Plant a Rose Bush for Valentines Day

What says 'I love You' more than red roses? A red rose is the ultimate symbol of Love and Valentines Day.

Planting a rose bush on Valentines Day is really romantic because it something you can do together. And as the rose grows so too does your love for one another. In the summer months the rose will start to bloom, and you will be able to enjoy the sweet scented flowers, and maybe sprinkle some petals in your bath water or on the bed. In the autumn the rose bush will be covered in orange coloured rose hips. As you can see if you plant a rose bush on Valentines Day, you will be enjoying it for the rest of the year.

Roses are easy to grow and remarkably tolerant. Roses have been gives a reputation of being difficult to grow; when in actuality you only need to focus on a few basic points to have good results.

Hardiness
If you live further north, you need a hardier rose to tolerate the cooler winters.

Size
Select a rose variety, which fits the size requirements of the area. Read the labelling to find out what size the rose is able to grow to.

Colour
Roses come in a rainbow of colours from pure white to almost jet-black. If you are planting a rose for Valentines Day you might want to choose a red rose, however other colours of roses also have significant meanings as well.

Rose (dark Crimson) - Mourning
Rose (hibiscus) - Delicate beauty
Rose (pink) - Perfect happiness, please believe me
Rose (red) - I love you
Rose (white) - Innocence and purity
Rose (yellow) - Welcome

Go to the garden centre together on Valentines Day morning to choose a rose bush, and choose one that you both like.

Planting Your Valentines Rose Bush
Dig a hole that is about the same size as the pot that the rose bush is already in. Put the plant in the hole to check it for size. The soil level should be at the same height as the soil level when the rose is growing out from.

Roses will grow in a wide range of soils, but whatever type they do appreciate good soil preparation. The addition of a generous quantity of well rotted garden compost before planting will help to ensure strong growth.

Water the hole before planting the rose.

Take the rose out of its plant pot and tease out some of the roots at the bottom and sides of the plant pot so that they will start to grow in the surrounding soil.

Put the rose in the hole and fill in with soil around the edges. Once planted, water the rose bush again to help it to get established.

Mulching with organic matter (a very wide range is available) is a very important part of rose growing, helping to conserve water, keeping the ground cool and feeding the micro-organisms and worms in the soil. It should preferably be well rotted and, if it starts to disappear during the season, be reapplied.

As a final touch, make some romantic messages on Red heart shaped pieces of card and hang them from the branches of your newly planted rose bush.

While your roses are blooming, deadhead spent blooms frequently. Deadheading promotes the production of new blooms and does not allow the rose to produce hips. As autumn approaches you can start to leaves the dead blooms on the rose to promote the growth of rose hips, these will turn a fiery orange colour.