I would buy 3 of the same type but then I'm a matchy matchy person by nature. It looks like a formal yard rather than a natural one with straight sidewalk manacured lawn and such. But you could choose 3 different colors that go well together. I'm a sucker for a combination of yellow, orange, and red. What colors does your mom like best?

How far off the ground is that window? Help Me Find Roses says that Rio Samba is a 5-6 ft tall hybrid tea. So, if you do not want it to block the window, I would plant it on the left side of this bed. It is bright yellow/orange/red in color, so again if it was me I would put it with some solid colors, so that it could shine without there being a lot of dizzyness. White short bushes might look good right under the window - look at "Little White Pet" on HMF - it is fool proof, and only gets about 2 feet high. On the right, you want something that is not too thorny or large, so it does not snag people coming up to the front door. I would try a solid yellow or red, perhaps a floribunda. Good Luck!

Jackie

The window is 4 feet up, the woman at the nursery led me to believe that it would be easy enough to keep the bushes pruned down beneath it, but she might have just been trying to get the sale lol.
My mom isn't picky about color, she only mentioned she didn't want a traditional red color, but something more fun and unique.
The problem I am running into is that in our area I haven't found a big variety of roses, and I can't really afford to buy online (unless you have some secret sources ha!)
I did see some Julia Child today and am thinking it would be nice with it?

Hi, Kristi, and welcome! In your cold zone Rio may never get 6 ft. tall and will probably have to be pruned pretty short every spring due to winter die back any way so I wouldn't worry about it.

Yes! Get that Julia Child! She's been a wonderful rose for me, blooms a lot and is very healthy and hardy. She gets about 3 ft. tall for me each season so she would be fine under that window.

As for the third one, you need to give us the names of what else is available so we know what you have to choose from. I'm sure there are probably a zillion Knock Outs around but there might be something that would work better if we know you can get it.

I recommend 'Belinda's Dream', designated an Earthkind rose.
Raspberry like fragrance...

If it's me, I would get 4 Belindas Dream"s and put 2 on each side of you're Rio Samba. I like big bouques.

Julia Child is a wonderful rose here, I love the way the colors change as they age. It would probably look great by Rio Samba

I love Belinda's Dream too, but its a more pale shade. Maybe some one has a photo of the two side by side

ok, sorry it took so long to get back, i don't get into town very often so haven't been able to look.

I went back for the julia child and also ended up picking up trumpeter as well. I was thinking of putting rio samba on the far left, then julia child and then trumpeter there by the door?

the only other roses there were fragrant cloud and one whose name I can't remember but was a dark pink hybrid tea. oh and rainbow sherbet which was beautiful but I thought would be too busy with rio samba.

or i wonder if it would be better to have julia child by the door and trumpeter in the middle? or should i take trumpeter back lol. as you can see i'm very decisive

I love, love, love my Julia Child. That rose is nice rounded plant that blooms like crazy, great choice. Can't help with your other choices, but just wanted to add another comment about Julia Child being a great choice. Her size will stay nicely just to the window, so I think she will be perfect in the center.

I wasn't familiar with Trumpeter--looked it up at helpmefind.com (do you know that wonderful resource?)--Trumpeter is beautiful! Looks like it is disease-resistant also. Great choice!

Looks to me like Trumpeter will make the strongest statement of the three, so I would put it in the middle--with the two more golden bushes on either side of it. Gives some balance and symmetry--while maintaining variety. So, yes, I would put Julia by the door and the taller rose Rio on the left side.

Hope you wanted a strong ("loud"????) statement there, cuz that is what you will have. Personally, I think it is a great combination, unless you are one of those who dotes on pastels. Pastel, it is not!

Kate

Hi Kristina, I'm from Boise, too, and thought I'd mention we have been zone 7 for a couple of years, so I wouldn't worry about Rio Samba not making through the winter, though this last winter was a doozy. I thought I'd warn you that roses get big here--every rose I've ever grown in this valley, and that's for over 20 years, has gotten way, way bigger that the suggested size. I have two Julia Child roses and one is 6 feet tall by 5 feet wide, and the other is about 6 inches shorter and just as wide. so if you have two Julias and a Trumpeter, you will be pushing it at 12 feet of space, even if you assume the Julias only get 3-4 feet wide. Diane

thank you so much everyone for your help! i finally bit the bullet and put the roses in, rio samba far left, then trumpeter and then julia child. i love the bold colors and can't wait til rio samba blooms. hope my mom likes them, didn't occur to me that some people would prefer pastels haha, hope she isn't one of them!!