This is a picture of the next bed, about 20 feet down the fence. (I have long-term plans to connect the two beds, since this is my prime rose-growing area...full sun!) This is the first one I tried to plant, and I'm already second-guessing myself. I'm afraid I put Mrs. BR Cant and Belinda's Dream too close....they're about 6-7 feet apart on the centers. I have a sad little salvia planted between them that my dog broke in two...now it's just a nub on the ground, and I'm sure I'll have to move it before too long. I also have a plumbago next to Belinda....that will need to move too eventually, I'm sure.

Mrs. BR is on the left, Belinda is at the back (behind the huge stump that will be getting a chop as soon as the hubs fixes his chainsaw....I wanted to cut it down by at least half and then scoop out the middle and make a cute little annual planter...) Graham Thomas is on the far right, and Ducher is to the left of the stump. We also planted 3 bearded iris, which don't seem to be doing much of anything (that was DH's idea..)

Uggh...I feel like such a novice. I go to the nursery and just wander aimlessly....I don't even know where to start.

Rachel

Wow, what a pretty blank canvas you have to work with! I put in a large bed, and like you, was nervous about how/where to put the roses, and of course, planted them too close. But, after a few years and they show you what they're going to do you can always move them. Now, with some years behind me, I TRY to give them plenty of room, but am not always successful.

I like your selections. In my back bed I have way too many pinks, but like it, and that's what counts. Also have Nacogdoches, which a nice little rose!

Good luck, and just have fun!

What a wonderful space to plant in! And it looks as if there is a fence to keep the deer out? So jealous -

Anyway, if I were you I would plant lots of annuals and bulbs to fill in, and wait at least 3 years to see what the roses start to do. No telling how big they will get in your climate - the best way to find out is to WAIT. Hard to do, of course, which is why I suggested planting lots of flowers and bulbs in the meanwhile. Cottage look - do foxgloves and/or hollyhocks do well where you live? They would provide a lot of height, and are easy to remove when you need to.

Is it humid there in the Summer, or dry?

One thing you need to decide is whether you want these beds to look best when viewed from one angle (such as the house or street), or from 360 degrees around. If from one angle, then you can plant the taller flowers in the "back" of the bed, and the shorter ones in the front. If from 360 degrees, then the taller plants would go in the middle.

Remember, patience is a virtue, especially with roses - let them be, and in 3-4 years you will have a much better idea about whether or how many more to plant.

So fun, to have such lovely empty canvases.

Jackie

Rachel -- Your "blank canvas" is not only lovely -- it's GREEN! Lordie Lordie -- here in SoCal, it's hard to remember things can be so green.

From that, I know you're not located right where I am.
Give us an idea where you're located (if you already did that, please tell me again) so we have a better idea who will have the best advice for you. :-)

Jeri

It is so exciting to be starting a new garden---If you go to the Gallery section you can find lots of beautiful gardens which can help with ideas----welcome to the
Forum---lots of great people here to help with any questions
I will be looking forward to your progress------due to health problems I can no longer garden as much as I would like so it is always a pleasure to see other peoples progress
Good luck and please keep us posted----Florence

Hi Rachel: Your blank canvas looks great ... lots of land, great for roses. For companions plants, it's good to check if your type of soil is appropriate for them.

I wasted money buy pansies and dianthus, they died in my alkaline clay ... but alyssum loves my alkaline clay. It's always good to test your soil pH, then buy the companion plant that do well in that range.

The plants that do well in high pH also do well in heavy clay. Conversely, the plants that do well in low pH do better in loamy or sandy soil.

Below is the link to get your soil pH the cheapest way, $1.50 ... that will save you $$ buying plants that won't thrive in wrong soil. Each plant has a particular pH range.

If your pH is less than 6, then avoid plants that do best in alkaline to neutral: tall summer phlox, alyssum, aster, begonia, bluebell, calendula (deter insects & aphids from roses), clemantis, coneflower, foxglove, larkspur, lobelia. All these can thrive at pH 8. (my pH is 7.7).

Here is a link that might be useful: Cheapest way to test soil pH using red cabbage

I love alyssums they give color, smell wonderful and I seen a few butterflies in them :-)

In pic #2 I see a big open spot along the fence. If it's me I buy 2 Hannah Gordon's (from Edmunds). Plant them about 18" apart and let the grow into one big monster bush.

When I am planning a new bed I always like to print out some graph paper to sketch on, it's a lot easier to erase and redraw a circle than it is to dig up and replant a rose ;o)

Do you want to have any winter interest in your garden? It is hard to sacrifice rose room for boring evergreen shrubs but it can make a big difference in how the area looks year round. When choosing companion plants I like a mix of things that bloom along with the roses as well as things that look good when the roses aren't at their best. Annuals are great for filling in space while the roses are still small, once they mature you can remove the ones who no longer have room and plant perennials with more confidence.

Most importantly, have fun! And post pictures of your progress.

Makes me miss my old farm....downsized now that the kids are older. I feel your pain! In the same boat. We bought a awesome foreclosed home and remolded it. The bones of the yard is great, but the home hadn't been lived in for 3 years..couldn't see parts of the yard for the Confederate Jasmine. The HUGE oakleaf hydrangeas had rooted where the limbs touched the ground. STILL digging them out. (dead thanks to repeated sprays!) UGH. Now I am looking for shrub roses that don't get massive. A portion of the yard is fenced with a cool brick circular patio that fans out on one side. I would love to plant all of the area surrounding it and not have grass. Have a few scattered pines, with a dogwood on the south side. The south side is dappled shade (fanned area) the north side is sun. Most of the north is full sun. HELP this chick, PLEASE! I have been lurking forever, and have learned that sizes in a catalog aren't always dead on! Rachel, where are you located? I am gonna follow this thread and listen in! I also 2nd peachymomo's advise about the annuals!

Rachel, for roses that give lots of bloom but won't grow into monsters at the front of the bed, have you considered polyanthas? They're usually healthy and low-care. On-line nurseries will have a good selection.

Ingrid

A blank slate...oh, the possibilities!

I agree with Ingrid, polys are big bang for your buck. They bloom all season and are very easy to care for. My Verdun is bright pink and stays quite small. Zenaitta is larger in bright red. Both have good disease resistance and are very hardy bloom machines. There are lots to chose from though.

Oooo, Ooo, that red sandy loam looks like central/east Tx, like around Columbus, Halletsville or Giddings. ANYTHING grows there.
The HEB roses are a bargin, but the roots are chopped pretty short. The first year I planted a Duchesse from them it sulked it's looking good now. Pinkie is a bloom machine once she gets established. Ducher is great, Caldwell Pink is a workhorse (& it roots easy--let me know if you'd like me to send you one).
For companions, I've had very good luck with dianthus. I pick up the .25 single pots or $1.00 six-pack plants that Lowes throws away on a regular basis. Within a year each plant is a huge clump. Native wildflowers are wonderful, too. Since it looks like you have a pasture, dig up some bluebonnets, coreopsis, mealy sage, etc.--whatever is blooming in your area, as they bloom, & transplant into your bed. They LOVE living in a cultivated watered bed.

The little native "rain lilies" make a beautiful border when they are thickly planted. Alyssium does well in my zone until the heat really sets in.

Looks like you have a wonderful space to fill. Have fun!

Thank you all so much! Wonderful advice and suggestions.

I'm in eastern Central Texas (about an hour east of Waco.) I wish my soil were sandy loam...it's hard clay. But we are working hard to amend the beds.

I do need to test my soil. I think it's somewhat acidic, but my MIL who lives next door said otherwise....so I guess I just need to get busy testing!

It is going to get so blazing hot here in a few weeks...we will take the green while we can get it. :-)

Thanks again for all the help!