The ambitious Climber 'Dr. Walter
Van Fleet.'

Fill Small Spaces

If you're looking for places to add roses, don't overlook these opportunities:

Build on the foundation. Many roses do best on a sunny side of the house, protected from winter winds. If you remove the hard-packed, lime-leached dirt found next to the concrete foundation and replace it with at least 18 inches of rich organic soil, you'll enjoy cascades of blooms from a compact Climber, such as "Golden Showers," in a bed just 12 inches wide.

Border a driveway, or edge a walk. "Betty Prior" makes a colorful edging that grows no higher than 4 feet tall. If your only available open space is a patio or deck, plant miniature roses around the perimeter. Space plantings of "Double Bubble" 2 feet apart to form a pretty border of soft pink blooms.

Plant a blooming hedge. Landscape roses, such as "Flower Carpet" and "Simplicity," are perfect for forming a living garden wall. Meidiland roses grow into a thorny, unpenetrable property line.

Keep it simple. Make a single outstanding statement by creating a focal point in a sliver of space. Train an old-fashioned beauty, such as "Madame Hardy," up a wood tower. Instead of cramming plants and furnishings into a small area, edit for maximum impact.

Tuck roses into pockets. In a mature or fully planted landscape, nestle a compact Shrub rose into a remaining pocket of soil. Consider adding "Ballerina," a petite pink Floribunda, to the corner of a bed as an accent.

Go up and over. Arbors, trellises, and pergolas keep your roses upright and add a vital vertical dimension. Enjoy the classic red blooms of "Blaze" by securing the climber's canes horizontally to a fence.