Kate, I have no idea what I'm talking about but how about checking out Jean's list of no spray chinas, teas and other OGRs? It is an extensive list and one I plan to use when I put together a hedge by our driveway.

Thanks Redsox. How do I access that?

Kate

Try using the search function to locate some of the pics "pappu" has posted. He has absolutely gorgeous hedges of several different kinds. Seems I remember him posting again in the past month or so.

Kate

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg0914052525147.html

Try this thread.

Turns out I have a few more minutes left of my lunch hour--here's a couple links to pappu's hedges, but he has more pics posted, so check them all out.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesgal/msg060222566823.html

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesgal/msg0618353031132.html

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesgal/msg0617010820716.html

Have fun searching.

Kate

Holy cats! Oh my gosh the photos in those links were great Kate. Very helpful thank you. I knew pappu had some great roses but had not seen those before. Very nice.

Thank you redsox. I will check out that list carefully this evening. Appreciate both of you taking the time.

Kate

Kate:

You probably know the answer to this question. I checked out that thread where Pappu talks about growing Carefree Wonder. In it he states that he bought them as own root. If I go with this rose who is the best vendor to get an own root from? Maybe Pappu will chime in. The pictures of that hedge were simply incredible.

Kate

Before you discount the knock outs, check out Pappu's ko hedge. Pappu must have lots of room, what beautiful groupings.
Nancy
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesgal/msg0622403718583.html

Thanks Nancy.

I have to admit I saw Pappu's KO hedge I believe it was earlier this year. Really a major enabling thread for knockouts wasn't it? I just want to go into the planning stages for our hedge with an open mind. I like KO's and have three at the moment. And they may indeed be what we end up with. But I want to make sure I evaluate the other possibilities first.

Thank you.

Kate

Kate, are you aware the Knockout rusts like an old nail on the west coast? It is not the percentage choice out here that it is in other parts of the country. Before you plant a hedge of anything, I highly recommend buying individual plants and making sure they like your climate and look good enough to grace your entry.

I don't happen to be a huge fan of hedging. One always dies, leaving you with the missing tooth effect. You have the perfect setup for a sweet picket fence and a variety of low shrubs trained against it. You don't have to do just one thing. I agree you don't want 15 different kinds of roses, but you could blend in 4 or 5 kinds in a very pleasing way.

You would be surprised how much some polyanthas bloom. Many stay low, under 4 feet, and bloom all summer long once they start in June.

Anyway, just another opinion to confuse you. :)

So does a "hedge" denote the same bush repeated several times and a lineup of shrubs are not a hedge?

Thanks berndoodle:

I hear what you are saying about the picket fence. Just a couple of things holding me back on that namely the cost and the challenge of dealing with the conspicuous dip in the front yard. Maybe you can see it there. Our whole yard is so flatness challenged it sometimes makes me want to scream! Might look kind of goofy with a fence trying to be straight across the valley of the very front.

What you say about knockouts being rust-magnets is interesting. We might not be as afflicted here in Plumas County as our climate is really dry. I mean we often have a fair amount of precipitation in the fall, spring and a bit of snow over the winter but humidity? Virtually none. We grew KO's this year (3) for the first time in less than ideal conditions namely part shade, limited water and they did fine. I appreciate the heads up though. I don't want to plant a row of anything that is known to not to make it in my area:)

Kate

Kate, I'm not sure what might be the best place to buy Carefree Wonder ownroot in your general area, but given the cost of shipping nowadays, I'd try to find someone as close as possible. Many good nurseries in CA.

I'm always partial to Roses Unlimited myself. Don't know if they carry it however.

HMF says Chamblees has it--I've ordered from them and been quite happy with what they sent.

Hope someone else in your region can suggest some other places.

Kate

If you don't feel like copying and pasting, here are the links that were referenced above.

Jean's list of no spray chinas, teas, and noisettes

Picture of Pappu's Carefree Wonder hedge

Pictures of Pappu's Love and Peace hedge

Pictures of Pappu's Champlains and Ramblin Reds hedge

and here's an added bonus

Pappu's knockout hedge

I want to have rows of roses that look like those! Thanks for starting this thread, I'm already enjoying the results!

Thanks guys! Much appreciated. Folks on the rose forum are so helpful. All I have to say is I'm glad I have until next spring to make a decision:)

So far Carefree Wonder and the Knockout Hedge have both proved to be very distracting. I would love to see some others that I suspect are out there also.

Thank you Kate and astphard.

Kate

Pappu's hedges are outstanding.
I am going to be somewhat of a devil's advocate here, but first I want to say that those hedges are breathtakingly beautiful.

I am in zone 7A, and my Knock Outs and Carefree Wonders grow very tall. My Knock Outs are over 5 feet, and my Carefree Wonders are about 6 or 7 feet (they are on a slope, and are hard to gauge.)

My problem with Knock Outs is that they may not need to be deadheaded, but the rebloom is not very fast if they are not deadheaded. Many do not agree with that, but that is my opinion, and I do have 11 of them. (The vole or gopher got one). I like to snap my blooms, and there are thorns on the part of the bloom where you snap.

Carefree Wonder is so pretty, but is in the back where it takes care of itself.

I agree with Berndoodle. That gopher got one of the rose bushes, and often something happens to another. Mine are in a bed, but if they were in a line, they may not look good. The winter freeze might hit one harder than another, and also during the winter a ball might break one, or something can always happen to it.

Also I discovered that my Knock Outs did better if I did not prune them hard. That is the opposite of what I have been taught, but they look much better if I just cut out the bad stuff. That is why they are taller, I am sure.

Jeri Jennings may be the one who mentioned that Souvenir de la Malmaisson did not do well for her, but it is one of my best roses. I also like her sports.

I personally like the Buck roses.

I will stop now, but just wanted to share a little.

Sammy

I'm late to the party here -- I'm gonna second the picket fence (or some other decorative type of fence) idea. I took a good look at your photo, and nothing on that jumps off as being a problem. I see the lower place you mentioned -- it looks pretty gentle, and a fence would simple follow the contour of your yard. I have a similar spot in my fence. The pickets in that part follow the ground over the course of two sections. If it's more dramatic that the photo appears, that could be a good spot to break up the fence with an arched arbor for a couple of climbers. If you're inclined to do it, your house is so cute it just screams for a lovely front cottage garden. You have a lot of potential here.

Just my $0.02.
Connie

Looking more closely at the picture of your house, I have to agree with others about the picket fence idea. But if cost is an issue you can either save up the money and do it all at once, placing the fence behind (or in front) of your new rose hedge/grouping. Or you can do part of the fence now (maybe along the front) and then do the side later on where you've already got that big row of trees/shrubs which are already providing a pretty good barrier. And I think Connie hit the nail on the head with her idea of an arbor. It'll help breakup the horizontal viewing plane, add a lot of interest, and be a way to add more roses than you would have been otherwise! As Connie said, just my $.02.

Anne-Lise

I know you just want a hedge, but I agree with Berndoodle. Why not forget the hedge and create a garden?

Consider your lawn as a path winding around the house. Too wide, you say? Of course. We will take away some from both sides as we create beds at the foundation of the house and along the street. No straight lines. The sloping ground will be part of the design. This can be done a little at a time. Think exciting specimen shrubs and small trees with roses and perennials in front.

A picket fence too. This will be fun.

After all the wonderful suggestions above I have decided we should all just gather at my place and plot my garden over a few bottles of wine. Woo hoo!

Sammy:

Appreciate the good thoughts on the downsides of growing a hedge and managing knockouts. I will definitely check out the rose you mentioned.

Hartwood:

Thanks for the kinds words about our little house. It is really quite petite but we really enjoy it. What you say about the fence makes sense. I actually have a new arbor in the back yard I would like to move. Being shaded by my Willow tree therefore not ideal for rose growing in that location. In the front it would be great.

Anne-Lise:

I like your idea of doing the fence a chunk at a time. Maybe I could just get some prices and then I would know how daunting the actual price tag would be.

Harry:

Well you folks have me thinking now that perhaps I am looking at our very naked front yard in too linear of a fashion:) I like the idea of a real garden out there after it being bare for so long. Plus planning a whole new garden will give me something to obsess over all winter!

You're all great. Thank you for your suggestions.

Kate

I agree with Cass - just to make your life a bit more complicated.:-( I would go with polyanthas or SDLMs and its sports. Try to find roses that are low growing by nature and you do not have to fight nature all the time. If you plant roses that grow tall, either they will block your house and your view or you must be out constantly chopping them. Not a very good strategy. I also prefer some variety not 15 or 20 of the same specimen in a row - the latter, IMHO, look better in public parks or in front of industrial buildings.

Planting roses with fragrance is not a disadvantage either.

As to Knockout hedges, you may want to read Sandy's experience with them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sandy's 53 Knockouts

Kate, think of that garden this way: the house and lot are rectangular, with straight lines. Nothing else in the landscape has to be. Now if you just spent a lot of time and money putting in the lawn and irrigation... I can see you won't want to fuss with it. Also, that smart little drainage swale in the middle is a wonderful feature. It is there for a very good reason, and you should never remove it. Work with it. Open your mind to curves and rounded edges. Even the fence can be rectangular but none of the flower beds need to be. Think of all the lines as drawn by the slightly tipsy.

Berndoodle:

Your post made me smile. Tipsy indeed. Our yard was created by someone tipsy I think! About the grass it is really quite old. Neglected for years and nurtured by us. We are irrigation challenged. We really need to install a sprinkler system next year. I don't mind tearing up the lawn at all. I'm really warming up to the idea of curves and flower beds up front. It really dawned on me this year how monochrome the front yard is.

I ran the idea of a short, vinyl white fence with an arbor strategically placed in the front yard by my husband this afternoon and really he was pretty open to the idea. So I am going to explore more. We need some protection out there but from the kids who make me occasionally want to boil them in oil. Little darlings.

Thank you again. I'll keep you posted.

Kate

I hope you don't mind me jumping in here, but I SO agree with the suggestions! You asked for a chain link fence and a hedge, so I was trying to think of a rose that would be good for the hedge, it never occurred to me to do anything different, but reading everyones suggestions it's clear they are right. I think you'll be much happier with a "real" garden and still be able to meet your requirements.

Good advice about working with your yard- not against it. The natural dip might be just the place for a break in the fence with an arch or for a little winding path leading to an arch at the side of the house.

It doesn't have to all be done at once. There are roses that will by their nature do what you want and look good doing it, and like you said researching them and planning your garden will be a fun winter project.

I'll second and third what people have suggested. I have a post and board fence rather than pickets, although I like the latter. I think maintenance is a lot less aggravation with post and board. . . .

I'm always afraid of hedges--I had (where the fence is now) a holly hedge when I moved into this house long ago. It developed the gap-toothed look after a few years and I am slowly adding bits of garden along the fence--freeform beds beginning at corners and so on. I think it is safer in the front of the house and then you can plan for things to be in bloom according to the seasons. Your house is charming and plantings will make it more so!

If you don't want the fence you could add a short(2') retaining wall all along the front up to the driveway, with dark red landscape stones and put the rose bed in front of it. I've seen that on someone's yard, it gives a nice finished look from the street.