VOA慢速英语:In the Garden: Growing Roses

Most kinds of rose plants are native to Asia. But roses also grow in other parts of the world including northwest Africa, Europe and the United States.
大部分玫瑰品种来自亚洲。但是包括非洲西北部，欧洲和美国等其他地区也有本土玫瑰。

In nineteen eighty-six, Congress and President Ronald Reagan declared the rose as America's "national floral emblem." They proclaimed it the national flower, in other words. But whatever the name, the choice of the rose did not smell very sweet to supporters of other popular flowers.
1986，美国国会选择玫瑰作为美国的国花。严格来说，国会和罗纳德•里根总统称其为“国家花卉象征”。 无论它的名字是什么，这个决定并不讨其他热门花卉支持者的喜爱。

Some say roses are difficult to grow. But you have a better chance of success if you start with a few suggestions from experts.
有些人说玫瑰太难种植。但是，如果你遵循专家的一些建议开始种植，就会有很好的成功机会。

First, choose a place to plant your roses where they can get sunshine for about six hours on bright days.
首先，选择一个晴天能够受到大约六小时日照的地方来种植玫瑰。

You can buy roses from a garden center or by mail order. You can buy potted roses, also known as container roses, or bare-root plants. Each kind has its fans.
你可以从花卉商店或通过邮购买到玫瑰。你可以买盆栽玫瑰，也叫做容器玫瑰，或裸根植物。 每个种类都有它的喜爱者。

Some gardeners say potted roses are easier to plant. They say the roots develop better if you start with potted roses. But others point out that bare-root roses come without soil, so they weigh less to transport and that can save money.
一些园艺大师说盆栽玫瑰比较容易种植。他们说这些根长得比较好。但是内布拉斯加州奥马哈市“自然山苗圃”的董事长杰弗里•汀斯雷芝指出，裸根玫瑰是不带土的，因此运输重量较轻而且省钱。

The University of Illinois Extension advises getting bare-root roses as close to planting time as you can. If they arrive before you are ready to plant them, make sure the packing material is moist. Keep the plants in a cool, dark place.
伊利诺斯州大学分校建议尽可能在靠近种植时间买裸根玫瑰。如果你在准备好种植前就收到玫瑰，确保它们的包装材料是潮湿的。把植物放置在阴凉潮湿的地方。

You plant the roses while they are dormant. The resting plants have no leaves but still need water.
在它们处于休眠期期间种植。休眠的植物虽然没有叶子，可是仍然需要水分。

When growing roses, the soil should feel moist deep down. Watering should be done in the morning. You can avoid problems like black spot and mildew that way.
种植玫瑰的时候，土壤应该是充分湿润的。应该在早上给玫瑰浇水。这样可以避免黑斑病和霉菌。

Be careful not to water roses too much. Too much water can cause unhealthy discoloration on the leaves. After heavy rains or too much watering, try temporarily pulling away mulch from around the roots. Doing that will help dry the soil.
务必注意水不要浇得太多。水分太多会导致叶片出现不健康斑点。大雨或浇水过多后，他建议将根部周围的护根物暂时移走，这将有助于土壤变干。

Placing mulch around rose plants is normally a good idea. Mulch suppresses weeds and holds moisture in the soil. You can use mulch made from bark, pine needles, cottonseed or oak leaves.
在玫瑰周围放置覆盖物是个好主意。这个覆盖物抑制杂草的生长，并保持土壤中的水分。你可以用树皮，松针，棉籽叶或橡树叶做的根护物。

If the soil is very dry, you can add peat or compost to help condition it. If aphids, thrips or other insects invade your rose bushes, you may be able to force them off with just a strong spray of water.
如果土壤非常干，你可以增加泥炭或肥料，这些能恢复土壤中的营养。如果蚜虫，牧草虫和其他昆虫入侵你的玫瑰丛，你只需要用水大力喷射就能将它们赶走。