America is a pretty peachy orange but it isn't a good choice for your zone because it will get killed to the ground in the winter. I'm not sure about the other three but when it comes to climbers you should check hardiness first.

Just please yourself and that will be best. I have also seen roses grow and thrive for one person and not another , I would take alittle extra care of any zone questionable plants and see what happens. :) roseberri

I hope that what Roseberri was referring to was pleasing yourself with the color mix - and not agreeing that it is ok to plant climbers that are not cane hardy in your zone 5. If you like the colors, mix away. You can always move something later if it seems too jarring a contrast. But take it from someone who had to learn the hard way, climbers that "might" make it in your climate are not worth the years wasted, the love, money and time spent on them to only find that in the end they can only be short shrubs. You really have to go with best in hardiness if you want a climber - I'd choose nothing rated below zone 4 if I were you (and you really should remember that our dear Zeffyrose gardens in a warmer zone than you.) Even in your list of hybrid teas, I would worry over Sutter's Gold. This may not be just what you want to hear, but I hope it saves you some disappointments. You deserve to have the happiness of your "special day" continue on for a long time to come...and I hope it does.

All you need to know is that there are "cool" pinks (on the lavender/blue side of the color wheel) and "warm" pinks (on the coral/apricot side). For example, Zephie is "cool" and 'Gemini' is "warm"

Keep the warm pinks away from the cool pinks. Keep the cool pinks away from the yellows, too. Reds are "cool" and "warm" too, but more flexible. Mr. L. is a "ccol" red, but looks good with yellow.

That's about all that will clash.

I agree to just please yourself with color mixes. Things can be moved, believe me I know, have moved pleanty of roses.

annececilia is giving you great advice. You are in a zone 5 and many, many climbers are not cane hardy in your zone. I don't know if the ones you listed are or not but I suspect not.

Do some research on cane hardy climbers before you plant and save yourself lots of time and aggrevation.

To check color combos, I take pictures of the roses off the gallery or hmf and put them into a word document or a powerpoint page. That way you can see how the colors look next to each other. You can add the companion plants into that too, but I usually figure the companions plants are on a different level than the roses and anyway the blues/purples seem to be a very safe choice.

As for those climbers - they aren't supposed to be cane hardy in zone 5. If you've got a sheltered spot or are willing to do some great winter protection, then go ahead and try it. But you might end up with climbers that have to regrow from the ground each year.

athena, I do that, too, lol! I lack imagination sometimes, so a plan is a good thing.

I just wanted to thank everyone so much for your very helpful suggestions! I was out yesterday, so I didn't have the chance to write back yet. HoovB, thank you, thank you, thank you for the tips on cool versus warm pinks... The area where the "cool-colored" miniature rose and Zephirine will go will be so pretty with the strong purples and cool pinks! I lined up some of the purples from the meadow sage and veronica I got and man! what a huge difference...I am so excited to plant that I can hardly stand it... and yes, HoovB I am absolutely crazy about both my Lincolns... You are so right in that they are both cool and "hot"! they go with anything under the sun practically...That Lincoln red and the orange of my gladiolus is so striking and just like you described it looks magnificent against yellows and golds as well. Even when I prop up the deep purples just for the heck of it, against the Lincolns, it still looks very attractive...

I did check the hardiness level of all my climbers and new wish list roses and yes, they all can take zone 5... the only exception as Rita described is Royal Sunset and Sutter's Gold (zone 6 and above)...Not surprisingly they are same lineage... My zone is actually 5/6... There is actually a split in opinion about what zone Kansas is. My nursery calls it 5, garden centers call it 6. Online 70% call it zone 6. I call it zone 5 because even though we have very mild winters (any snow we get immediately melts away within 2 days or less), we will have sudden drastic, unpredictable freezes (that again last a day) in March which wreak havoc for roses. Many roses are fooled into breaking dormancy and that's where the trouble is...

Rita and AthenCecilia I have to find out how long it takes for a climbing rose to climb back up when it dies to the ground... I will be investing in a lot of winter protection as well...someone from zone 5 was very happy with his Royal Sunset but did mention every year it'd die back to the ground...America is sold in Kansas, so I am assuming it does well here. I really am counting on my Garden-ville sea tea too, Henri...it has been a real miracle worker for me against winter and root trauma...

Athenainwi, thanks too for your wonderful suggestion...I will need to use your method for several herbs (which are not blooming yet) and for all the new young root roses that I will be getting from Roses Unlimited...What a clever smart idea...

Roseberri, Greenhaven, and Henri, wish me luck and Powerhouse to Green-ville Sea Tea...(and of course the good 'ole horse manure that I'll be dumping into my new climbing rose lot this winter, lol!) I am not looking forward to that messy endeavor, hee-hee!

Just because something is sold at a local nursery does not mean it is winter hardy for your zone. Also, in the case of climbers, if its not cane hardy and dies back to the ground and near it, you will never have a climber, only a shrub. So if you need something to go on an arbor or something like that, I would advise you to check very carefully.

I have had America and it is not reliably cane hardy in Z6b. How do you expect it to be so in Z5?

Hmmm, good point, Henry and Rita! Henry, I forgot to check your zone and grew complacent since America is sold all over the common garden centers in Kansas and is listed as being able to take Zone 4A according to DavesGarden...

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/62274/

So I definitely have to weigh the consequences and risks... Do I want a shrub rose or a climber... Truth is, all I care is about the health of my rose... If it ends up a healthy shrub, that too is fine, the colors for all the roses are beautiful and would make a lovely addition...but again, looks like I have some major rethinking and research to do before making my order.