Is the Beauty of the Rose Being Wasted in Your Garden Landscape?

Is the Beauty of the Rose Being Wasted in Your Garden Landscape?. Even though you have a great passion for roses and are anxious to have them in your garden, before you plant you must consider how they fit into the overall landscape.

Is the Beauty of the Rose Being Wasted in Your Garden Landscape?
Rose Flowers (thewhitecompany.com)

We have all seen those WOW gardens with just the right mix of flowers, shrubs, trees, ground cover, and so on. We also know that it didn’t happen magically – someone planned it with great care. So, to create your magical garden, you, too, must plan.

Your Reason for Including Roses in the Garden

Do you want them to provide an amazing splash of color? If so, how will the colors that you select blend with the other flowers in the yard? How do they work with the color of your home? Or – do you want them to fill a more functional role such as a hedge, a screen, or a divider? Or, maybe you want both. Are there any emotional effects that you want to produce, such as a haven of serenity or a breathtaking sight that creates excitement for everyone who sees your garden?

Color Choices Are Critical

Roses have it all (Surrey Hills Landscaping)
Roses have it all (Surrey Hills Landscaping)

The colors of roses are many and varied – some are bright and dramatic and will make a strong statement. Others are softer and more calming.
Colors stimulate emotions. We all know that red is the color of passion and coupled with other warm colors can make your garden feel hotter, which is perfect for colder climates. For the warmer climates, you may want to go with soft, cool colors (pink, lavender and white) which are more soothing and relaxing when the weather is hot and humid. If you really love the rich, deep colors, you can always use them for accents.
Unless you think carefully about your choices and the ultimate effect you want your garden to have on those who view it, you may end up with a hodge-podge of color that is startling, even confusing, and not very impressive no matter how much time and money you put into it.
It is smart to choose a color-scheme for your garden and stick to it. It is exactly the same advice I would give you if you were creating an interior design scheme for the interior of your home.
If you don’t have a lot of experience with colors and feel a little unsure of yourself in making the choices – keep it simple. It is much easier to work with a few colors than a multitude of colors. You may have seen pictures of gardens filled with a glorious array of colors from all over the spectrum, but I guarantee you that the garden was planned by a professional. Those combinations take skill and practice.
One simple choice would be to pick a basic color, such as pink and select roses that move from deep pink to white (using all the variations in-between), and then add other flowers and plants that have blossoms in the same color family, such as impatiens, petunias, star jasmine, alyssum, and even the hardy geranium.

Consider Growth Patterns, Size, and Texture

Beauty of the Rose Being Wasted (Prasanita Verma - WordPress.com)
Beauty of the Rose Being Wasted (Prasanita Verma – WordPress.com)

Once color choices are complete, you must consider how each plant grows. Will it be tall and pillar-like, low and sprawling, bushy and rounded, etc? Is it s dense, coarse plant, or is it fine and soft? How big will it be (and space requirements)? Every plant has its own growth style, texture, and potential full size as an adult plant. In order for the ultimate picture to be perfect, all of these things must be considered.
One last consideration – what will each plant look like when it is not in bloom? Some get very ugly – knockout roses are an example of this; while others such as the crinkly leaf rugosa and ferry moss rose continue to be attractive even when they are not blooming.
Create a style that fits your home and your personality. You may want to go formal where everything is in its place and planted geometrically. Or you may prefer a more informal look with a hardy variety of climbing roses – and let them go at it.
With a little research and serious thought about the end result, you will know what is right for your garden. Whatever you choose to do, it will be glorious if you have a plan and follow it.

Helpful Points to Remember:

However you choose to use roses in your garden landscape, the result can be quite magnificent if you think it through, create a plan, and follow it.
Bold colors take up more space visually – consider the yard size and use lighter colors in small spaces.

  • Always plant in odd numbers (3, 6, 9) – it just looks better (an old interior design rule)
  • Keep shorter plants in front, with graduated heights as you move toward the back
  • Have some thread of continuity – repeating certain plants throughout the garden gives it a feeling of order

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