There are so many things that can be said about building a rose garden that it is difficult to know where to start. The best place to start is to think about the end result. What do you want to see when you are finished building your rose garden?

One of the most common mistakes made is to sketch out the rose garden plan on paper and not think about the actual location of the rose garden. Therefore, I suggest that Step 1 is to sit in your favorite spot on your patio and look around. Where do your eyes want to see your rose garden?

Step 2 is to figure out if that spot gets enough sun. Roses need full sunshine (or very close to full sunshine). A balance between location and full sunshine will have to be struck.

Ah, you have found the perfect location. Now you must decide how big the rose garden is going to be. A common mistake to avoid is making the bed too long or too wide. The best measure to use is whether you can reach the roses to care for them or pick them without stepping in the bed.

But wait. It is not that easy. You also need to take into consideration the size of the rose bush. For example, hybrid teas and floribundas need about 4 square feet per bush. This means that each bush needs a space that is about 2 feet wide on each side. If you make your rose bed 4 feet wide and 4 feet long, you could have 4 rose bushes in it and be able to tend to each one without stepping inside the bed. Alternatively you could have it 2 feet wide by 8 feet long.

Check the size that your chosen roses are expected to grow and make your rose bed the right size to accommodate the size of the bushes you are planting.

Step 4 is to prepare the soil. Humus and fertilizer will greatly improve the quality of your soil. Add a bushel of humus per 12 square feet and a half-bushel of fertilizer per 12 square feet. If you make a 16 square foot rose bed (as in the above example of a 4x4 or 2x8 foot bed) you can increase the humus by a third and the fertilizer by a third.

That's all you need to do to have a gorgeous rose bed: pick a location, make sure it is sunny, don't crowd the roses, and feed the soil before planting.

Esmee McCornall is a 'Gardoholic' writer. She recently published one of the most popular free garden reports on the internet, called "Tips and Tricks to Create the Garden You Always Wanted". You can download a free copy at http://www.gardensandflowers.net/Free_Report.html

Source: www.isnare.com