There’s something about the first planting day of the season that just feels like a reset.
For us, it always starts with roses.
This year, we’re kicking things off by planting bare root roses and overwintered rose standards in containers here in our Zone 6A garden—and if you’ve ever struggled with container roses, this is exactly the process we follow to get strong, healthy growth all season long.
Because roses aren’t hard—but they are specific.
And once you understand a few key details about container roses, you’ll be ready to go!
One of the biggest wins this year?
Our rose standards successfully overwintered in the garage.
These types of roses have grafts both at the base and at the top, which makes them more vulnerable to cold and wind in a Zone 6 winter.
What worked for us:
That’s it.
And coming into spring, the canes looked healthy and ready to go.
👉 If you’re growing standard roses in colder climates, this is one of the simplest ways to protect your investment.
We get asked this all the time—and it matters more than you think:
Always fill your containers all the way to the bottom with soil.
We don’t use filler. No rocks. No upside-down pots.
Why?
Because full soil:
For container roses, we use a layered approach:
This gives you:
And since it’s organic, you don’t have to worry about burning roots.
Bare root roses can feel intimidating—but they’re actually one of the best ways to start strong plants.
Here’s exactly what we do:
We soak bare root roses in water for a couple of days before planting.
This is critical in colder climates:
👉 Bury the graft below the soil line
It feels wrong—but it protects the plant through winter and leads to stronger long-term growth.
Build a small mound of soil under the roots so they can spread down and out naturally.
In large containers, we plant roses closer than you might expect.
Why?
Because we’re designing for a lush, full look, not isolated plants.
And with good airflow and proper care, they thrive.
If there’s one thing that completely changed our container results, it’s this:
👉 Consistent watering beats heavy watering.
We now run drip irrigation:
This prevents:
And the difference is huge.
If you’re looking for a great way to water without dealing with messy hoses, we love our Hoselink Retractable Reel System!
We keep pruning simple and repeatable.
We start by cutting everything to a uniform height (especially important for multiple containers).
The goal?
👉 An open, airy structure that allows light and airflow
Roses are incredibly resilient—don’t be afraid to prune.
They’ll reward you for it.
We’re not just planting roses—we’re designing containers that become focal points.
This year, that includes:
At planting time, it might look… underwhelming.
But give it a few weeks.
Roses grow fast, and containers can transform quickly into something really special.
If you take nothing else from this, take these:
And maybe most importantly:
👉 You don’t have to get everything perfect on day one.
Gardening is always evolving.
In just a few weeks, these containers will be:
That’s the magic of roses.
You plant something that looks like nothing—and a few weeks later, it’s everything.
If you’ve struggled with roses in containers before, chances are it comes down to:
Get those three things right, and everything else becomes much easier.
We’ll be sharing updates as these grow in, because honestly…
The best part of gardening is watching what happens next.
Interested in learning more about roses? Check out our related posts here:
Our Secrete to Blue Hydrangeas and Nonstop Summer Roses
Full August Garden Tour
Join our gardening journey and grow alongside us. From seed starting to full garden tours, we share tips, inspiration, and the joy of growing beautiful spaces.
We respect your privacy and will never share your information. Thanks for growing with us!
Get seasonal tips, behind-the-scenes from our garden, and be the first to know what we’re planting, pruning, and loving.
As a thank you, we’ll send you our favorite tried-and-true plants — the ones we grow in our own garden.
