Roses are among the most popular garden flowers in the world. And despite their finicky reputations, they’re relatively easy to grow if you give them the right location, six hours of sun a day, and regular water.

Here’s the catch: Rose care is regional. The right techniques for roses in the arid Southwest might not be best for roses in New England. So we’ve gathered tips from across the country to help you with your roses, wherever they may grow.

Pacific Northwest
Planting time: January through April*

“Wet” is the signature of this region. Abundant water produces blooms from late spring through November, but diseases also thrive in this moist environment.
Hybrid teas and floribundas need a lot of coddling in this cool environment, so select the most disease-resistant roses available. Plant in full sun in well-amended, compost-rich soil. Give plants lots of room for good air circulation. Drench soil and spray canes with compost tea.
Watch foliage closely throughout the growing season; spot-treat fungi like black spot or powdery mildew with an organic fungicide.
Prune in late winter or early spring when the buds begin to swell. Make sure tools are sharp. Dull, ragged cuts open the rose to diseases and insects.

Best roses for the region:
About Face (Zones 6 to 9)
Carefree Wonder (Zones 4 to 9)
Cherry Parfait (Zones 6 to 9)
Crimson Bouquet (Zones 5 to 9)
Day Breaker (Zones 6 to 10)
Fourth of July (Zones 5 to 9)
Gemini (Zones 6 to 9)

Southwest
Planting Time: December through February*

This region is famous for endless sunshine and sparse rain. Roses bloom April through December on the cooler Pacific coast. In mountain and desert areas away from the ocean, searing temperatures change little between day and night, causing roses go dormant during the height of summer. In these areas, they bloom in April and again in October. If you live in a consistently hot climate, look for heat-tolerant roses that have with thicker, darker leaves and intensely colored blooms.
In all areas, regular irrigation is vital, but sandy soils can dry out quickly. Amend with plenty of organic matter and test the pH periodically. Add an iron and sulfur compound if the soil is alkaline or the plants start to turn yellow. Mulch with 3 to 4 inches of compost, bark, or gravel.

Best roses for the region:
Cherry Parfait (Zones 6 to 9)
Elle (Zones 7 to 10)
Fourth of July (Zones 5 to 9)
Gemini (Zones 6 to 9)
Hot Cocoa (Zones 6 to 10)
Julia Child (Zones 5 to 10)
Opening Night (Zones 7 to 10)

Midwest/Mountain
Planting time: April through June, October and November*

Old-fashioned shrub roses are best for this region’s cold winter, blustery spring, brutal summer heat, and challenging soils. Roses have to be hardy with tough, thick leaves to survive the extremes of temperature and resist drying out.
Plant in a sheltered location, away from winds, in heavily amended soil. Mulch with 3 to 4 inches of pine needles, shredded cedar bark, or other rough organic mulch to resist wind scattering. Irrigate regularly to keep soil moist.
In the coldest winter climates, protect hybrid tea roses with the Minnesota tip method: Dig a trench long enough to accommodate the canes, loosen the roots on the side opposite the trench, lay the rose down, and cover with soil. Water and mulch when the soil freezes.

Best roses for the region:
Carefree Delight (Zones 4 to 9)
Carefree Wonder (Zones 4 to 9)
Crimson Bouquet (Zones 5 to 9)
Eureka (Zones 4 to 10)
Scentimental (Zones 6 to 9)
Peaches ‘n’ Cream (Zones 4 to 10)
White Dawn (Zones 5 to 9)

Northeast
Planting time: April through June, October and November*

Winter and spring temperatures can fluctuate over 50°F in a single day. The new hardy, disease-resistant landscape roses and floribundas do best here. Wrap them with burlap in winter to protect from cold and drying winds. When temperatures go below 20°F, mound the base of grafted roses with 12 to 18 inches of soil, compost, or finely shredded bark. Remove the mulch and burlap in spring. Roses will be in full bloom by June, then slow down or go dormant in intense July and August heat. They will come back in September when the weather cools.

Best roses for the region: 
America (Zones 5 to 9)
‘New Dawn’ (Zones 5 to 9)
Charisma (Zones 6 to 10)
Evening Star (Zones 6 to 9 )
Buff Beauty (Zones 6 to 10)
Peaches ‘n’ Cream (Zones 4 to 10)
‘Sir Thomas Lipton’ (Zones 4 to 9)

Southeast
Planting time: March through June, October and November*

The region is hot and humid most of the year, so disease is a big problem. Most rain comes in winter and early spring, but violent thunderstorms can occur in summer through late fall. Roses start to bloom by Mother’s Day and continue through December.
If soil is acidic and sandy, amend with compost and balance pH with lime. Cooler autumn temperatures can cause outbreaks of powdery mildew. Don’t waste time spraying fungicides late in the season; instead, collect infected leaves and put them in the garbage to interrupt the fungus’ life cycle.
The best roses for this region are the new heat-tolerant and black-spot resistant varieties, which also offer improved repeat blooming.

Best roses for the region: 
Altissimo (Zones 4 to 9)
Knock Out (Zones 5 to 9)
‘New Dawn’ (Zones 5 to 9)
‘Queen Elizabeth’ (Zones 5 to 9)
‘Mister Lincoln’ (Zones 5 to 9)
‘Cécile Brunner’ (Zones 5 to 9)
Memorial Day (Zones 7 to 10)

*Don’t plant roses in any region in July, August, or September.