- 1). Select a level site that receives six to eight hours of direct sun each day for your rose garden. The size of the garden and the size of the rose plants determine how many rose plants you can add to your bed. Small rose bushes need at least 1 foot of air around them when mature, while larger plants require up to 3 feet of space around them to allow adequate air circulation around the plants.
- 2). Design your rose garden shape to conform with your landscape style. Cottage gardens have uneven planting spacing that resembles nature, while formal gardens have precise, often geometric, layouts. Your design may include a rose arbor or trellis to provide an interesting entrance to the rose garden.
- 3). Clear the rose garden area of grass and weeds using a shovel or spade. Turn the soil at least 6 to 8 inches deep. Roses need well-drained soil. In clay soils add expanded shale to break up the clay. All rose bed soils need organic matter to feed the rose plants' roots. Add 3 to 6 inches of compost, mixing it with the soil using a tiller or shovel, to provide a nutrient-rich growing medium.
- 4). Select rose plants that are hardy in your area's coldest temperatures according to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Heat is usually not a problem for roses. However, if your area tends to have high humidity in summer, choose varieties that are resistant to the fungal diseases that grow under humid conditions.
- 5). Dig holes for the rose bushes that are as deep as the growing containers are tall, and about 50 percent wider, to accommodate the spread of the roots. Remove rose bushes from their containers and gently shake off the soil. Place a plant into a hole and backfill the hole about half full with soil. Press the soil gently around the roots and add water to remove air pockets. Fill the remainder of the hole, firm the soil and add water. Place the rest of the plants.
- 6). Add 3 inches of mulch on top of the soil to retain moisture, maintain soil temperature and discourage weeds.
- 7). Water your rose garden weekly until the plants establish, usually after the first year. Continue to add mulch each year and reduce watering. Prune your rose garden in late winter before the plants leaf out. Add organic or synthetic fertilizer at least twice a year, if desired.
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