Gardening Tips for Rose Care & Pruning RosesProper pruning is an easy way to keep your rose bushes healthy and looking their best and get the most spectacular roses in the neighborhood. Contrary to belief, pruning a rose bush is not that difficult. With a little knowledge, pruning roses can become a chance to be creative, rather than a chore. This gardening guide will teach you all you need to know about creating a more beautiful rose garden through proper pruning techniques.Learn how, when, and why to prune roses. The recommended seasonal tips for pruning roses will help guide you on rose care Spring through Fall.Cutting and Pruning RosesPruning Roses: General MaintenanceTo prune roses you will need:Pruning shears, which are used to make the actual cuts.Gardening gloves, to protect your hands from unwanted rose thorn pricks (ouch!)Sharp loppers or a pruning saw (for canes thicker than 1/2"). Regular pruning shears just won't cut through these thick canes.Once you have your gardening supplies, your ready to get started. Follow these steps.1. Inspect the Rose Bush. If it has grown suckers from the roots, dig down and pull them off at the root.2. Prune away all dead, broken, or diseased canes. If the canes are not white or green inside, cut lower.3. Cut away thin, straggly canes. These will not be able to support blooms and will waste the bush's energy for creating bigger, healthy blooms.4. If you find that some rose canes are crossed and rubbing together, cut the smaller one back. This strengthens the remaining canes.The Popular Rose FlowerThe rose flower is the one constant through the years that has been titled as one of the most popular plants in the entire world! The variety of colors range from red to black and even blue! The mystifying shapes and sweet fragrance of rose flowers are simply magnificent by most gardening standards.Today’s rose bushes have maintained many of the characteristics of the ancient rose. Modern plant breeding practices have added a great deal of disease tolerance and winter hardiness to the ancient rose (which didn't come back year after year). Hybridization has created some wonderful colors and bush sizes that seem to be able to find a ‘fit’ in most any garden or landscape. Maybe you would like to have your own rose garden? This is a wonderful idea for anyone that really appreciates lovely roses and wants to enjoy these fragrant flowers everyday!Also know that some roses are created as shrubs that are cultivated in small sizes such as ‘shrub roses’ or grown as ‘climbing roses’ that may stretch out vine like branches 15 feet long. Rose bush offerings also include many sizes and colors of rose varieties. These roses exhibit very good tolerance to rose diseases and are known for being very winter hardy. You can also opt for the mini rose bush that can be grown as a potted plant and makes an excellent indoor flower.How to Prune RosesWhen pruning roses it is essential that you make a clean cut. Here's how:The right bud. Choose an outward-facing bud to make the Rose grow outward and allow more light and air into its center.Cutting above an inward facing bud causes the Rose to grow straggly shoots into the center of the bush.Correct angle. Cut 1/4 inch above the bud at a 45 degree angle, slanted parallel with the bud. A cut too close to the bud will prevent it from growing. If you cut too far away from the bud, the remaining cane length will die.Make a sharp, clean cut. Use sharp pruning shears to make a clean cut. If the Rose can is too thick, use sharp loppers instead. A frayed cut will leave the Rose open to attack from frost pests, and fungus. Try again, lower down the can if you make a mistake.