Edh78 wrote:
Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and new to gardening! I wonder if you could offer
some advice?

Plesed to - first, this is Usenet, so not a forum.

I have just received a hybrid tea rose. I'm in the East Midlands and I'm
wondering whether it is okay to plant it at this time of year? Should I
start preparing the soil now to plant the rose in a few weeks time in
mid-January?

Plant it any time you like - the sooner the better. If it is bare-root,
it might pay to spread straw over the roots until things warm up, but
really, it shouldn't be necessary, even in the East Mudlands.

Or should I wait until March-April? If I need to wait until spring what
should I do to take care of the plant in the meantime - how and where
should I store it?

In the ground, where it belongs. Leaving it until the spring (I presume
it must be container-grown?) tempts fate, especially if you have a
memory like mine.

--
Rusty