Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Plant roses. Nurseries are full of leafless, dormant roses in January, and it is the cheapest way to buy them and the best way to plant them. They’re called “bare root,” and if you’ve never planted this way before, nurseries can give you printed instructions.

It’s important that bare root plants have lots of roots. Buy them from sawdust-filled bins and you can see the roots; if they’re wrapped in plastic you can’t, so don’t be afraid to bring them back to the nursery if there are too few roots. Be sure to plump up roots by soaking them in a pail of water overnight before planting.

* Prune roses. Inland gardeners should wait until after the middle of the month to prune roses, but others can begin now. If you have lots to prune, begin with those that have the fewest leaves. If you are unsure of how to prune, attend one of the pruning demonstrations offered this month by garden groups and nurseries (see the Garden Calendar in this section). Books are of little help when it comes to describing rose pruning, so watching someone else is the only way to learn.