I think Munstead Wood would be a terrific choice--but then I always vote for MW! It wouldn't be any more bolder than Noble Anthony would be. In fact, I think the darker shades of MW would actually play off Tamara better than NA--the dark shade kind of anchoring the brighter shades of Tamora.

However, I would probably add a third rose to the group--a white or creamy colored one--a neutral color to keep the more dramatic tones under a bit of control. Don't want the dominant ones to get to fighting with each other, after all. : )

Good luck with your planning.

Kate

I have 'Young Lycidas' with Tamora. They look pretty good together. 'Darcey Bussell' is across the path. Darcey is very very bloomy, even as a first year.

My tendency would be to go with a white or cream rather than a stronger color, and I would suggest Bolero. Alternatively, you could use it as a third rose as Kate suggested. There seems to be almost universal praise for Bolero and the one time I saw it at a local nursery I thought it was very pretty.

Ingrid

If you want a purple sort of color, given Tamora's rather rigidly-upright habit, I would suggest 'International Herald Tribune.'

In Southern California, if you do not prune it, IHT can rise to a good 3.5- 4-ft, and like Tamora is upright, and cluster-flowering.

The best thing about IHT is its complete disease-resistance, at least, in So-Cal -- seconded by its ability to bloom throughout the year. Oh, and it's fragrant.

Bolero refused to grow here, but I suspect likes Ingrid's heat, better than our coastal coolth. Other good whites include Pope John Paul, and the ubiquitous Iceberg (which also comes in purple) but I think they may not companion Tamora well.

Tamora's greatest sin, in our garden, was a tendency to rust ALL the time. I can handle rust in late Fall, but not throughout the year. I'm sure that is not true universally, but it sure was here.

In Southern California, you will have to watch Zephirine Drouhin for mildew. I have also heard complaints about lack of repeat bloom -- but she may outgrow that.

Jeri

'International Herald Tribune':

S.F.V. For life I assume that you are in the S.F. valley where it can become quite toasty during the summer and is not highly impacted by the marine influences. International Herald Tribune could look great because you would be complimenting Tamora with a rose that has a very different petal form as well as color, unless you prefer consistency in that respect.

Munstead Wood and Tamora would create a bold striking look. Young Lycidas should do the same. Both are beautiful and I have read many gardeners on this forum praising both.

I agree with Ingrid regarding tempering the look a little with a white, and would also suggest Bolero or Kronprinzessin Viktoria.

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Sat, Oct 19, 13 at 11:16

Hi everybody, and thank you for your detailed replies! Dublin Bay - I love Munstead Wood. Never thought about needing a third color -- but then on this forum I'm like a kid with a $10 guitar in a room full of rock stars ...
hoovb - yes, Young Lycidas could be the one! After I posted I realized YL met all my criteria. It's even supposedly compact.
ingrid and jerijen - yes, I think a cream rose would look better than pure white in this context - any thoughts on Windermere or Susan whatsit Ellis?
IHT is just too much of a departure for me right now. Maybe later.
Bolero doesn't do much for me in pictures, but Kron. Victoria looks great.
No thoughts on Comte de Chambord for the pink spot? Is it too disease-prone?
I had a little rust on Zephyrine, but she seems to be OK now. I haven't gotten any blooms yet, but she is still in the 8" pot it came in. I'll probably transplant her in a month or so.
Also, does anybody know if DA lets you change a bare-root order one rose for another, before shipping? Or, can you add to an existing order without incurring an additional shipping charge? That fee is a bear ... especially since Regan Nursery will ship me the same roses for $7 less. I checked the box on the DA form stating they had to notify me if they were going to substitute.
Thanks again!

I've changed my DA orders before and don't remember any extra fee or "penalty."

I haven't grown Susan whattzit Ellis, but I remember some posts a couple years ago complaining that it didn't bloom very well. Try the search function near the bottom of this page.

Will you be growing your roses in groups of three or spaced out in a line? My Tamora is grown in narrow bed in line with several roses, but low growing boxwood separates each rose, so the size differences and growth habits don't make as much of a difference. The colors go beautifully together. Abbaye de Cluny is the tallest "peak" of the line. Here is the first rose, Blue Bayou, that grows very upright. Its blooms are a pale, bluish lavender. Diane

The second rose is Tamora. Diane

The third rose is Abbaye De Cluny, tallest and with a lovely trumpet shape to its growth habit. Other roses in the line are farther away from Tamora; they are Morden Sunrise and Eglantyne.

Dadgummit Diane! Your roses are just so pretty. Do you (or your granddaughter) have any photos of your beds? I'd love to see "the line" and the low growing box as that is how most of my roses are planted.
Thank you for sharing these blooms!
Susan

I don't have any photos of the line of roses, and most are done blooming, except Blue Bayou, which has a flush going (it's a late bloomer) and Morden Sunrise. The short boxwood is Winter Gem. I actually prefer Green Velvet which has a more refined look, but is also short. For tall boxwood, I like Green Mountain, but it gets big. Diane

Diane, those roses are gorgeous! The Tamoras will be planted 3 at a time, per the illustration in the DA catalogue.
At this point I'm leaning more toward Munstead Wood as a match for Tamora, rather than the lighter-colored roses.
I am pretty much starting from scratch - my backyard was in a near-wild state, with a patchy lawn and no flower beds, until two yrs ago when I retired from teaching ... now I have four beds grouped by color: yellow, blue-purple, red-orange-pink and a fourth devoted to foliage plants. I want the roses to be a focal point, so I'm looking for the wow factor.
I don't think my budget will run to three sets of three DAs or similar each :( so it may just be the Tamoras and Munstead this year.
Thank you everybody!