I'm doubting roses altogether, although I know nothing about plants at all---so I can't discount them yet! Do you have any suggestions? I'd need to get about 10 plants (3 gallon size) to line my porch--it is fairly long.

Thanks for any ideas!

I wouldn't suggest boxwoods in front of the roses. The boxwoods have form and structure...use them as a backdrop/fondation. The roses are more informal and should be used in front of them, plus why would you want to hide the color?

Use this link to find some other varieties

http://guides.travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1078607 &icid=msn1078607>1=41000

Plant type as rose and color as red, there were tons of options. My Hero is another good one that has continous blooms.

Mixed plantings including suitably informal-looking rose varieties will use them in combination with compatible plants of other groups like annuals, bulbs, perennials and climbers (vines), same as is done with other deciduous shrubs like deutzias and lilacs.

Putting evergreens to the back also gives you a more open look once the decidous plants lose there leaves in winter.

Some gardens have both dwarf evergreen shrubs in front of roses and taller evergreen hedges behind. Mixed borders with informal shapes will have taller evergreen shrubs flanking rose bushes, a good basic arrangement being evergreen shrubs on the ends, herbaceous plants occupying center stage and deciduous shrubs (including shrub roses) forming transitions between the solidity of the evergreens and the lightness of the annuals, perennials and bulbs.

In zone 5 you always want boxwoods in a protected location, in that case use it as the backdrop/fondation.