Now it’s officially what passes for winter here in Central Texas and that means it’s time to think about planting bare root roses for your spring garden. “Bare root” refers to the way the plants are shipped while they are dormant and doesn’t have anything to do with the different types of roses. Planting these roses now gives them time to develop a strong root system before they begin putting on foliage in the spring and prepare for the hot summer that surely lies ahead. It’s important to remember that roses need 6 full hours of sunlight to thrive and they do best in a loose, loamy soil with good drainage. As soon as you bring them home, you should trim off any dead roots or stems. Then put them in a bucket of water for several hours to revive the roots. If you are not going to plant them in their permanent place, plant them temporarily in another part of the garden until their plot is ready. The roots should not be allowed to dry out. The wax coating on the root tips is put on by the growers – don’t worry about it – it will wear off once you plant the rose.