I would love to help but I'm afraid my suggestions may be a little wild of what you are looking for.. but here goes.

Choice 1 : Colours:
Bright colours you can see from upstairs : masquerade or another red/yellow type of bicolour rose (click on treloars multicolour pallete to get the full range from muted to showstoppers and you would really have to love colour or
Blended colours: A yellow or white that echoes the flower form of the plants you already have. A safer choice.

Choice 2 : Height/Structure
Vertical: 1m shrubs or groundcreepers at 50cm. (a suggestion was the flowering carpet roses for in front of climbers - low maintenance shear in half pruning and no deadheading) Or poles (pillars) with climbers on them. Patio standards with a 60cm stem might give you that vertical element with some control in terms of overwhelming the existing display. You could also do a layering effect with shrub roses and then the lowergrowing roses in front. I know one grower does this with old growing roses and modern free flowering shrub roses in front to alternate the flower show.

Horizontal: Rope (chain link) or timber frames (picket fence type of idea or rustic type) that could even be split level with a yellow or red climbing rose or both at different levels. Climbers give that option to do something innovative ladders, tripods, a series of garden arches- something structural. This would get the air circulating a little. If space is not a problem you could actually create a garden room with wire fencing, more climbers and put in your shrub roses as centrepieces.

I think you really have to decide how you wish it to look before you can do the colour selection depending on what is available in that growing form and is also hardy. It's kind of hard to decide this in terms of not knowing the balance of the existing plants and how much space they take up or are separated by, or how much room you have outwards from the fence. or how much of a project you want to turn it into?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Masquerade was one I was looking at. But was not sure about the size, do you know how tall and wide it gets?

I also like the idea of ground cover roses and have been looking at them and would like more suggestions of any that you think might be good.

The lay out is repetitive. The planter is 5 feet wide. There is actually a small tree between each grouping and the tree is 8 feet (16 feet centre) from the Golden Holsteins. Distance from Golden Holstein to centre (base of Sympathy) is 8 feet. The Sympathy climber is trained on to wire strung on the fence and it is fairly flat to the fence and reaches out about 8 feet in both directions. So total area from Golden to Golden is 16 feet long by 5 feet wide with Sympathy in the centre.
I do have two tall bearded Iris planted on either side of the base of the climber and they are about 4 feet apart. They went in this last spring and I can move them if needed. But at present they would limit the spread on the new rose.

Just to add more to the total picture, on the opposite side of this area there is a pergola with wisteria on it and past that there are 2 Pink Perpetue climbers in that corner on the fence and further past that there are 3 Renae climbers, and around another corner are 3 Climbing Peter Franklield, 2 trees Acer negundo violanceum (pink tassels in spring) break up this area. All o this is viewed from above.

I really don't have any fixed ideas on how it should look. We bought this home about 3 years ago and there was nothing, just paddocks right up to the house. I am landscaping about 1 acre around the house. We did a lot of grading, putting in pathways/stairs and fencing first. Then I started planting with only vague ideas about what it would look like. Trees were the priority, then large shrubs and hedges which are now mostly in and giveing some difinition to the spaces. So I have made several areas. Now I am working in these several areas and do a bit at time as ideas strike me. Roses are high on the list of plants to use.
Deb

Height of Masquerade? Regularly at about 3'x 3' for me. But only in front of each GH? Throws me a bit. Why not a row the length of the bed?

LOL...my husband often has that same confused look when I say things..!
No the Golden Holsteins are on either side of the Sympathy climber, the GH are about 16 feet apart. I want something to plant in between the GH and it would be in front of the Sympathy. So right now in a row I have GH then 8 feet Sympathy, then 8 feet GH. Planter is 5 feet wide.
But a row of several roses could be an idea for this space. It would need to low growing? so as to not block the total view of the Sympathy. Maybe miniatures or a low ground cover??
Deb

Tequila sunrise has an estimated height of 80cm and those yellow,red bicolours. 80 cm is 2.6 feet. If you set the plants forward in the 5 foot bed that might reduce the air blockage. I'm not sure what the overall height of your fence is and what the shadow effect on the fence will be of putting them in front. Climbers do tend to be hardy though.

In the height of less than 50cm category: Sunset has those yellow/red tones. Sunset is also available as a patio standard with a 60cm stem at Treloars (you can then put smaller height flowers underneath). I think that anything lower than 50cm as a rose wouldn't have much of an impact from above and you could better do it with other flowers. Miniature parade roses are about 30cm high. I have a border of these on a rose bed but would rather something else as they don't really do much for it.

You could arrange it tsunrise, sunset and tsunrise alternating or vice versa in those three spaces. TSunrise has a red leaning while sunset is more yellow so sunrise might work as the centre plant. They might look a little isolated. Lozza's suggestion of a row may work better.

Flower carpets as a groundcover spread 1m and have a height of 60-80cm and are hideously thorny, difficult to weed under and the flowers while abundant and a low care plant aren't all that impressive in my opinion. They also love sunlight and I've found them slow starters. The yellow I have is lemony and the red is bright. They are easy to come by already potted in nurseries and since they are so hardy if you wanted to lop them down half size they would probably not even respond to the harsh treatment (no need for careful pruning at all, halve once a year) thus the attraction to putting them in front of climbers that you wish to give preference to and not needing much room to get around them for pruning. I'd be loath to put them in as I'd rather have something I'd consider putting in a vase.

Masquerade also comes as a climber. A few fence posts sunk into the ground at those intervals with masquerade trained up them would have a nice impact and perhaps a narrower blocking aspect and also that capacity to be trained on a horizontal rope or chain. But that's quite a project; you'd really have to be set on masquerade.

Thanks again for the great suggestions! I am sitting down now with my Treloar cataloge and will place the order tonight. I am leaning towards the T Sunrise but will do a bit of reading first.
Does anyone know if Summer Fashion is sold in Australia?

Thanks again Deb

T Sunrise it is! Thanks so much for the help.

Next project! This one is going to be really fun I think but I have no idea on even what to start looking at.

Situation is a long graded bank maybe 50 meters long and about 5-6 meters wide. There is a staircase going up it, off centre and it has Europenea roses planted up both sides making a low hedge. There is a low retaining wall at the bottom and railway sleepers along the top. This is viewed from above from the house and from below on a patio.

I have a loose hedge of Wee Jasper grevilleas along the top and at the bottom there is a loose hedge of Ned Kelly grevilleas. I want to add a planting of roses along this bank. I am having 5 planters put in that will be around 5 feet long and 4 feet wide, this will level the planting area, allow for some added good soil and allow for good water penetration. There will be 5 of them, in a row evenly spaced the length of the bank, in the centre from top to bottom, two on one side of the stairs and three on the other side.

What I envision in a massive rose shrub, arching sprays?? out in all directions maybe 6 feet across and maybe 4-5 feet tall. Something that blooms on and off all season. I don't think each planter needs to be the same colour or even same type of rose bloom. But I do think generally they need to look the same as far as general plant structure, size and effect. I want it to look loose and soft, untrained so to speak so it blends with the loose untrimmed hedges of grevilleas on the top and bottom of the bank.

So where do I start? What type of roses would I look at? Any suggestions for any in particular? Would it take planting several in in each planter or would one of the right kind be sufficient? Also what type of pruning would you do to get and keep this effect?
Deb

Oh my gosh. I wish I had some ideas but I've really been running a crash course in smaller rose species and garden spaces. I think the sunrise will be very nice and wish you luck on your next project.

A word of warning about Tequila Sunrise. It proliferates badly for me. Not a pleasant sight. Consider Jubilee 150 for a red and yellow effect. Also Red Gold, there are lots of options in red and yellow floribunda mixers, Model of Perfection? ALWAYS ASK A GROWER for answers about suitable roses for positions. He knows, enthusiasts and chains don't.

Lozza, what exactly do you mean by "proliferates badly"?
I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I just don't understand. We gave Tequila Sunrise to our daughter's mother in law last year, so I'd like to know what she might be complaining about soon.

please Lossa what do you mean by proliferates badly.....
we have just bought one from a very respected grower in Perth and have just planted it in the garden.
Jen

By proliferates badly: do you mean in terms of flower production or greenery (shape and growth of the bush)? Now I'm curious, are you saying that they will look messy? I'm not sure.

Lozza, I think for something really special and spectacular definitely ask an expert rose grower because they have that knowledge of uncommon roses and have the ability to compare across a wider range and have seen roses growing over time which can't be underestimated.

Your advice and recommendations I definitely take seriously. When I think of some of my plantings and the advice I've taken in I think I will become dissatisfied with choices I've made in the past as I realise what will look much better...listening a little may save me some of that *S*. I'll definitely take your advice on the other post regarding weepers. I was wondering what you would suggest for this situation. While tequila sunrise is a nice little garden rose and there's nothing wrong with it for what it is perhaps you can get a better effect in rows with a different planting?

You might have to spell it out a little for me: what is effective? Upright growth, bushes, consistent growth, do the flowers hold up better over time - what makes these plants a better choice?

Proliferation? The plant produces blooms with vegetative centres, so you get flower parts that have not developed truly, like distorted sepals. 'Spray Cecile Brunner' aka 'Bloomfield Abundance' which it isn't, is another with this problem for me. I had examples on the website but removed them. Depending on environmental factors, it might not occur in your situations, but it has this potential.

Proliferation, I have put the link back on the website, if you want to see more.

OK, a link would be helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: proliferation

Thanks for putting up the link. Very helpful.
I have a rose Diamond Jubilee that someone gave to me. It does a similar thing in the spring and fall. The centers of the flowers are sort of deformed, meaty and green, not normal at all. During the summer it in fine. I am giving it one more year, then I will likley replace it with something else.
Deb

LOL it kind of looks like vomit in that shot. Point taken.

Yes Deb, that's proliferation.

Lozza,
I have a Double Delight and last fall and this fall it has bent flower stems. Just the last few inches, you can see it happening as the bud forms. If you look closely the stem is actually deformed, almost a thickened triangle shape and bends severely over at a right angle. Sometimes the flower will not open, but when they do they look normal. Is this also a type of proliferation?

Also the petals of Double delight and Paradise during the hottest parts of the summer have a scolded looking edge to the flowers, what is this called? Is there a way to know which roses will do this?
Deb

Deb, No, it's not proliferation. Uneven thickening of the pedicle causing the bloom to be pulled downwards is a defect I cannot name. It happens regularly for me with Tineke. Of course if you try and straighten the pedicle, it snaps. Scorched edges of petals is the first signal that the root zone is stressed through lack of moisture. Scorched leaf edges is the next indication of this lack.

Thanks Lozza.
I don't think these paticular roses have been let to go dry. So wondering if it could be that no matter how much water is available, the roots simply can not take up water fast enough on hot and low humidity (and often windy) days to replace what is lost by transpiration?
I am attempting to change the micro climate slighty in summer, but planting wind breaks of native plants and trees. Over time this will give more shelter to some of the areas around the garden.

Well, a hot wind will do it because it accelerates the amount of heat the leaves are exposed to. The moisture in the leaves and flowers dissipates too quickly for the plant to resise. Like in the late afternoon of a hot day, and the young growyh is drooping. By next morning moisture drawn up during the cooler night has resurrected he plant and buds again.