Jacqueline, as Kate said you can tell what kind of garden is my favorite. But that said I really feel like I can appreciate many kinds of gardens. The key is in the love and personality of the gardener that is invested in the garden. My dear friend Paula(Rosefolly)wrote the article. She loves my garden but her own garden is a little different, more orderly like her personality. There is nothing more important than your own self in the garden. I am pleased that you liked my garden. I haven't received the magazine yet. You can imagine that I am waiting anxiously!

To me, there are two GardenWeb regulars that have the perfect gardens with roses in them. Pam's in California and Kaye's in Arkansas. Pam's looks like California paradise. Those vista views you can see in the background in photo's of her garden make it even more amazing. The natural form the plants are allowed to take is so beautiful. And Kaye's garden shows off those beautiful natural Arkansas stones with roses that also perform very well in my own garden. I'm familiar with that part of her state and it's a very special place to me. They both have lots of land, and have done amazing things with it on a very large scale.

In short, they both utilized the unique natural beauty of their locations and masterfully incorporated roses into the mix.

Randy

I love Pam's garden (Red Rose Ridge). It's such an inspiration! When Pam first posted a link to her garden here on this board 2? years ago, I was drooling over those lovely rose photos.

I also love Maurizio's garden in Sardinia Italy. I love his choice of plants in his garden and the way he mixed roses, perennials and grasses together.

Maurizio (Morrisnoor) has his own rose forum, and it's ashame that I cannot read Italian!! I have to use an Italian dictionary in order to decipher each word, which can take ages. :-)

It's unfortunate that I have a really small garden, so the choice of plants is really important. I'm still experimenting with plants to see if they look good - if they don't, I will pull them out and try new ones.

There's another thread posted by linrose, "What is your vision when you garden with roses" that you might enjoy reading too.

Cheers, Jimmy

I'm the Red Rose Ridge type--lots paths, nooks, ambling-rambling, discoveries. I get bored with the exhibition bed style and while I'm always very impressed by those who can maintain formal gardens, I have to wonder what they do with themselves when it's all finished. For me, the joy in gardening is its continual evolution. Not to mention, there is always another plant, especially roses, that I can't live without. I wouldn't mind incorporating a formal bit into a larger scheme, tho, just for interest's sake.

theoldrosarian.com. This garden is awesome.

Thanks to everyone for your responses, and a huge thanks to Pam for creating such an amazing garden, and to Paula for getting that lovely article into the ARS magazine. It has given me more hope about the ARS - there was a time when an article about that type of rose garden would not have been allowed to "darken their door" - they have really made huge strides in the last few years -

Jackie

It's hard to imagine that a magazine devoted to roses wouldn't delight in featuring a garden like Pam's. I like the romantic, mysterious, enchanting , wild and gloriously abundant look myself, especially when it is in a lovely setting. I like a garden with many sorts of plants. But I have also found some formal gardens lovely with their precise edging, symetry, and carefully sheared evergreens.
I agree that the garden reflects the gardener, and its uniqueness is always interesting. A peaceful garden which is a respite from our competitive world is ideal to me.
Linda

I think formal rose gardens are boring. From the descriptions I think I would like Pam's and Kaye's gardens. My own garden I might describe as (very) loosely formal in broad outline, but abundant and spontaneous within that basic framework. Does that describe me? Perhaps it does.

Melissa

I can't decide on just one style. I have a small formal boxedged garden on the lawn near the house with lowgrowing polys and floribundas. Beyond this garden are the wilder areas with tall shrub roses among fruit trees and a woodland with species roses. My garden is only half an acre in a rather dull suburban setting but I've tried to create a few longer vistas with shade alternating with open areas, as close to garden rooms as I can make it with my limited space. There is no room for an enclosed secret garden but there are at least three secret nooks for the grandchildren to hide in.

I get depressed by the public ones you see around here that are a big square of unmulched dirt with hybrid teas planted in rows, surrounded by a sea of grass. At least mulch them to preserve soil moisture. Some alyssum to attract beneficials. A short hedge of boxwood to hide the bases. Just a little more effort would make something like that look soooooo much better.

Opulent, well maintained, lots of different plants mixed with the roses, water features are nice, paths that lead to hidden pockets of the garden, basically Pam's garden, and Jon's garden are what I love and strive for in my postage stamp sized garden. I like lots of different types of gardens though and enjoy visiting them. I always come away with different ideas for my own garden. There is always something beautiful and unique in most every garden.

Carol

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I love almost all rose gardens. The book pictured "Beautiful American Rose Gardens" is an inspiration source (from amazon used sellers), it has all styles of gardens and most have OGR's. Wonderful photographs of the gardens. Only one garden had hybrid teas exclusively.

Denise

I like a mixed use garden shrubs roses annuals and perrenials. I also can appreciate the Rose Museums which display and preserve great roses. This is what I grew up with as a model for a rose garden The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden in The Bronx
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or
Brooklyns Cranford Rose Garden
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