil more than other areas.

• Hansa Hybrid Rugosa 
• Therese Bugnet & Nearly Wild
• Pink Drift®
• Zephirine Drouhin
• Fiji™ Eleganza® 
• Easy Elegance® Mystic Fairy®

Rainy & Pacific Northwest

High moisture means more fungal and bacterial issues, so provide morning sun and air circulation. Keep dead leaves away and only water at the roots.

• Blanc Double de Coubert Rugosa 
• Bridal Sunblaze® 
• Autumn Sunset 
• White Licorice™
• Just Joey
• Sexy Rexy

Hot Dry, Arid & Drought Prone

Moisture-retaining, highly organic soil, mulch, and drip irrigation helps your Roses thrive! Consistent, deep moisture is crucial throughout the establishment period!

• Julia Child 
• Coral Knock Out® 
• Easy Elegance® Super Hero 
• Livin Easy
• Lemon Drift® 
• Cupid's Kisses™

Coastal Regions & Salt Spray

Whether you are planting along the roadside that gets salted during winters, or you live on the coast where the ocean spray creates a high saline environment, these are up for the challenge!

• Rugosa Roses - AKA: Salt Spray or Beach Rose 
• The Fairy - Groundcover
• Pink Knock Out® Rose & Bonica Rose - Shrub
• Zephirine Drouhin - Climbing
• Intrigue & Scentimental™ - Floribunda
• Miss Congeniality - Grandiflora

From small lots, city balconies, to hot landscapes, the classic beauty combined with the built-in adaptability helps modern Rose bushes thrive in any setting! 

For the same cost as a short-lived bouquet, you can plant bush after bush and enjoy entire seasons of blooms for many years!

So now there are no excuses for you to get started growing your own Roses! Regardless of where you are and how much space you have, there’s a Rose for you! Head over to NatureHills.com today and get growing!