Rose – A Gardener’s Delight

A Rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.
                                                                                         – William Shakespeare

Rose, perhaps the most beautiful flower has many quotations and poems to its name. It is the beauty of the rose which makes it so popular among flower lovers, gardeners and florists. There are hundreds of species of roses in the world and every rose has its own unique beauty. They are found in different colours, shades, sizes  and regardless of the colour or size, they appear breathtakingly beautiful.

A garden is incomplete without roses. … and why not? These flowers enhance the beauty and the ambience of the garden. It is such a pleasant feeling to be welcomed by these lovely blooms early in the morning.  The mild fragrance of the roses is extremely soothing. It is a must have plant for any garden, however small or big your garden may be.

There are few simple things to keep in mind while growing roses:

• Roses need full sun, say around 6 to 7 hours .
• They need to be  watered moderately. The soil must be moist but not soggy.
• Roses need to be fed with nutrients regularly.  I have been using organic compost every 15 days.
• On regular intervals, following can be added to the soil to enrich the soil and provide nutrition to the plants:
     –  banana peels – rich source of potassium
     –  rinsed out egg shells (smashed) -rich source of calcium
     –  used tea leaves

Rose plants are prone to pests like aphids and spider mites.  To avoid pest infestations, follow the following steps:

• Spray water on them everyday
• Spray neem water or a mixture of neem oil and water, once a week. One tbsp of neem oil can be added to one litre of water to make the neem oil solution
• Spray a mixture of washing soda and water every fortnight. (1 tbsp washing soda mixed with 1 litre of water)
• Whenever you spot any damaged, dried leaves, remove them. It is important to prune the rose plant at regular intervals. Pruning keeps the plant in good health and prevents diseases.

Growing roses is not all that difficult. Just care for them, they will be happy to bloom for you and enhance the beauty of your garden.

Happy Gardening !!

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