People always struggle with what to put Fragrant Cloud next to and complain about its eye-shocking colors, but I tell you Fragrant Cloud and Gemini make the perfect combination. Both have huge blooms and both have striking colorations to them. So if anyone hates the way their Fragrant Cloud dominates their garden, put it next to a really showy rose like Gemini...I also believe Fragrant Cloud would look absolutely fabulous with Lady Emma Hamilton, but because I don't have this rose until 2010, I can't show this... The trick with Fragrant Cloud is getting a neighboring rose with strong undertones of apricot/scarlet in it and with big showy blooms...

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I'm very glad you started this thread because I'm currently designing a rose garden for my new house and I'm completely new to rose gardening. I'm going for a yellow/apricot/pink color theme and after reading about it I must have a Fragrant Cloud. I was going to put it across from a Strike it Rich and next to a Radiant Perfume, but now I think I'll trade places and put the Chris Evert next to it instead :)
When I have beautiful roses of my own I'll post some pics...

serena, your roses are very beautiful and thanks for posting the pictures! I don't have either (but Gemini is on the list!) and now I would have something to put beside it. You are right - Fragrant Cloud would be one that I would have trouble with and I probably wouldn't have been able to think of anything except maybe a white rose (shows how imaginative I am!)

peachymomo - I am currently working on a peachy/pinky/yellowy bed myself! I have a list of potentials including, Westerland, Heaven on Earth, Carding Mill, Jude the Obscure, Desiree and Lawrence of Arabia. I'm just not sure how I'll put them together.

Lynn

I've been enjoying these rose combinations:

'Pretty Jessica' & 'Pacific Serenade'

'White Pearl in Red Dragon's Mouth' & 'Pacific Serenade'

Randy

I think this will not resonate with many of you since this forum is geared more toward modern roses, but I've found that older roses with softer colors mix and match without too much trouble. The more strident colors would be much more of a challenge. I suppose one could have a grouping of the hotter colors and then separate them from cooler-colored roses by planting white roses or, even better, companion plants with white flowers in between. I think even with modern roses the cool colors, from white to deep fuchsia and purple, will usually go well together, as will all the warm and hot colors. Mixing the two groups together, especially if both are strongly colored, might create a rather dissonant picture.

Hey, Lynn...
Please tell me about Carding Mill. It's one that I think I'd love. Am especially interested in fragrance and health of plant. Was going to get it, but have ordered Leanders on the $4 RU sale instead...who could resist that price? Hope that some are still available.
May still get Carding Mill in the spring...if I can find more room available for roses! Thanks for any info...!!
Barb

Peachy, I started my peach, orange, apricot and blending to pink rose garden this year. I started with a yellow climber in the corner..Sky's the limit. Next Tropical Sunset, also known as the Marvelle rose. An awesome rose. Next I planted Valencia..another must have rose..then Crown Princess Margaretta, Gold Metal..and Warm Wishes. Back to the end..and in front I have a Vavoom, Golden Budda, and some space aways..Lady Emma Hamilton. I also have an unplanted Rainbow Sorbet..for my blending into pink. I still have lots of room..and roses to plant.

I get a lot of comments about my patio garden which is the "pastel" bed with Scepter'd Isle, Tamora, Tiffany and recently-added Molineux (not pictured). I find the soft colors pleasing.

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My base bed has my original color thought: red, pink, mauve.

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I like 'Harison's Yellow' with 'Cardinal de Richelieu'.

Msjam,

That's a lively combination. Just beautiful. The fiesta blend!

Harry

Awww, thanks Peachymomo and TexasLynn! Actually the only reason why I stuck my roses in here is to help out Fragrant Cloud It is such a vigorous rose, wonderfully fragrant rose, but alas, it is very difficult to color match I always joke to my friends at the Gallery that my roses are the lumpiest, bumpiest and most lopsided. Gemini is the only HT which stays a true classical hybrid tea form because of our blazing heat and blazing sun (the rest are just lively rather than gorgeous, they look like cabbage roses-big and pouffy-Fragrant Cloud included).

But yes, hot colors are often difficultÂI hope my favorite rose people will forgive my rose stalker, obnoxious rose stealing waysÂI am grabbing their photos because they represent wonderful color combinations under the pretext that favorite color combinations doesnÂt exclude a rose stalker from stealing other peopleÂs roses, Bwahahahaha! Yup, count on crafty me to find a loophole.

As Ingrid VC describes there are hot color combinations and thereÂs cool color combinationsÂand she gives the perfect advice on that.

Here are the hot colors of BoxofroxÂ(Hot Cocoa-the chocolate red, Blaze of Glory?red, possibly Abe Darby-pink, Living Easy-scarlet orange,Easy GoinÂ-yellow)

Another one of my absolute favorite victim besides Boxofrox is JeffAurora but since his grow in pots, IÂm hoping he can arrange his gorgeous pots into some possible color combos for you TexasLynn. His roses are absolutely amazing! No rest for the weary lol! He just got back from his 3 week vacation, so his roses may be resting and on the comebackÂBut nooooo, does he ever get peace of mind with me lurking, hahaha!

I also love Celestial RoseÂs and KristinflowerÂs rose combinationsÂI normally wouldnÂt do this and am sweatin earning their wrath, but the temptation was just too much When Ingrid-VC mentioned the cool palettes I thought of KristinflowerÂs immediately Here is her beautiful garden which I drool over.


The second pic she identified these flowers: delphinium, allysum, phlox, Russian sage, catmint; roses: John Davis, the Fairy, Carefree Wonder. I love this pic because it looks so much like an English garden and is bee-heavenÂ

TexasLynn you will absolutely love your CardingMill. I have seen MashaÂs and they are one of the most beautiful roses Msjam your roses are hot, hot, hot! Harryshoe I especially love your second photo rose combination--you too have a lush pink/apricot "fiesta" going there!

msjam2,

That bed is stunning, the first thought I had was that the colors reminded me of Lewisia. The yellows play off the yellows in the oranges, the pinks play off the peach and the melons and the white/cream does what it always does best......stand out as contrast. Absolutely gorgeous!

Weird, I didn't see Leaners rose on the RU sale list!

msjam2, I love the dark pinks with oranges and yellows.

Harryshoe, your garden is so beautiful. The red, mauve and pink theme seems to make everything look super-green and lush.

I have a bed with Julia Child and Marmalade Skies interplanted with orchid colored irises. I hope they all bloom together this spring!

Renee

A combo I like is Burgundy Iceberg with Julia Child. When both are in full bloom everyone comments on how beautiful they look. I'll try and post pics next time they are flowering.

Jeff

Jeff, you know what, I think what I need to do is steaaaaal your! bounty of bloom pics and start lining them up one after another on favorite rose color combinations like the way I did with Gemini/Fragrant Cloud...because I wanna see JeffAurora blooms nowwwww! The only thing that I don't trust is my aesthetics... It takes you or Boxofrox to get that great color alignment...

But here are my! stealer ruthless ways. Man, now I neeeeed 3 people to forgive me, hee-hee. I am so shameless! Since purple and exotic combinations have not yet been covered these are the striking ones I would grab from JeffAurora if I wanted purples in my garden.

Barbara Streisand:
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Memorial Day:

Stainless Steel

Intrigue

But to add contrast yet unify that tinge of purple IÂd throw in JeffÂs Hot Cocoa as well if one has his New Jersey climate
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And the best thing is........I already have some of the roses that are featured here!

Barb, my Carding Mill is still fairly small and in a pot (I got from RU earier in the year) but is growing very vigorously and healthily. It was recommended by someone on here as being able to flourish in prolongued heat and the pictures they posted set the deal!

Lynn

I like my apricot and purple corner with Rhapsody in Blue, Violacea, Centifolia a fleur double violette with Abraham Darby, Buff Beauty and Sangerhäuser Jubiläumsrose (don't remember the US sales name for this apricot Kordes). Two whites are here too, Jacqueline du Pre in front and Secret Garden Musk Climber at the back, interplanted with matching perennials.

Okay..SER...you are saying Fragrant Cloud next to Gemini looks great? Can you post pics of them next to each other?

I have a combination I like in my relatively narrow bed between the driveway and the property line. It just accomodates a single row of somewhat narrow hybrid tea/grandiflora/perpetual hybrid types--seven of them, to be exact. The two colored roses are Peter Mayle (a darker hot pink) and Mrs. John Laing (lighter pink)--they alternate with Elina, a creamy white/mellow-yellow blend--truly an amazing rose.

Not only is this bed attractive color-wise, but all those roses feature big fat blooms and great fragrance, and all are pretty good in terms of disease-resistance. I'm rather partial to this separate bed.

Kate

I don't like mixing pastels and brights... So each bed is either a pastel bed (only have 1 of those...) or a bright bed...

In the pastel bed I have Belinda's Dream, Home and Garden, Neptune, Molineux, Nancy Reagan, Lemon Kordana, Always a Lady, Lichfield Angel, and Peach Delight.

Bright beds are more fun for me. Fragrant Cloud is excellent between Fame! and Ingrid Bergman. Next to Fame! is Ebb Tide and Lavaglut.

Across the way is the excellent combo of Hot Cocoa and Disneyland. I try to plant everything in combos... Nancy Reagan and Tournament of Roses. Trumpeter and Lavaglut. Westerland and Lilian Austin. Lilian Austin and Prospero. Midnight Blue next to Bluebird Rose of Sharon.

WS2000 next to Eureka is a beautiful pair. Yves Piaget and Heirloom. Rose des rescht and Sexy Rexy. Knock Out! with Country Dancer.

Climbers are fun to match up too. Don Juan and America. Blaze and Eugene de Beauharnais. Polka and rhapsody in blue. American Beauty and veilchenblau.

I haven't figured out where to stick Incantation yet... Not sure which color in it I want to bring out...

Intrigue and Judy Garland. Legends and Brass Band. Pure Poetry and Fabulous!

Then I get to mix in all the daylilies, clematis, iris, lavender, it's all such fun!

Decobug,
Your combinations sound wonderful.My kind of garden...Color...Color...Color! I am enjoying the pictures and descriptions. I might have some movin` around to do this fall. Thanks, everyone. Lesley

Zyperis, just call me Serena, that is my real life name... I'm a very prissy kind of girl, and Ser makes me feel like a macho drill sergeant, like Yessir! LOL! If Serena is too long to type you can call me KG, which Boxofrox has been calling me-Kansas Girl, as he put it "Yo--Kansas Girl".

I would post photos of them side by side, but Gemini and Fragrant Cloud right now are "sleeping", I have to wait for both to start their full flush, just seeing 2 blossoms on each would look very silly especially if the 2 on my Gemini are already fading and the third bloom was deadheaded day before yesterday-- it would make a pretty awful photo. As soon as both get their full prolific bloom flush, I will post them together...Fragrant Cloud is truly a rose that people either love or absolutely hate! It's not like Gemini... You cannot go wrong with Gemini... It has exhibition quality gorgeous blooms...Fragrant Cloud is a beginner's rose because it is sooooo easy to grow and has great fragrance but man! its colors are indeed overwhelming and overpowering...Decobug like me has enjoyed success with it in certain color combinations, but you are playing with fire. If anyone is thinking FC, you better run to the nursery just to be sure you can handle her (she is a Spanish scarlet hue-think flamenco orange-red)...Gemini is the complete opposite...It is a rose to fall in love with. It goes with practically anything under the sun...There is only one catch with Gemini, if you are very! picky about fragrance like I am, be sure you get a fragrant version of Gemini...Usually Gemini have little scent...I lucked out in mine (Jackson & Perkins) having this very sweet lovely fragrance.

Serena, I have seen FC. It is very ugly..IMO. But...if it will blend with Gemini..I would like to try it..for the fragrance

Zyperiris, lol! definitely do not get Fragrant Cloud! getting a rose is in many ways like buying a wedding dress. Never get a rose that you are absolutely not in love with. There is a saying that you will know the perfect dress when you see it/wear it. So goes for the rose. There are wedding dresses that I find to be hideous--those pouffy, oversized taffeta ballroom style wedding dresses that swallow up a person--I would only go for the soft flowing "Juliet", gracefully slim dresses. But to those brides those overwhelming dresses are gorgeous. It's the same analogy, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. And just like a wedding dress, you're stuck with a rose. Only get the ones that really speak to you. If you want fragrance with gorgeous scarlet to match Gemini, you already have Lady Emma Hamilton which would match Gemini perfectly. If your nursery has the Voodoo rose, go check it out...Voodoo Hybrid Tea rose gets rave reviews (unlike Fragrant Cloud-people either love it or hate! it) and Voodoo is supposed to have exceptional fragrance as well. All of the photos that I see of Voodoo are very lovely and I believe this is more the rose for you. However, Voodoo has to have a minimum of zone 7 and I'm not sure what zone you are in. Maybe someone here has a suggestion for a beautiful scarlet-orange rose that has strong fragrance. But either way, Gemini matches everything! you will be very happy with her.

I like the combination of Pat Austin, Golden Celebration and Happy Child. Also in the background is Summer Song, Ambridge Rose and Grace, another nice combination.
I also have planted Winchester Cathedral next to Sceptre de Isle and Sharifa Asma and Fair Bianca.

Golden celebration and three weddings....I don't know why

And Don Juan and Scepter'd Isle. Blush and burgundy. Sorry for the lousy pic.

Nicole and blanc double de coubert

Hmmm...Jude the Obscure making eyes at Frederic Mistral. Diane

I am not too good at companion planting, but on accident I have Maria Stern in foreground, and Spectra in background. This is a stupendous combination. Spectra starts out yellow goes to orange on outside and then orange. Maria Stern is similar to Tropicana. (Sorry for lack of deadheading and maintenance). (Polarstern is the white one on left).