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Help Me Choose!

It's fun to dream about adding new roses to your yard or garden! But sometimes, it can be hard to make a decision, or feel that you have enough information to make a decision on which rose(s) to buy. To help you find a rose that fits your needs, we have some suggested uses for roses listed below. If you need more help be sure to visit our Selecting a Rose for your Garden Web page.

• Roses by Color, • Best Roses for Hedges, • Very Fragrant Roses, • Good Cut Flowers, • More Help and Ideas

A quick note about color: The colors listed below are those used by the American Rose Society to classify rose color. It may not be as creative as color names used by the cosmetic, clothing and paint industries, but it serves to standardize rose-blossom colors for all kinds of practical reasons.

Color Combinations

When combining roses with other roses or with other flowering plants, it's a good idea to think about what the resulting color combinations will look like. Some people just have a natural instinct for knowing what colors go well together, while others may need a little guidance. Remember the "color wheel" we've all seen? It's a good idea to review the fundamentals behind contrasting and complementary colors that the color wheel illustrates. This can help you choose which colors to select. Other factors also affect our sense of color, including: color brightness, color area (how big/small), color saturation, proximity of colors to one another, light and how we feel about colors.

If you're not sure what colors will look good together, get some crayons and paper and color in swatches of the colors that come close to what you'll be planting. Then, cut out the swatches and put them next to each other. That will give you a pretty good idea of what they might look like in your garden.

Here are some examples of color combinations you can make in your garden:

Complementary color combinations include:

Contrasting color combinations include:

Remember, if you're selecting color combinations for your own garden, just pick what pleases you.

Rugosa roses make great hedge plants because of their dense growth. But, other roses work well also. It all depends on what overall effect you're looking for. Hedges can be straight lines, curves or zigzags and come in one color or mixed colors.

Still can't decide? Here are some ideas.

• Go to a bookstore or library and look at all the rose books to get ideas on what colors you like and how to use roses in your yard and garden.
• Visit a public garden or arboretum to see how they use roses. They'll often have rose varieties that grow well in your area and may offer educational opportunities on gardening and home landscaping.
• Contact your local rose society for ideas and help. Although most rose societies emphasize the competition aspects of showing roses, they can sometimes be a great resource for gardeners. At least check out their Web sites for lists of favorite roses.

Or refer to the subjects below to see if they help answer your questions.

• Selecting a Rose for your Garden
• About Our Plants. Size, grade, how long before they bloom, plant guarantee, etc.
• Growing Roses. Including Spacing Between Plants, planting instructions, site selection, etc.
• Frequently Asked Questions.