I think you should look at the Earthkind roses, they do very well in Texas heat. I think Perle d'Or would be pretty, it's a apricot color and has a great fragrance. Good luck in choosing roses!

Angel Face and Love Song are two heat tolerant lavender rose bushes. Neither of mine are mature, but when Angel Face (often described as mauve) was purchased, I was searching for a lavender rose, that with pruning, could be kept in the 4' range in height. I wasn't especially concerned about width. Maybe someone who has mature versions of it will chime in. Koko Loco is a lavender blend that people seem to love or can live without. Could be worth looking it up online too.

Lynn

1-2 feet wide may accomodate minis but I think floribundas wouldn't fit. Mine are 3-4 feet wide, depending upon pruning. Walking by those would be an invitation to snagging. I wonder if a mini climber could be trained against the walls?

Where are the walls? How much sun will the roses get?

I would like to suggest that you use pots so you can move them if you wish. You could dig the pots into the soil, but your planting area is quite small, and the wall could be a huge problem. (Perhaps my mental picture is off.) Roses need sun and air circulation. They also need to be watered.

You might want to look into disease resistant roses locally, and combine them with annuals or perennials. Drift roses are gaining in popularity, and Knock Outs have been popular for some time.

Good luck.

Sammy

I was actually looking at Love Song and Angel Face. They're beautiful! :) I was considering floribundas or minis. I just didn't know how tall the minis got. I considered either roses, hibiscuses or maybe even passionflowers. Roses are so beautiful and fragrant so I thought they'd be a good fit. :)

I guess I should try to explain the area a little better. I live in a townhome so the garage of my house and my neighbor's garage are the walls I'm talking about. The area does get sun but at this point I couldn't tell you how much. I work during the day and the sun hits that area differently depending on time of day and season. I'm pretty sure the area gets good airflow also. I'll try to post a picture of the area so you can see. The walkway isn't very wide. Typical sidewalk width so I'd worry about any bushes filling out too much and having to dodge them each time I walk through there.

If you want to use minis I suggest you call For Love of Roses and they can tell you which ones will meet your location restrictions. I have minis that are anywhere from 1 ft tall to 4 ft tall and anywhere from 12" wide to 2.5 ft wide. They are very helpful and don't mind talking with you. If you can't call during work hours then send them an email and maybe include some pictures. I've had them answer emails at 11:00 at night.

Ooooh.. Poseidon!! I don't have this one.. Yet.. But it tops my short list. It says it is only 3X2. Of course, that's often relative.

http://www.heirloomroses.com/poseidon.html

This with Juila Childs would be lovely. JC might get too big in your area? She'd be worth a little extra work to maintain smaller.

Lavender Crystal could be an option for you if a mini is what will work best in the space. It should reach a height of approximately 2' or more.

I do not have personal growing knowledge, but my impression is that Poseidon grows to become a rather tall decent size bush?? http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3215110/how-big-is-your-poseidon?n=13

Lynn

Thank you all so much for the ideas. There is a nursery in town that has quite a selection of roses. Even some of the ones you all mentioned. So I'll go to see them in person and ask questions. I'd like some that don't spread outward too much but have decent height but if minis are the best option that's ok too. I love minis and can mix colors easier. :)