Bare root roses are exactly what they sound like—they’re shipped to the consumer without any soil. They arrive dormant, with their roots exposed. Will Wallace, gardener for the Cranford Rose Garden, typically plants them in early spring.

“Because bare root roses arrive without any potting mix at all, they need to be planted a little differently,” says Wallace. “We need to put them in the ground as soon as we can.” Check out the video below for a demonstration.