I have learned many, many things about gardening with roses, some that are general to gardening itself and some specific to roses. Thus, some of my discoveries are general (and I still need to remind myself of them from time to time), and some are rose-related only, hopefully they'll help you too: I have two general rules- First, determine which style of gardener you are, and which type of garden you desire. How much time, energy, tolerance for chemical intervention, and area do you have to work with? (i.e. no HT's or spraying for me thank you!) Next, consider function (and this is where size does matter!) in addition to, and perhaps before, aesthetic concerns. What do you wish to achieve, screening out a bad view, the neighbors? Perhaps a canopy of shade and fragrance for a cool sitting spot in summer. Do you need visual excitement for a boring spot in the yard or a restful oasis after a long day at the office? Perhaps your only requirement is pure and simple delight, which is a noble function in itself. Your garden, your choice. And really only one related to roses (that actually translates to my general gardening philosophy)- Roses look best with contrasting texture, structure, and foliage color. Always plant roses with companions unless used as a specimen.(This rule I never forget.) Smaller, but important lessons I've learned specific to roses: Don't plant roses in double or more rows, unless you like to inflict bodily harm upon yourself, especially if you cannot access the garden from both sides. (Thank you for mentioning this Melissa!) Color coordination can be difficult when you have to base your assumptions on plant tags, internet or catalog photos or hearsay. Be prepared to move things around after they bloom in your own garden. Yes, hoovb - daylilies are probably the most difficult to get right. Luckily they are easy to move. Better them than the rose. Restraint can be a good thing! (She said after viewing her entire garden from a long distance vantage point that made it look like a bad acid trip.) Know when to just go with green. Having said all that, here are some examples from my garden taken just this week. Lots of perennials yet to bloom. A mixed border of contrasting colors and textures - my orange and purple garden, not unlike your "crayola" garden! (Note RdV in the foreground - gotta move, first year, lovely blooms, but WRONG color, not purple folks!)There are 6 roses in this bed Function - framing a view of the pergola (covered with Awakening) with Bubble Bath and KO on a fence Contrasting textures - Rotesmeer with miscanthus Coordinating colors - Autumn Sunset and honeysuckle More color harmonies - Carefree Delight with kniphofia Contrasting colors - Westerland, siberian iris and salvia Love this thread, let's hear more!

That's a delightful illustration from inside the cover of Walsh's Handbook of Roses. Walsh's Handbook illustrations are all photographs in black and white with the exception of the cover which is a color illustration. His handbooks are available for study at the Woods Hole Historical Museum although the 1905 and 1907 editions are not complete. The Fay family donated most of Walsh's Handbooks to the Museum many decades ago. Some of the pages or illustrations from the handbook are available on HMF under the specific rose which is illustrated or described. Here's the description of 'Evangeline' Walsh gives in his handbook: A distinct variety, with single flowers 2 inches in diameter. The foliage is very luxuriant. Flowers are borne in large clusters, are white with the tips of petals pink; deliciously fragrant. Foliage on the young growth of this variety is particularly attractive. It is of a beautiful bronze green. The contrast of the flowers with the handsome foliage is most charming. Evangeline is suited for pergolas, parkways, trellises, or for whatever purposes it may be desired. Perfectly hardy. $1 each, $9 per doz. I should note that the fragrance is truly wonderful from this rose as it readily carries in the air. ‘Evangeline’ seems to be the most robust of the Walsh roses and is easily found in the Woods Hole and Falmouth area. Finally, the “beautiful bronze green foliage” is also a marker for ‘Dorothy Perkins’ which makes it easy to identify since ‘Lady Gay’ does not exhibit this trait.

My trade list so far: Danielle -- purple irises, rose cuttings, and tomatoes for butterfly bush, hydrangea, and Pandora's box daylily Amybabyboy -- rose cuttings for purple sedum and belladonna lily Barbara -- Faerie queen foxgloves for dianthus Esh - Tagetes lucida for native azalea Lucyatlanta -- glads and dogwood for hostas Janen -- foxgloves for amaryllis and epimedium Let me know if I missed something. Also, I have a small hickory which grew from a squirrel-planted seed in a pot. Don' t know what kind it is. It's probably about 18" tall.

There are some really nice pictures in this collection. I will add a few of my "B" roses. The first is a large spray on Blue for You, something that up until this past year it was not doing. It was blooming mostly singly and in small clusters, but this one was a surprise. The next one is a group of flowers on my climber, Bright Fire. They were actually having decent form and looking more like classic hybrid teas. The next one is my white damask rose Botzaris. My last one is a gallica rose, Belle sans Flatterie, which sometimes looks like a 2-tone with the outer petals a lighter shade and the inner ones a darker shade. It is quite pretty and delicate. I hope you will like these few.