There are legends and myths surrounding roses that date back centuries. Some of the earliest evidence of the existence and cultivation of the rose comes from the poetry and legends of ancient Greece.

Greek mythology tells a tale of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, rushing to the side of her wounded lover, Adonis. From the mixture of his spilled blood and her tears upon the earth sprung the red rose, a symbol of love.

There are more than 6,000 varieties of roses that bloom in a variety of colors, petal shapes, sizes and growing trends. It is the most popular flower grown in gardens and is America’s national flower.

January, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, is the time to head to the garden center, or to your computer, to select the roses that will fit the needs of your garden and get them in the ground. Yes, it is rose-planting season. Brrrrr.

The saying, you get what you pay for, is especially true when purchasing roses. Cheap, inferior roses will not be worth the time, effort and expense you will put into planting and caring for them. Roses are graded by the number of canes they begin with. The more canes, the higher the grade and the bigger the bush.

Roses can be purchased in one of two ways, either bare-root or container-grown. Bare-root roses are commonly purchased through the mail. They are easier to ship than container roses. They will arrive with their roots wrapped in plastic, packed in sawdust, loose soil or mulch. The canes will be bare sticks, between 6 inches to a foot long, devoid of foliage or flowers.

They may not look like much but they can be planted earlier in the growing season, giving them the time and energy, due to the absence of leaves, to establish their roots.

When you get your bare-root rose, remove it from its packaging and place its roots in a bucket of warm water for up to 24 hours. This will help the rose with the process of taking up water. Roses should be put into the ground as soon as possible after they arrive.

It is important to do a soil test on the rose bed before you prepare it. This will help determine any adjustments that need to be made to the soil to get your roses off to a good start. Roses prefer slightly acidic soil, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.

Roses also need well-drained soil, which can be achieved by tilling at least 6 inches deeper than you are going to plant your rose. When planting more than one rose, space them at least 2 feet apart. This will allow for proper air circulation, access to sunlight and limit the spread of disease.

For the bed, mix two-parts soil with one part humus (leaf or manure compost, peat moss, composted pine bark, etc.). Fertilizer and lime should be mixed into the bed according to soil-test recommendations.

Set the plant on top of a mound made of the soil so the bud union will be just at ground level when the soil settles. Spread the roots out, cover them with soil, pack the soil down by hand and water thoroughly.

If planting a container-grown rose, remove the plastic or paper pot keeping the root ball intact. Dig the hole twice the size of the root ball and just as deep as you would for a bare-root rose. Cover with soil and water thoroughly.

Soon after planting, mulch with 3 to 4 inches of pine bark, pine straw, coarse-textured peat or ground corn cobs. Roses require large amounts of water. Soak the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches with a slow, steady stream of water directed around the base of the plant. Fertilize the rose based on soil tests. Roses will most often require ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) in April, May, June and August.

After roses are established and the danger of frost has passed, prune them to improve the size, quality and color of the roses.

Until next week, happy gardening.

— Irland, a member of the Limestone County Master Gardeners, can be reached at kippirland@hotmail.com. For more information on the Limestone County Master Gardeners, visit http://mg.aces.edu/limestone.