The map is meant to be used as a general guideline that you’ll need to seriously consider before planting any roses outside in your garden or around the yard. However, don’t be confused or fooled, some roses do well in many different kinds of climate. The best knowledge for learning how to locally grow roses in your area is to talk with others in your hometown, such as your plant and gardening center or a florist. A good reading of any quality book on how to grow roses can be found at the library or a bookstore.

A little history about how maps came into use for roses is necessary to be a fully informed Rosarian!

The first map ever created for information on plantings was the USDA Hardiness Zone Map, and it came from the combined effort of Henry Skinner in the 1800s when he worked with the US National Arboretum, and the American Horticultural Society which produced the valuable map of information on the climates in the US. It was a generalized map of meteorological information broken into zones of large areas for the US. It was the first time people had some type of guideline to go by for planting and growing, not only decorative plantings, but crop information as well. This was necessary because many people were on the move throughout the country, and many didn’t know the local areas growing capabilities.

Later in 1960 the map was revised and was named the Plant Hardiness Zone Map with more detailed information, and included all of North America. A few reasons for changing the map were that there was more technological ability to map weather trends, as well as data. Also, the weather patterns were changing too. More detailed information such as the names of plants and their cold climate zones, along with an alphabetized listing of plant names were included.

Here is how the map is broken out into zones for the US.

South West – AZ, CA, NV, UT

South Mid-West – AR, KS, CO, ILL, KS, LA, MS, MO, NM, OK, TX

South East – AL, FL, GA, MA, NC, SC, CO, TN

North West – OR, ID, MT, WA, WY

North Mid-West – IA, MN, NE, ND, SD, WI, WY

North East – CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV

Alaska – Listed separately but in the North Mid-West

Hawaii – Hawaii Is not listed in any category of the US geographic regions

The major areas are further broken out into sub areas of temperatures. Starting with zone 1 which is the coldest area of -50 degrees F and graduating up to 11 which are the warmer areas of the US. Areas of the regional zone is further broken out into sub zones of temperatures represented by a combination of numerical and alphabetized designations such as 2a, 2b, and 3a, 3b, and continuing on. Zone 11 is the area where annual local temperature is continually over 40 degrees F.

Like the unfamiliar settlers before, you’ll need to know the map. There are places on the internet where you can order one and print it out to use as a guideline for growing your roses. Remember to stay updated on any changes to the map.

With your handy map in hand, go and speak to people in the know about growing roses in your area. The map is helpful, but it’s only a general guideline. Different things concerning your local climate can affect how roses grow in your garden or around your house. Professional horticulturists use them and they are termed micro climates. Situations such as how much smog or pollution conditions, soil feasibility, or even any catastrophic conditions such as the eruption of a volcano, or a man made problems of pesticides can affect how or if your roses grow.

Take the time and understand the map, and use any information you can find in books, or from a gardening or floral provider. Also, use the advice of locals for growing your healthy beautiful roses. Most of all enjoy the adventure; it’s a sweet smelling one.

Roses are delicate plants that not only benefit from, but need, special attention. Of course, the return that roses give growers is ample to the efforts put into their care. Worldwide they are one of the most beloved plants and have come to be recognized as a sign of beauty and love. So why risk losing your precious roses because you did not winterize them correctly? A little time and effort can greatly improve the survival rate of your roses. Preserve your roses. Five easy steps can help your roses through the toughest of winters.

Don’t let the winter month’s sweep in and steal them away from you. Roses are resilient little troopers if you give them a jumpstart. If you set your roses up properly for the long, dark, snowy months ahead, they will be waiting for you in the spring. In climates that produce temperatures that remain below 20-degrees F (7-degrees C) for long stretches without snow cover apply cover to your roses. If winters in your climate bring temperatures below 10 degrees F (12 degrees C) protective covering is necessary. In climates where winter is cool but low temperatures are rare, leave roses out in the open.

Just before September hits stop feeding and pruning your roses. This will stop the growth of delicate new blossoms that can not survive the winter from forming. After the first frost give your roses a good watering session. This will give the roses a good start as they head into a long stretch of independent care. Take the time to give your rose bed a thorough cleaning. Get rid of any diseases and insects. Remove fallen petals and leaves in the rose bed. Don’t attempt to reuse the rose bed debris in compost. Those unwanted pests may be lying in wait. Get rid of any old leaves so no insects hitch a ride on your roses into winter.

The time to begin preparing your roses for winter depends largely on your climate. In some climates you will want to begin protection after the first frost. In others you don’t need to bundle your roses up until after the second frost. Apply protection as late as possible without compromising your roses and remove it as early as you can. Late November is a good time to get the protection on, but if your climate affords it, wait until Christmas.

Hybrid teas are the most popular roses grown in America. They are partially derived from plants that grow in moderate regions where winters are extremely mild. That means they are especially sensitive to the cold weather. Pile a six to eight inch pile of dirt along the base of the bush before the ground completely freezes.

While there are a few Rosarians that support protecting more than the bud union, most believe that covering the buds will suffice, unless you are growing climbing roses. Then you want to cover as much as you can. Wrap a heat conducting material around the bud union of the rose.

If you are dealing with climbing roses, these same basic steps will help you to winterize. Gently remove the canes from the arbors and bind them to one another. Remove the foliage and bend the canes to the ground before placing a wood and wire frame above the plant. Then the bush, without any major pruning, is encased entirely in a thermal blanket.

It is good to get your roses back into the open as soon as possible. Late April is a great time to set your roses free. New growth will have been stifled long enough to prevent damage from late season frosts. What destroys roses in the winter is debatable. Some believe it is the dehydrated soil. Other think it’s the first strong frost, winterizing itself is also up for debate. This is a case of better safe than sorry.

These extraordinary plants are boisterous roses filled with sweet fragrances and powerful blooms. They are popular, brave roses that boldly go where other roses can’t. Planting Climbing Roses will give you a great return on your gardening efforts. But there are a few things you need to know before you get these special roses in the ground.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider is size. Climbing Roses can be very greedy. Are you in the market for 30 foot tendrils that will crawl over the width of your domicile? Or would you like a well-contained rose for your fence that will only grow to be about eight feet in height? Climbing Roses need, and will take all, the room they can possibly stretch themselves across. They have been known to grow almost endlessly in width and height.

If you choose to plant Climbing Roses, be aware of the space they will encompass upon full maturity. These roses can become vigorous rambling plants that climb onto walls and arches you wish they wouldn’t. That means that you need to have the appropriate space for them to grow into. If you don’t, they will simply take it.

Climbing Roses are mutations of bush varieties. They usually present a large spring bloom as well as a spattering of blooms over the rest of the season. Blooms on Climbing Roses are shown to be of a higher quality than those on the bush types. If you by a rose that grows larger than what you would like, pruning it to keep it under control will destroy the plant.

Climbing Roses are vivacious growers that can bring immense beauty to your garden. They have the ability to be stunning landscape additions. Their growth patterns and height make them ideal decoration for architectural designs. Climbing Roses will extend along fences or windows and door frames if trained.

Be aware that Climbing Roses use a ton of energy to spread themselves around the way they do. That means that blossoms may be a bit spaced. The smaller your Climbing Rose is, the more blossoms it will be subject to have. Gage how full of a rose you want to have before you plant.

You will want to grow your rose covered trellis in a site facing the east. Hot western afternoon sunlight is harsh for Climbing Roses. An area where there is some protection from the wind is also desirable. However, even if you don’t meet all of theses requirements Climbing Roses are a sturdy variety and flourish in most conditions. If you have had problems growing roses in the past, try Climbing Roses. They are very kind to novice growers.

Spraying Climbing Roses is not always an option. You will want to begin with a disease resistant rose if you are looking for a big grower. Roses on fences and around arches will be easier to protect from disease. Some varieties gain disease resistance as they get older.

It is a good idea to provide some protection for Climbing Roses during the winter. This can be challenging for the larger varieties but the smaller ones are as easy to winterize as most other roses are. How often you want the rose to bloom is something else to consider. The Climbing Roses that grows to mammoth proportion often only bloom once in spring while others keep blooming through spring and fall. If the rose is meant to add character to your floral arrangement you probably want one that blooms frequently. Proper watering and fertilizer will help you get the most mileage out of your roses.

There are many common colors and variations of those colors to choose from. Are you looking for fragrant flowers that will spruce up your landscape? Or are you searching for a reserved subtle flower to quietly build mood? Take your time and peruse the numerous types until you get to one that captures your heart. Choose a climbing Rose you will love for years to come.

As a general rule, the optimal time to transplant roses is during their season of dormancy. For those in northern cold-weather climates, this period generally falls at the end of the winter season. For those in warmer, milder climates, transplanting can usually be accomplished successfully in late fall or winter.

Bare root transplants can be planted at any time of year, as long as the temperature does not fall below freezing levels. Rose transplants cannot survive at 10 degrees below 0 F. Container grown roses can also be transplanted at any time of the year, although early spring is best. Planting container grown roses in the fall may not allow them enough time to develop and strengthen their root systems before the winter frost.

Even though conventional wisdom dictates that roses should be transplanted at the close of winter when the plants are dormant, do you really have to wait until then, or is it possible to transplant during the growing season? In fact, you can transplant roses during the growing season, and even during hot summer months.

If you do decide that you must transplant your roses during the growing season, be prepared to take several precautions in order to ensure the least traumatic transplant experience for your roses. To transplant during the active growing season, take these steps:

Water the plant thoroughly the day before you plan to transplant. By drenching the plant’s root cells, they will be more apt to survive the trauma of transplant.

Prepare the planting bed before you begin the transplanting process. Make sure the location gets an adequate amount of sun, air circulation, and that the soil is rich in nutrients, with a generous mixture of peat moss and organic matter.

Transplant as soon after your roses have been dug out of the ground. You should prepare the new location well before removing the transplant in order to limit the amount of time that the root ball is exposed to the heat and dry air. If this is not possible, make sure the plant is kept in a cool and dark location. Exposing the plant and roots to the sun and heat may damage your roses permanently.

As soon as your roses have been transplanted, water thoroughly. Roses require a lot of water during the growing season, and this is especially true if they have been recently transplanted.

Wait until new growth develops before you fertilize. Fertilizing at the time of transplant is risky because the fertilizer may be too concentrated for the vulnerable roots. Instead, wait until you see new growth, and then fertilize lightly.

Be aware that if the rose plant you want to transplant is wilted or doesn’t seem at its peak of health, it’s best not to transplant during the growing season. Your roses must be healthy and strong in order to survive and thrive after the trauma of transplant, especially if you decide to transplant during the growing season. Also, keep your eye on the weather. Never transplant on days of extremes, where the weather is exceptionally hot or windy.

Roses can add a beauty and elegance to your garden that is unmatched by almost any other plant. Before you even start to consider when to transplant, think about where you would like to plant. An optimal planting location for your roses would be a spot where your roses will receive six hours of sun each day, be protected from freezing temperatures, receive adequate air circulation, and where the soil is rich and gets good drainage. Remember that roses have extensive root systems, so give your plants lots of room to grow and spread.

Rose grafting is much like any other type of grafting. It is basically taking one part of a plant (usually a piece of the stem) and attaching it surgically to the root or stem with roots of another plant. The top portion of the graft, the stem, is known as the scion. It is called either a bud wood or a bud stick. The bottom part of the grafted rose plant is called the stock, although some people refer to it as the under stock or the root stock. The union is the place on the plant where the scion and the stock are healed together. On roses, this is usually someplace below the soil line.

A rose graft works best when a superior scion is chosen to be attached to a root system that is adapted to growing in particular conditions. If you wish to grow a rose that is of a less hardy variety as compared to your areas hardiness zone, then grafting can help you. You graft the less hardy scion rose to the roots of a rose plant better suited for the zone. The scion then receives its hardiness and nutrition from the roots that are adapted to the growing conditions, borrowing from its strength.

Here some other advantages associated with grafted plants. First of all, they are usually more uniform than plants grown from seeds. Flower color and season, as well as bloom size and shape, are usually much more in line with the other flowers when multiple scions from one plant are then grafted onto a variety of different stocks. Additionally, because the scions are already in a stage where they bloom, grafted roses tend to flower much sooner than their seed-planted counterparts. The scion is mature and “is aware” that it should be flowering. It does so, long before a rose from a seed or juvenile plant would flower. Roses are often grafted because it makes it easier to propagate a wider variety of blooms if desired.

Roses are among the easiest plants to graft because they are nearly all compatible with other rose plants. Even most rose hybrids are compatible with other roses for grafting. It is possible to determine a rose root system that works well in the growing conditions of your garden and then plant only those. Then, choose the roses you would like to have and graft them onto the well-adapted roots. This will give you the chance to grow just about any rose type you would like, without having to worry about whether it is a good choice for your particular growing situation.

There are a few things you should do to experience a more successful rose graft. First of all, make sure that the knife you use is sharp. A clean cut is essential for successful rose grafting. It is possible to buy knives made especially for grafting at most garden centers. These knives are sharpened only on one side, so you need to make sure you get the knife made for your dominant hand (grafting knives come in left-handed and right-handed models). Next, you should make sure that your scions are taken from firm, young stems of the plant you want to graft. It is a good idea to choose stems that have some wood (roses are considered a woody plant). The best time for grafting roses is when the blooms are fading and their petals are dropping, but before the buds swell up in preparation for the next flowering.

When grafting, it is essential to do it quickly. The cut surfaces can dry out in seconds, so try to perform the surgery as quickly as possible. Make sure you are well prepared before the cut is made. It is a good idea to practice making cuts beforehand to get the hang of making a smooth cut quickly. Another way to prevent drying is to put the end of the scion, cut side down, against your tongue while you work on the stock. Do not do this if you have recently sprayed your plants, as it can make you very sick.

1) Smooth Buttercup Thornless. This variety has won praise from gardeners worldwide, winning numerous competitions and prizes. The Smooth Buttercup is a compact floribunda that produces clusters of beautiful bright golden yellow blossoms. The Smooth Buttercup Thornless is a repeat bloomer, providing a beautiful display throughout the growing season. The blossoms also produce a light, sweet fragrance.

The Smooth Buttercup Thornless is just one variety in the popular Smooth Touch Thornless rose series. Developed in California by Harvey Davidson of Western Sun Roses in 1962, the Smooth Touch Series has been popular with consumers ever since. All roses in the Smooth Touch series are 95-100% thorn free. Thorn free roses are particularly appropriate for elderly gardeners, young children, and individuals who may be susceptible to injury due to an impaired lymphatic system. Smooth Touch donates part of their profits to cancer research organizations.

2) The Banksias Rose (Rosa banksias lutea) is another excellent nearly thornless variety that has been a hit with gardeners since it was introduced in Kew Gardens nearly two centuries ago. The yellow Banksias Rose nearly bubbles over with blooms during its two month flowering season. It blooms in early autumn (September and October) in a swirl of fluffy butter-yellow nearly double bloom flowers. Although the flowers themselves are not very large, the number of small blooms creates an astounding display.

The yellow Banksias Rose is a rambling, free-flowing type of grower, but it is easy to trim and keep in place because it is nearly thornless. Unlike more conventional roses, the yellow Banksias must not be pruned in winter. Rather, it should be trimmed in summer, after it has bloomed. The flowers of the Banksias Rose are produced on the wood from the previous growing season, so pruning in winter would result in cutting away the new season’s buds and flowering wood.

The Banksias Rose admired by gardeners worldwide for its ease of growth and care. This rose bush is almost completely disease resistant. It will not require regular doses of fungicide sprays, and is not particularly fond of being fed with commercial fertilizers very often. Plant the Banksias Rose in relatively fertile, well-drained soil in a nice sunny location. Let it grow freely, clipping any wayward growth, or train it to climb alongside a trellis or wall.

3) Perhaps the most popular nearly thornless variety of rose is the Zephirine Drouhin. Named after the wife of a French rose enthusiast, the Zephirine Drouhin is a beautiful Bourbon rose that should be planted in a location where you can really enjoy its strong and sweet fragrance. The Zephirine Drouhin is a moderate climber, generally reaching heights of 10 to 12 feet, although gardeners report it can climb much higher. You can train this lovely rose bush to grow on a trellis, archway, or along the rails of a veranda or porch patio. Because it is nearly thornless, the Zephirine Drouhin is relatively easy to handle. It produces a profusion of large, dark pink blossoms that bloom from May to the first frost.

The Zephirine Drouhin rose bush is famous for its shade tolerance. It is best grown in moist, slightly acidic soil in full sun or part shade. The Zephirine Drouhin needs good air circulation for vigorous growth and to help control fungal diseases. For best flowering and to ensure the greatest disease resistance, plant Zephirine Drouhin in full sun. It should be pruned during the dormant season, and dead leaves surrounding the plant should be collected and destroyed to prevent disease. Zephirine Drouhin, like many other rose varieties, is susceptible to mildew, black spot, rust, and Rose rosette. During the active growing season, be sure to remove spent blossoms and mulch thoroughly each spring to retain moisture during the hot months.

1) Read the label carefully. Nearly all commercial tea roses come with a label or catalog description. If you experience love at first sight, resist the urge to buy without considering carefully the label information. The last thing you want to do is choose a tea rose that you love, but which will likely not thrive in your garden.

2) Choose a tea rose that will thrive in your climate. If you live in a mild climate, for instance, choose a tea rose is heat tolerant. If you live in a humid climate, choose a tea rose that is resistant to mildew and other fungal diseases. Perhaps most importantly, evaluate the plant’s cold hardiness. Most roses do not fare well in freezing temperatures, so make sure your tea rose can survive a cold winter before you put it in the ground.

3) Be aware of growth habits. Is the tea rose a climber? Is it a rambler? Does it spread sideways rapidly? Will it make a good groundcover? Visualize where the tea rose will be planted in your garden, and what direction it might grow. Also, make note of its average height and width. You don’t want to mistakenly plant a tea rose that grows too high for its location.

4) A perfume so sweet. Do you want a tea rose whose fragrance lingers in the summer air? Or does the mere thought make you want to sneeze? Some tea roses don’t have much of a fragrance at all, and some are incredibly fragrant. What type of tea rose you choose depends on your specific likes and needs.

5) Consider whether you plan on using your tea rose to produce cut flowers. Some tea roses are better suited for cutting and putting on display, while others have petals that are fragile or dry quickly after cutting. If having cut roses is important to you, make sure to research your top choices.

6) Consider whether the tea rose varieties you are interested in are disease resistant. Tea roses are all prone to disease, but some varieties are more resistant than others. If the mere idea of a mildew infection or Japanese Beetles infestation makes you cringe, consider choosing a tea rose that is widely regarded as disease resistant.

7) Think about the amount of care you can provide. Certain tea roses demand more attention and care to thrive than others. If you think you may not be able to give a tea rose variety the attention it needs, try to find a variety that can thrive with a minimal amount of attention.

8) Consider color. Even though all tea roses are beautiful, you may want to consider how different color types of tea roses will look in your garden. Visualize the tea rose in full bloom. A yellow climbing rose against a blue wall, for instance, can create a stunning display each year.

9) Buy only healthy-looking plants. If you are selecting a tea rose from your local nursery or garden center, choose a plant with at least three strong canes. Avoid buying tea roses with brown roots, shriveled foliage, or damaged branches. Choose tea roses with bright white roots and bright buds at the side of each stem.

10) Purchase your tea roses only from reputable, well-known dealers. Don’t attempt to save money by purchasing your tea roses from the back of a truck. You don’t want to take the risk of introducing a sick plant to your garden. Disease among roses can spread quickly with ease. Instead, visit your local nursery and pick only the most healthy-looking plants. If you order your tea roses by mail order, deal only with reputable dealers. The extra bit of money will be well worth it when you experience your season of blooms.

Deciding where to plant your rose garden is one of the most important decisions you can make regarding your future rose bed. Conditions can determine whether or not you have well formed, admirable roses or wilting, weepy ones. If you want gorgeous roses that keep you and others in awe, don’t take the location of your rose grade lightly.

Choosing a location for your rose garden may take some thought. Where is the best place to plant your future prize winning roses? You may have a huge yard stretched out before you, or a little nook in the corner of a big city. Whatever your space situation is, you can find a suitable location for your rose garden.

The first vital step in choosing the location for your rose garden involves pinning down a bright, open area of your yard. Most roses need a ton of sunlight. Choose an area that will receive many hours of sunshine. Do not plant roses in a spot that will be shaded for most of the day. You want to plant where there will be five or more hours of sunlight a day. With that in mind, also be aware of areas where the roses will bake. Find a happy medium. You want ample sunlight but your roses don’t need to fry.

Once you have chosen a suitable spot to plant your roses, get rid of any turf. Extract a few oil samples to determine the grade of soil you have. Soil that has a high level of acidity will be drained of nitrogen quickly making it unsuitable for growing roses.

You won’t need a biologist to help you determine the pH balance of you soil. Testing the level of acidity is simple. Dig 3-4 inches into the soil and gather a few small samples. You can buy a soil evaluation kit from a gardening store or nursery. If you do not understand the results, have a knowledgeable Rosarian translate them.

Once you know the pH balance of your soil you will know if you need to add dolomite lime or not. A pH balance of 6.0 to 6.5 is excellent for growing roses. Check another area if the first chosen one is less than favorable. You could end up having a thriving rose bed in the most unlikely of places.

Roses are not big on sharing. They need room to grow and thrive in their own private space. Besides, you want your beautiful rose bed separate from your other plants. When you step into your garden you will be able to admire the breathtaking cluster of roses you have. Steer clear of tall buildings and shrubs.

Black spot and other diseases occur when there is not any proper air circulation through the rose plants. The amount of space needed between each plant depends on the rose. Hybrids will need about 5 feet while miniatures will need, 6 to 12 inches and Floribunda’s will need about 2 to 3 feet.

Remember, your roses will be growing so you need to take into account what their mature size will be. What height and width will your roses reach? Have you chosen small roses that will not take up much more room than they do now? Or have you planted larger roses that will burst out of their space?

Climbing roses work well with other plants but most roses do not. Roses thrive with other roses but they must be planted simultaneously. Don’t plant a new rose in the same soil your old roses are using. Begin fresh and start growing a new rose bed.

Another mistake that new gardeners often make is planting too many rose bushes. If you are new to gardening, take it easy. No need to become a master gardener over night. Take your time and get acquainted with your rose bed first. Start out small and learn all of the responsibilities of caring for roses.

Remember, the spot you plant in should be open and easily accessible. You will need to water the bed deeply; 2-3 times a week and proper drainage is necessary. Make sure other plants will not be in the way of you maneuvering easily around your rose bed.

One of the most important ways in which roses benefit from the sunlight is through the morning sun. Most roses do best when receiving sunlight during this part of the day. This will dry the leaves from mildew, and will prevent disease. The quicker the dew is able to dry from the night air, the better and healthier the roses will be.

Often times, black spots are what begins the diseases on the leaves of the roses. This is caused from water splash or dew. It then spreads to other leaves on the rose. Once you have black spots on the leaves, they will not disappear. The only way to get rid of them after they are a disease on your roses is to cut off the leaves. An easy way to prevent this from spreading is to make sure that the roses are in the right sunlight, allowing the leaves to naturally dry, and not allowing the black spots or mildew to move to other parts of the rose bush.

Roses also often do better with morning sun because it is not as hot as the afternoon sunlight. Roses are usually sensitive to the heat that is caused by the sun in the afternoon. When planting your roses, make sure that they receive the full six hours of light in the morning and later afternoon sun so that they don’t become overheated in the afternoon sun. This may cause the roses to not bloom as fully as they would be able to otherwise.

If you decide to plant a rose away from the sun, it may cause many problems. The first problem that will occur is that they will bloom less. They may also become leggy, instead of being full and thick with their stems. They will also be more prone to diseases. This is because the sun offers several nutrients in order for them to bloom properly. The sun also takes away the cause of the diseases, which is often a result from the dampness of night air.

If you are unable to find a place around your garden that will get the required six hours of sunlight, there are certain types of roses that will benefit while having more shade than is generally required. These will still need some sunlight, but require less than the other roses. If you want to find a rose that has bigger blooms, it will most likely not need as much sunlight as the other types of roses. There are also types of roses that are more disease resistant from mildew and black spots. Roses that are climbers are particularly good for not needing as much sunlight as other types of roses.

If you have already planted roses in a spot that doesn’t receive six hours of sunlight a day, there are some things that you can do to prevent disease from spreading. First, find if there is a place where you can plant the roses that receive at least some direct sunlight during the day. The more sunlight they can get, the better it will be. The next thing to do is to always water in the morning. This will allow the water that gets on the roses to dry off quickly, which will allow for natural disease prevention throughout the day without having to use the suns warmth in order to dry out the water.

Remember that roses will thrive better when they are given six hours of sunlight. It prevents disease and allows them to grow more to their potential. Not allowing roses the proper amount of sun, may cause problems for the roses. The sun provides the nutrients and the right warmth to allow roses to bloom and flourish in your garden.

However, just like different varieties of flowers, roses have meanings. The color of the rose given represents different things. While there are few people left in today’s societies who actually care about the language of flowers and, more specifically, roses, it is still interesting to know what different colored roses mean. Besides, if you know what the colors mean, and the recipient knows, then you share something that has more meaning than any mere flower.

Red roses
These are the classics. Everyone knows that red roses are symbols of love. A single red rose with a long stem can communicate, “I love you” more eloquently than a grand bouquet of any other flower variety. They are the most popular variety because their message is unmistakable. They are a symbol of enduring romantic love. Because they are so popular, red roses are very expensive around Valentine’s Day and Christmas, when people are thinking about special loved ones.

Pink roses
Pink roses come in three main colors. Each of these colors — pale, light, and deep — means something different. Pink roses mainly express feelings of a platonic nature. Pale pink roses symbolize gratitude, grace, and gentleness. Light pink roses indicate happiness and fun. They mean that the recipient is a joy to behold, someone who is fun to be around. Deep pink roses are expressions of gratitude. They are sent in thanks for some benefit the sender received from the recipient.

Lavender roses
Roses of this light purple, sometimes also called lilac are indicative of love at first sight. When someone sends these flowers, he or she is saying that the recipient has enchanted the sender, and that he or she felt an immediate attraction. These roses are especially appropriate to send just after meeting someone, or if you particularly enjoyed a date and felt that there was a strong mutual attraction.

White roses
Like all things white, these are symbols of innocence, purity, and truth. They also send the message that the sender is worthy of the recipient (has pure intentions, is pure in body and soul). White roses also send an “I miss you” message.

Coral roses
Flowers of this color are bright and seem to burn with passion. And for a color so bright, the only message that can be sent is desire.

Peach roses
Sending peach roses just like sending pink roses, is a more platonic gesture. These roses can have two different meanings. The first is of gratitude and appreciation, and the second can be an expression of sympathy.

Orange roses
Orange is a rather enthusiastic color, and this is exactly what orange roses are meant to convey. Orange roses are an indication of the enthusiasm that the sender feels for the recipient. It is a happy, loving sort of enthusiasm. These brightly colored roses also indicate desire.

Yellow roses
Yellow roses are appropriate for a variety of occasions, and are used often in congratulations. Weddings and graduations are very good reasons to send yellow roses. New mothers are also prime candidates for receiving yellow roses. And, because the yellow rose is the flower of Texas, no excuse is ever needed to send yellow roses to a Texan. A Texan is always happy to receive a yellow rose, no matter the occasion.

But there is one thing that yellow roses communicate loud and clear — friendship. You should never send yellow roses to someone for whom you have romantic feelings. These flowers also indicate a desire for freedom, so if your significant other is sending you yellow roses, he or she might be giving you a subtle hint.

Finally, though few people would do this anymore, sending dead roses is always an option. Dead roses, no matter their color, can mean only on thing: “We’re through.” Sending a dead rose may be the ultimate way to avoid a messy face-to-face break up.