"Rocking with Roses," a '50s-themed program on roses, is planned from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Plant Perfect in Bismarck.

The program is sponsored by the local rose club and will focus on how to easily grow roses in this area.

Rose Club president Marcy Pfliiger says that roses have had a bad reputation for too long for being too demanding of care and having too many losses in North Dakota's harsh winters.

Others have had bad experiences because they've bought "bargain bin" roses and haven't received guidance on proper planting and care, she said.

Pfliiger is passionate about roses and helped start the local Prairie Rose Club four years ago. Though young, the club has 40 rose-grower members, she said.

The Prairie Rose Club meets every second Tuesday of the month from March through September at the Bismarck Tribune Discovery Center Conference Room at the Dakota Zoo. Members can get updates on local growing techniques and private rose tours.

The Carol Bothun Memorial Rose Garden is located within the zoo to help bring rose awareness in the community, she said. The club also is looking at having more rose garden displays in the area, and is reviewing some optional sites, with the assistance of Tom Kalb from the Burleigh County Extension Office. Pfliiger said the hope is to add a rose garden near the proposed community gardens south of the fairgrounds.

Pfliiger said the Prairie Rose Club has found favorites for beginners within the hardy Canadian rose series, which need no winter protection. Among the top picks, she said, are Hope for Humanity, Winnipeg Parks, Morden Sunrise, Morden Centennial, and Champlain and Therese Bugnet.

She suggests Rugosa roses for exposed windy areas; other varieties include Snow Pavement, Pierette Pavement, Purple Pavement and Hansa.

Pfliiger said a major problem that some roses struggle to survive in this climate is that they are not planted deeply enough.

The "Rocking with Roses" program includes door prizes, a silent auction and more.

For more information, contact Pfliiger at 222-1963. Plant Perfect is at 4615 Ottawa St., just off North Highway 83.