With advances in hybridizing techniques, roses are easier to grow, more fragrant and more disease resistant than ever. If you have sunlight, water and a few minutes every other week, you have what it takes.

One way to ensure that you choose the best plants is to look for the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) red rose seal of approval, which denotes an "AARS Winning Rose." Only AARS winners have excelled in the most difficult plant trial in the world: two years of testing in gardens in all climate zones. They must also perform well in criteria including fragrance, vigor and foliage.

Dr. Keith Zary, vice president of research at Jackson & Perkins and hybridizer of 10 winners, offers these tips for growing roses:

• Contrast is key: Juxtapose any garden or patio setting with plant life to soften the hardscape of wood, rock or brick. Roses are a compelling option because they come in a wide selection of plant sizes, colors and fragrances.

• The odds have it: Consider framing your outdoor space with plants in groups of odd numbers. Clusters of rose shrubs in containers or a backdrop of five to seven rosebushes can bring both color and delightful fragrance to any setting.

• Select the right spot: Roses like full sun and good air circulation. A benefit of potted roses is mobility: You can move the pots around to maximize their impact and your enjoyment.

• Go vertical: Place a rosebush in the center of a container or your garden plot and surround with "filler" plants at the base. The rose plant draws the eye upwards and adds height to the space, while the fillers add dimension at ground level. In pots, spillers accentuate the container for added pizzazz.

Roses to consider may include 2007 Winners Rainbow Knock Out, Moondance and Strike It Rich, all suitable for the garden or for containers.

These and past years' winners are sold in select mail-order nursery catalogs and at nurseries and garden centers. For more tips and information, visit www.rose.org.

Everything could be coming up roses for your garden if you heed a few hints.