I would not invite the deer.. oh no!!

I usually expand beds. Are the roses fragrant? If so, for me, that would be even more reason to place them where I could really appreciate them...

I know whatever you decide, it will be gorgeous. You definitely have a knack for adding to the natural beauty of your surroundings.

Don't kill me because I know you've been digging and planting like a crazy woman (and I also know how much of a pain it is to transplant!), but could you move those smaller ones already planted to the front of the bed to maintain the staggered height? After all, you'll be living with it for a while and you'll (hopefully) only have to do it once.

I have done both, Lilyfinch. It depends on if it is an open bed, versus one that backs up to a wall or structure. My beds that back up to walls usually have pathways in front of them, so I have no choice other than to extend in length. My smallest bed in the yard of this style is about 80' in length and 6-9' deep. It is an integration of larger/taller roses at the back and smaller roses in the middle at different points where there is room, with perennials here and there edging the front..

With open beds, I am more particular about short/tall, and honestly, I would end up doing what Vapor suggested because not having ordered height would drive me bonkers!! I have three large open spaces on my property right now. One of the three is slated to be a secret garden, and it backs up to a wall on two sides. The area to sit in my "secret garden" is becoming smaller and smaller because I keep expanding the depth of the beds.

If you try a combination of putting the shortest toward the front (even if they aren't really super short), selectively pruning those at the front harder, and staggering them (so that the highest part of the front row roses corresponds to the space between the middle row roses) I bet it would look really nice! Alternatively, you could put the extras in big pots and think on it for the summer...

I originally had my roses going down the side of the property on the fence lines. That did not work well because the neighbors sometimes hit them with roundup.... and they also have royal palm trees which the roots would over take my rose bush roots. I lost a few from the palms. So I then moved them to right behind the house. I thought I would not like them there because I thought they would block the view of the Intracoastal. I had three rows of hybrid teas, but I just expanded it to a fourth row because I just had to have more.... I am guessing you know what I mean :). But I too was afraid that the heights I had originally planed would look funny, and since I have had no success in digging up roses to move if they are on fortuniana root stock, I left them where they were. So what I did was stagger them. Instead of planting them in front of each other, I planted them in between the spots. It has worked very well doing it that way, and in the fall I plan on doing one last row.... HA famous last words. but at least that is the plan. Then I will replace ones that aren't doing so well..... I also have a rose shurb where I have a few Buck roses and David Austins.... They are on the other neighbors fence row..... I haven't told my husband yet that I plan to expand that bed.... one step at a time ..... but I suggest the staggered rows.... it worked for me, but the thing that you should really do is what really please you. You will be the one that has to look at it. But whatever you do, know it can always be done again... and again.... and again..... well you get the idea. Just make sure you are enjoying the garden!

Lilyfinch,

Roses planted 3 deep is beautiful, opulent, but....you really have to graduate heights from short in the front, to tall in the back. You are an artist, you will not be happy with irregular heights. This means moving rose....not an easy task....needs lots of planning, but best done when the bushes are still young.

Have you ever considered island beds here and there in your lawn? They may present mowing and edging headaches, but you will have less lawn to mow.

How about a modest maze rose bed. A rose maze like this: a circular bed, with two letter "C," beds enclosing it with a 30" wide grass path around the middle, circular bed, with two 30" wide lawn entrances where the ends of the letter "C," beds face each other.

Many years ago I watched a TV program where a rose garden was being toured. Every bush was planted individually with lawn surrounding each one. It was beautiful....looked kind of like an, 'Alice in Wonderland,' storybook type garden. You couldn't walk a straight line through the garden. You had to weave, meander through it. I imagine the lawn was push mowed.

Whatever you do, I know it will be a thing of beauty.

Moses

What if you make a path through the middle of the bed? Meaning extend the bed, but even a little further out. Then put stepping stones between the current bed and the new extension. That make sense?

Im (eventually) doing something like this in the bed behind our pool. I’d like to use more flagstone when I’ve saved enough to get them. Right now the path is just mulched and I walk through it everyday looking at the little baby roses. :-)

Not sure of your set up and if this will work? Just throwing the idea out. Maybe it will even help lead to an even better solution? Al and I just finish moving about a dozen of the roses I planted last spring. I hope you don’t have to move a bunch.

Shannon :-)

Lilyfinch,

Another idea is to make one rose wide beds, perhaps 3-4' wide (depending on the mature width of the bushes), to about 12' long, or shorter, parallel to your fence rose bed, with a grass strip between them at least as wide as your lawn mower or wheel barrow.

You would probably want to plant each of these beds limited to roses of similar sizes.

Moses

These are all fantastic ideas everyone !! Sunshine I like the idea of the path between for spacing .

Moses I love the island bed idea , but think it's best to wait til we have the money to put in a pool. I don't want to build a Bed out in the lawn and have it in the way of equipment or be sited poorly. I think it'll be easier to do once the hardscape is put in . My idea is for a bed around the pool deck , with an arbor that connects to a path that wanders to my main garden . Somewhere a fire pit ... daydreams for now!'

Sharon I am nervous about the roundup, that occurred to me . Our fence is 3 ft inside the property line , and they went out of their way to have their lines drawn and he only mows to his line , never against our fence. So I'm hoping he continues to respect that . They haven't built yet , so it's my goal to establish privacy before they do so it dosnt look like I did it out of spite . Even though secretly I hope it falls through ..

last time I saw the lady outside , she asked me if you can always smell the cows . I told her only in the morning , evening and when your windows are open ! Ha (we are surrounded by a black angus cattle farm )

today I hope it is dry to do some wondering about and hope the Lord sparks a great idea in my head !!