Ok, living here in Arizona, I break all the rules for planting roses, how far a part. I plant them closely together. About 2 feet from the rose next to them, unless I know I have a rose that will get HUGE as it matures, then I may plant them further apart then that. We are told to plant roses far apart so they get good air circulation, and this will help prevent powdery mildew, and all kinds of other fungi from evading the garden. Ba Humbug. In our extremely dry desert, I think planting them closer together helps keep the roots cooler, hold moisture in better, and makes for a very lovely colorful garden I also jam a lot of annuals, bulbs and perennials at there feet so there is very little room for weeds ot evade. That's my story and I'm sticking to it :)
alan
