Tink: I am a pretty new rose grower also. One of the first roses I bought was Joseph's Coat and last year a friend gave me Angel Face. Both have a reputation for being high maintenance and contrary (although worth the patience when they cooperate). For me they have both done well. Of course I am in California which makes things easier and I believe I was very smiled upon by Mother Nature. Just saying if you like a rose try it. Don't give up until you give the rose a chance. If it fails after a year or two go out and buy yourself TWO new rose plants to replace it:) Kate

You could also try layering your perennials. When they just start to bud, cut down the front row to 6", the middle to about 12" and leave the rest as is. You'll also get staggered blooms and have more color for a longer time. I works well with shastas, rubeckias, and echinacea. Add in a few petunias at the edge, some coreopsis moonbeam(or other thread leaf variety), and some Vinca catharanthus for the hotter months. You'll get lots of old favorites with some new reseeding annuals. Melampodioum is another good annual. Of course, I'm in zone 7, so some things may not do so well in your area. But consider reseeders. Forget me nots and alyssum?

From the pictures it looks like a solid darker colour used as banding on the bottom of the drapes would look fine, but since I'm not sure how they look in person my instinct would be to start from scratch I'd recommend getting new curtains, but be sure they're long enough to be hung several inches above the window frame. I'd also recommend that the curtains be made wider to give a fuller look to the window. What I mean is that the curtain rod and curtains should extend about 6-8 inches on either side of the window trim (more or less depending on the room), and that the curtains themselves should be made wider so that when they are closed the curtains fully cover the window and still retain some pleats. Alternatively, if you don't plan on opening and closing the curtains often, then just make them wide enough so they look full when drawn back. Making these changes won't be super cheap but I think the investment will be worth the return in this case!

I have to disagree with ellendi. I have seen drapes that were designed with a wide border and look fantastic. There was another recent thread here on the same subject. Here's a pictre of some ready made drapes with wide bands at top and bottom: Here is a link that might be useful: Too short drapes thread