A successful rose garden is fairly easy to accomplish. Most rose gardens will grow in a wide variety of soils and situations, and will survive with relatively little attention. The best rose garden is an open, sunny location that has a fairly rich, slightly acidy soil. Good drainage is essential, although roses need ample watering in the absence of rain. Once planted, a successful rose garden will survive in the same bed for many years if your ground is regularly mulched and fed.

Moisture retention in the soil is of the utmost importance. A month before planting, dig the ground to the depth of a spade. You will need to work in about one-third by volume of humus like material and gardening supplies such as compost, peat moss, leaf or well-rotted manure. Commercial fertilizer does not need to be added at this time. If you leave the topsoil untrampled so that it is loose the air can circulate. You can level the soil for the sake of appearance if you desire.

In areas where it is difficult to provide proper drainage, you may want to consider planting your roses in raised flower beds.

The best time to plant bare-root roses in cold areas of the country is in early spring. This gives the roots time to become established before top growth begins. Fall planting is slightly riskier, and the plants must be protected through the winter. In mild regions where the soil does not freeze for long periods of time, roses are best planted in late fall or late winter.

When planting, bring the roses to the garden a few at a time. Ideally, a windless, overcast day is the time to plant. While waiting for such conditions to happen, keep the plants shaded and the roots damp. If your bare-root plants are dry and shriveled, immerse them in water completely for a few hours. If they do not plump up, return them to the nursery for replacement.

Dig a hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the roots without crowding them when they are spread out in their natural position. Spread out the roots, and comb them out with your fingers to keep them from crossing each other. They should not be coiled around the circumference of the hole.

Lay a stake across the hole to mark the prospective level of the soil in the bed, and use this to establish the correct planting depth. Rose bushes need to be planted at the proper depth. Look for the bud union, the point at which the hybrid variety has been budded to the rootstock, and be sure to have it above the soil level because new canes are produced more freely from the base. Once everything is planted all you need now is for spring to come along so you can enjoy the sprouting of your beautiful rose garden.