We all have different ideas about what kind of garden we want. My garden ideas have changed over time and what I like has changed. I expect once you get started, your ideas will change too. don't be afraid to start because you're afraid to make a mistake.

Some books w/a lot of pictures are "Right Rose, Right Place" by Peter Schneider and "Landscaping with Roses" by Jeff Cox.

Do you have your beds in place yet? The biggest thing I look for when I try to plan my garden is to look at the landscape or land itself and see how the beds can fit into it - where is the sun? are there a lot of tree roots to contend with?

I've used the lasagna/cardboard-mulch/manure method of putting in beds a number of times and found it to be an easy way to put in and expand beds.

Good luck with your garden. Ask more questions!

Gean

A couple other considerations: try to get contrasting shapes for extra interest--a clump of iris near some roses, for instance. Or if it is close to where you sit outdoors or a path (to the garage, maybe) that you often take, make sure it is a rose that re-blooms well and often, perhaps one that smells especially good, maybe one that is not too thorny, definitely one that has an nice overall appearance (not just stunning blooms). Or, pick out one or two roses that seem to do particularly well in your garden and get several more that can be placed/repeated at periodic intervals--helps unify that section of the garden to see a few repeating elements.

Depending on what roses you select--such as the David Austin shrubs--a number of them look especially good clumped together--Austin recommends 3 planted in a triangle, with about 18 in. between bases. I do that with some of his narrower, upright roses--like Molineux and Queen of Sweden--makes them much more eye-catching.

I'm sure there are lots of other possibilities. One thing I do is sit there for several hours while I rest and consider what I like or don't like in the view from that direction. View seems rather boring--go stick a bright gaudy rose right in the middle of the boredom. That will liven things up. Or is the view kind of jumble--hard to focus on anything? Put some unifying repeats in there. Color seems too close, in your face? Substitute some more delicate shade or pastels. Lacks variety? Put in a tall climber or tall shrub. The point of sitting there for a long time is that sooner or later your reaction will break through--I'm bored with that view, that view is a jumbled mess, those colors are getting lost in the distance, etc. Then forget what the rules are and fix that problem. At least, that is what I do periodically.

Good luck. Planning can be half the fun of rose-gardening.

Kate

Gardens are an extension of us. I also think they can be an extension of who we want to be. So if you're a planner who wants to cut loose, or a chaotic person who wants to be really organized - take the opportunity to build your garden that way.

Most important really is just to start getting them in the ground. You'll learn so much as they start to grow and mature together, and they aren't all that hard to move (in the first few years anyways).

I have NO regrets about my completely unplanned garden, but there are certain color combinations I've come to love, that I think would look good grouped together in the garden. Pinks/Purples/Blues, Reds/Oranges/Yellows, Purples/Oranges/Yellows. Height is a challenging aspect as many roses with grow in any specific climate to different size specifications than labeled. So - you either do pretty intensive research, or heck - go for it!

Have a blast. The best part of all is watching each individual grow, thrive, morph.

Then there are the well behaved smaller roses which I scatter like confetti. You can't have too many of these.