It's a little difficult to tell with just the one picture how the whole area looks, but at first why not just plant a very wide bed around the deck, since this seems to have a higher elevation, with perhaps a few climbers coming up on the fencing around the deck? It will soften that whole area and give you a close-up view of your roses. I would intersperse some evergreens so that the area won't be totally bare in the winter. You could then connect this with a walkway to a rounded or oval area with a birdbath in the middle and surrounded with roses and companion plants. Instead of just concentrating on modern roses I'd investigate some of the older kinds that have a more graceful habit and will give a more romantic, lush look to your whole scheme. Some of the older kinds that are suited to your climate will be easier to care for and need less or no spraying in order to look good. The companion plants will attract more beneficial insects and separate the roses from each other more so that disease doesn't spread as easily, not to mention that the look will be much prettier than just roses and nothing but. I'm sure you'll get a lot more suggestions, but you might also try posting on the Antique Rose forum if the idea of older roses appeals to you.

Good luck, Laura.

Ingrid

Ah, Ingrid, I'd love to plant around the deck, but it gets no sun. I have a grove of trees to the East and it's in shade all day long. The trees aren't on my property and belong to the church behind us. They're there for the long haul. Here's a pic looking eastward off the deck:
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I'm in the process of transplanting creeping thyme in front of that shed; it doesn't get a full 6 hours of sunlight either, and I swear someone placed the shed over the site of a once magnificient tree. Roots galore, there.

I'm also building pillars that I'm going to place around the deck & I plan on making a water feature in that area, and surrounding it with ferns and other shade plants. Here's another shot of the proposed site, from the other direction. You can see the massive beast from whom I have to protect anything that goes in the ground:
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You have a bear in your yard flaurabunda. lol

I REALLY like the idea of beds at 45 degree angles to the fence. How far away from the fence they need to be is entirely up to you, except for making sure you can mow/trim between the beds and the fence. OR plant a groundcover. I don;t think your slope is too steep to contend with; as a matter of fact it will be nicely drained which your roses will appreciate.

When you plant in/near that tree stump roots will only pose a difficulty while planting, perhaps. There will not be any rose-root competition because the tree is no longer taking water and nutrients from the soil (as long as it is well and truly dead that is, lol!) The roses will find a way to work around the roots, and will not have to fight for water and nutrients.

I use a reciprocating saw or Saws-All to remove dead tree roots that are in the way of newly planted roses.

Aha----great idea, Zack! My neighbor has a sawz-all, so I'll probably attack with that. I'm planning on leaving a lawnmower's width between the beds & the fence, and I think the 45-degree angle is the way to go.

Ohhhhh, the bear--yes, Jim. She certainly is. Snores & eats like one also.

I really like your idea of the diagonal beds. Please post pictures next year so we can see how it turns out! Good luck with the bear and the beds.

If you have enough room, you could put some shrubs behind the roses, which would get the roses out of the standing water and give you some privacy from the neighbors. It would also help catch any water or pesticides that the neighbor might spray in their yard, before it hits your roses.

I use a lot of blueberries, lilacs, forsythia, pontilia and butterfly bushes, but evergreens might be a good idea, too. I would use holly all through my gardens (it looks so great in the winter) but it's poisonous to the horses.

Lass,
Luckily, privacy isn't a requirement. We're trying to establish gardens that are visible & enjoyable for our neighbors as well as by us. My goal is to make them easy to see. We all often sidle up to the fences in the evening and talk, so if I put shrubbery there they might think I didn't like talking to them anymore.

My neighbors don't spray. In fact, when I was gardening near her Knock-outs in May, I noticed that she had really bad rose slug damage & BS. I asked if I could lend a hand & help keep them up, & she said 'Please do!!' She was going to SP her knock-outs because she's in her 70's and didn't really want anything that required maintenance. I'm only in my 40's, and although they ARE KO's, I really think it's important to save otherwise decent & healthy roses since so few people make the effort to have roses anymore.

I do have a lilac in that area, and I'm planning on some arbor vitaes for vertical interest near the center of where my future statue will be....right after I win the lottery & can afford a $3000 statue. :)

I also want a grape vine, but I've been directed by the DH to take small steps. Right now the neighbors share their garden veggies, and we reciprocate with cooking herbs and mints. Would love to have lots of roses & grapes to share also.
---Laura

Laura- How wonderful to get along with your neighbors like that! I think it's a great idea to have plants you can enjoy from both sides. That's so nice to help your neighbor with her roses. Knockouts are pretty and probably easier for her to take care of, at least until recently.

I don't know if you care for blueberries, but Chippewa are very hardy and they don't mind getting their feet wet...and we have clay soil. Just a thought, until you have enough grapes to share :)

Yes, I'd love to try blueberries. I searched high and low this past spring for the pink blueberries but never found them. If I still can't find them next year, I may try just a regular old blueberry.

I got them because they were on clearance and I was trying to bring more edibles into the garden. They're really fun to mix in with other shrubs and flowers...and we get the berries. Whether we eat them, or the bird do, they're a nice addition to the garden. It's also nice to know if my nieces and nephews come to visit, they can eat them, unlike many berries that are for the birds, only :)