Preparation:

Prepare the ground as early in the spring as you can. It's a good idea to prepare at least a month before planting if you can. Choose a sunny spot and you will be rewarded with more flowers.

 

Dig a large enough hole for the roots of your plant. Mix in some well rotted manure or compost with the soil you dig out. Tease the roots out into the hole and fill in again with the mixture of soil and compost. Heel in and water well.

If you are using a structure for growing roses, make sure the structure is firmly in place before planting so as not to damage the roots later.

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Soak the roots in water for a couple of hours before planting if they are dry. Once planted, they will need little attention while they are flowering, although they should be regularly watered during dry spells, but never waterlogged.

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Growing roses - caring:

Keep them tidy! As soon as the first flowers are dying, cut them off. This will not only encourage the plant to produce more flowers but will keep the garden tidy. When the petals start falling, cut the whole bloom off using a pair of sharp secateurs or garden scissors. (The petals can be dried and used for pot pourri)

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In the autumn, or when the plant has stopped flowering and the leaves are falling, it's time to prune. There are many conflicting views about pruning. Generally though if you cut back the dead wood, and keep the inside of the plant free from tangled branches, you shouldn't have too much trouble.

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With climbing varieties, it's advisable to cut back fairly severely, to control the size and growth. If you're growing roses in your garden, it's a good idea to get the pruning right.