What sort of rose gardens do you like?

When we were in NZ a few months ago I had a wander around the Queenstown rose gardens. A well set-out garden, mostly NZ-bred HTs in circular beds. But roses only. That means lots of bare legs and dirt on show. Easy for dead heading, weeding and pruning, and cheaper for the council.

So what do you think of the photo of the gardens. Would you box-edge them, fill them with appropriate perennials and annuals or leave them as is?

Personally, I'd work out some colour scheme that highlighted the roses and go beserk with perennials and a few annuals, all of which thrive in that cool lakeside climate. And create another tourist attraction for the town. I mean the setting is fabulous!

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Dave, if I was the head gardener of the roses, I would have individual beds of each rose if possible. At least blocks of the one variety, lines of it or grouped, all this depends on how many have been bred. As for understory plantings, personally with the green of the lawn, perennials to compliment each bed or rose colour would cut cost, self seeding could be handy to fill in bare spots, room for annuals for a specific time of year or occasion, all this if money was available

Hi,
interesting question.
My roses are in separate beds with some perennials amongst them. I've sort of decided to move the perennials out amongst the border plantings and also to put a few roses there too.
In other words, to have a couple of beds dedicated to mixed roses, a some roses around the borders too.
Barbara B

My gardens are the same as Barbara B's. A couple of dedicated rose beds with mixed varieties and one with perennials and shrubs with roses. I have Spring bulbs underplanted in the rose beds but they sure could do with something to cover their legs now!

I like the trees as the backdrop. As Dee would say... it gives the garden height and layers. I'm more into informal though and like my roses spread out as part of the greater scheme instead of a monoculture. Groundcovers and perennials are spread all through mine... along with weeds, weeds, and more weeds There are so many nice climbers and ways to show them off too... I like a more layered effect

Thanks for your interesting thoughts. I wonder if the monoculture is actually more work, because of disease, therefore spraying. And every weed is obvious!
In my front garden across the house there are a few roses at the back (where the roos can't be bothered reaching) with lots of salvias etc under (and overplanted!) But disease is at minimum. Virtually no BS. Just a quick prune with the shears. Lazy, but effective.

Speaking of bare legs - have a look at the Launceston crematorium gardens. All standard roses; I suppose it makes weeding easier, but standards can get topheavy, and then the understock bends.
I tried using natives as companion plants, but my main rose bed turns out to be soggy and a frost patch in winter, and some natives didn't like that, combined with thick mulch.

Here's what I mean - Sissinghurst - but they have 5 gardeners!