I am planning to plant an informal rose hedge around the back porch and am looking for suggestions. I prefer the tough old garden/Earthkind roses. Do you think a mixed hedge would work, or must it be all the same rose? I welcome any advice.

Ok, this is personal opinion you understand. But I think going with all the same color of rose makes a bigger statement than going with different colored roses. When I get home tonight, I'll have to find a picture of my front yard surrounded by a hedge of yellow roses, with an arbor and two yellow climbing roses at front and center.

You could do two colors that compliment each other, but I would do them in groupings. Like 5 purple rose bushes and then 5 yellow rose bushes. Still would make a wow statement.

Just things to think about.

alan

I found a picture. this was in the second year, so it isn't as full as it is now, several years later....but take a look. The yellow rose is Sunsprite and on the arbor, climbing Sunsprite.

Oh, I love that photo, Alan.

Porkpal, if you're determined to mix roses, the Meidilands look good together. They have the same habit and blend with each other nicely. Here's Cherry Meidiland mixed with La Sevillana.

Yes, I like that Zulu. It's sticking with the same color but two different kinds of the same color. Very pretty.

That was my hay day of youth and gardening Zuzu. There was no limit in my energy to do what I wanted to do. The tree in that photo is much larger now. I had just planted it the year that photo was taken. Prior to that there was a Hong Kong Orchid tree in that spot. It died, we don't know why. I called an arborist to come and look at it, and he couldn't figure out what had happen.

alan

I had planned to stick to the same color and thought first of Duchesse de Brabant, Katy Road Pink and Belinda's Dream for starters. Then I decided that they were too different in form to blend well. Apparently it is best to stick to all one rose, but then I really have to make a firm decision... The Meidilands do coordinate beautifully.

And now lets play -- Spin the wheel!!!

Wait, not yet! I'm not done waffling.

LOL!

PPal - I'd go with a hedge of Lavender Simplicity roses.. I personally don't like JP roses, but they look SO good and they smell wonderful! Or, like Alan suggested (which I'm trying in the front already) is to go with a section of yellow, then blue, then yellow, then blue. I'd like to see like Angel Face in a row of 3, then like Henry Fonda or Sunny Delight, then Blue Girl or Sterling Silver, then the yellow chosen before (Shockwave?), then Angel Face. Or, if you don't want do something like Blue Girl or Sterling Silver in the center, try a Mardi Gras or something bright and happy

Oh boy, more ideas! Unfortunately Hybrid Teas don't do well for me, which is why I was leaning toward the Antiques. They are predominantly pink which is okay with me. I like the clear pale pinks a lot, although if I had my first choice it would probably be yellow.

ooh, I suck at Antiques.. I like the stereotypical looking "rose". not much help, sawwy. And why do HTs not work for you? I figure that if I can grow them, ANYONE could grow them!

Hybrid Teas grow here and even bloom but they also are decimated by blackspot. A hedge with no leaves wouldn't be very hedge-like.

Ah, something I really don't have to worry too much about. You don't want to spray? I use GreenLight when I see it, but haven't seen hardly any blackspot this year, so I haven't sprayed for it.

I don't spray so I try to choose roses that don't need spraying.

Good move brother!

My Belinda's Dream has stayed small, so I wouldn't recommend it for a hedge. I am in a different zone and climate, so it may do better in Texas. I moved it this year and found the own root plant was 3 plants close together, so I separated them. They are still alive and sending out new leaves, so I hope they do better next year.

Golden Celebration, an Austin, gets more black spot than any other rose I grow. Admittedly, as a new gardener with limited space, I don't grow many, yet. Julia Child looks promising, but it may be too small for a hedge. Have you considered Radler's Carefree Celebration? It is a peach/coral rose that is blooming nonstop for me. I got a tiny bit of black spot on the lowest leaves - less than most other roses in the same weather, but still a tiny bit of black spot. The most disease free rose for me is Fire Meilland, a ground cover rose. It is not suitable for a hedge, of course, but may work elsewhere. I am impressed with a ground cover rose that doesn't get black spot in my non spray garden bed by the strawberries. (Most roses are in the other sprayed bed).

Love the front yard photo!

Carefree Celebration sounds like my kind of rose as it is supposed to be disease - free and thrive in hot humid climates! If I don't put it in the hedge, I will certainly plant it here somewhere. Thanks Andi.

porkpal said:Wait, not yet! I'm not done waffling.

Perhaps I'm not the only rose buyer who suffers pangs of buyers remorse. Every time I complete a rose buying transaction I think about all the great roses that didn't make it into my shopping cart this time and worry that I'll never see them growing in my garden.

Yes, as soon as I choose a rose or two for this project someone suggests yet another that sounds irresistible - or several.