I think some inspiration from books would be helpful. My favorite for landscaping is Designing With Roses by Tony Lord. It also has helpful listings of roses by usefulness, such as pillar roses, groundcover, fragrance, etc. I'm sure you know already that roses will not be easy in your zone. Some roses do better than others in the heat. Christine who has the web site justourpictures.com has a large rose garden in Nevada and posts on the Antique Rose Forum. Maybe there is a way to contact her. I think she could have some good advice about rose gardening where you live.

Welcome to rose world. We have different humidity, but the ones that hold up best in heat for me are the David Austin roses. Another good one is Traviata. We also have sand which I have been gradually and continually ammending for nine years. It sounds like you have some good 'stuff' to mix in with your sand. Although roses like at least 6 hours of sun, many of mine are happy with less and appreciate some shade in the afternoon. I'm sure it would be the same there. I'm very jealous of all of your space.
Nancy

Wonderful space. Are you kidding me with that? It's lovely! It will make an awesome rose/flower garden.

First let me suggest you try this over on the rose forum also. The enthusiasm over there will really help take you where you want to go with your new rose bed.

I grow a few Austins and I love them. I grow a variety of different kinds of roses but I'm a total amateur compared to a lot of the rose growers on Garden Web. I can recommend Mary Rose, Crown Princess Margareta and Molineux for sure. One important thing to consider with the heat you have in the greater LV area is how to give your roses some afternoon shade. Take a look at your garden and check out how the exposure will be during the hot part of summer. Try to only plant things that like to be char broiled in the really warm areas. Most if not all of your roses will really appreciate some afternoon shade.

Since you may find you end up wanting very specific roses when the time comes for you to start ordering I can help with suggesting vendors. This last winter/spring I ordered from Hortico, Antique Rose Emporium, Sequoia Nursery (sadly now closed), Palatine and more.

Have great fun on this adventure. I'm sure it will turn out beautiful.

Kate

Greg, forgive me. I had been reading the perennial forum and thought I was still over there. You're in the right place already:) Take my advice, don't post before coffee:)

Kate

You might want to decide first what general layout you prefer. Do you want roses growing around the perimeter of that area? If so, do you want those beds to form straight lines, or maybe they should be curvy, with a couple big swoops on each side? With either of those possibilities, the remaining grass going down the center of the area could be your walk-way so you can browse around in different parts of the rose gardens.

Or you could create a big circle or rectangle or square of roses in the center of that area. Or several circles, etc., in the center of that area. If you have one big circle or rectangle, perhaps think about a path in the center leading up to a fountain or birdbath or big pillar rose or an arch with roses climbing over it.

Or maybe a combination of both idea. Roses around the perimeter and a round or rectangular bed in the center, with grass separating the two areas.

Myself, I would figure out some walking areas--either grass or actual stepping stones. I love to walk through my rose beds, not just stand back and gaze at them from some stationary point. Paths of various kinds encourage you and your friends to explore the roses more closely.

At any rate, start figuring out your own likes and dislikes so that you don't have to go back in a couple years and rip out what you did earlier--though changing our minds is certainly the perogative of any dedicated gardener! LOL

Kate

Do a little at a time. That way you can figure out what you like and what you don't like, and what will survive in your heat. Your taste in roses may change over time, so taking it slow is a good idea.

There is one heat-loving rose I can think of right away, 'St. Patrick'. You might want to consider that one.

Thanks for all the input so far - keep it coming. dublinbay thanks for you input especially as it has inspired me. One thing that I failed to mention in my OP was that I intend to put-in pathways around the rose and flower beds, but I just don't know how I want to configure it yet. I was going to put-in square planting beds but square is so boring. I also was originally thinking of using crushed rock or pea gravel for the pathways and putting all the grass at the opposite end. The problem I have for using grass for the pathways is how to water it without hitting the roses. I know very little about growing roses but I do know that you don't want to get their leaves wet.

Anyway, thanks again to all of you and please keep your thoughts coming. This is going to be quite a project I can see that coming. Of course right now I'm working on getting the fall veggie garden ready to be planted.

On the practical side, think about what types of roses do well in your area. We have a lot of blackspot problems in Florida, I would guess it is not a problem in your low humidity. Look into what type of rootstock is good for your area as well. Also in really hot sunny climates, as someone already mentioned, you don't really seem to need as much sun as someone in a cloudy northern climate. Full morning sun is the best with afternoon shade.

On the fun side think about what colors you like and what, if any, other plants you will have. I personally like other plants with the roses because roses are not continuously beautiful. The other plants will carry the slack when the roses don't look so good.

Start slow. If you try to do it all at once, you will feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Good luck and have fun!

sandhill_farms,
Grass around the rose beds looks nice, in my opinion, and doesn't pose any real problem as long as you remember to do all your watering (grass and roses) in the morning. That gives it plenty of time to dry off. Blackspot may not be a big problem in your dry area, but other areas, you don't want to encourage more blackspot problems by allowing the rose leaves to remain wet as evening approaches and it cools off a bit--and breeds blackspot!

And I agree with amberroses--some other plants mixed in with your roses looks good. Some of the other plants I use are iris, hardy geranium, daisies, bulb lilies, daylilies, salvia, mums. The contrasting shapes and leaf styles playing off the roses can be very effective.

Have fun with your planning.

Kate

My first suggestion is to skip over to the Rose Gallery and peruse photos of other folks' gardens. Everyone has such different tastes, and you can figure out pretty quickly which layouts appeal to you and which don't. FWIW, square doesn't HAVE to be boring...but I'm with you, I would much rather have curves and circles if I can help it.

I cannot help at all with particular rose selections, because I am not anywhere near your climate and I am very new to roses myself. But lay out I am slightly-more-than-useless with. One thing I have found helpful to remember when beginning my rose journey is something I have heard folks say time and again: "Roses are shrubs like any other shrub." Since you are already a gardener, you already know instinctively what roses need: water, feed, and protection form extreme hot/cold. What you will need to learn, to be helpful to your new roses, is the pests and problems you may encounter that are specific to roses, what they look like, and how to deal with them.

It seems to me that because your heat can be so oppressive, midday shade woud be a very good thing...maybe small deciduous trees that would allow the light in during the cooler months. Of course, you have to not exceed your water conditions, Trees AND roses are thirsty devils, so if you ever have water restrictions that should be taken into account.

I completely agree with hoovb about doing a little at a time. Having a vision for the finished product is vital, but installing one bed or area at a time prevents you from getting overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of care and problems.

Best wishes, you have a great space.

hi greg, and welcome! what is going to be planted in the raised bed area in the middle of the photo? you will need to consider the height of what will be there, and where the sun is in relation to that, so if it's a tree, for instnce, your roses won't get too much shade.it's so much fun creating a new rose garden frm scratch!
when i planned mine out, i printed small pics of the blooms, then wrote their height x width on them, then i just played with them like a jigsaw puzzle until i got evrything where i wanted it. just have fun with it..donna

You have a square area, but you can create curves with mulch and pathways. Pathways make it easier to take care of the plants anyway, because it's easier to get to them (especially roses - those thorns can be wicked).

Before you start planting or tilling in the manure, I'd plan your design and mark it off with hoses or some such thing. I've had to redo many beds because I didn't think through my design first. It's a PITA to dig up and move plants, especially roses!

Do your homework, and make sure you get heat loving roses. Have fun! Looks like you're going to have an awesome "park"!

Deanna

Greg,

My mom lives south of Tuscon and I sent her this link the other day: http://www.tucsonrose.org/

It has a list of roses that do well in desert climates. Maybe it will help you get started.

Can you grow grass? My parents don't even try. They practically have to jackhammer to get things into their rocky soil. Gets so arid and hot that they forgot to add water to the pond one day and it totally dried up and caused a fish genocide. Seems like a lot of watering ahead in for a lawn in your climate!

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. I also have the web site for the Las Vegas Rose Society which lists Roses that do well in this area.

As far as growing grass, yes - no problem. In fact the whole area in the photo in my OP (above) was a lawn at one time. I got super busy at work and didn't keep-up with the timers for the water system and it all croaked, which doesn't take long in this climate. I plan on planting grass back in the park along with Roses and Flowers, I just haven't decided how I want to go about it yet. Every time I go out there and look around a new idea pops in to my head so it's going to take some time to put it all together.

Yes, water is a concern for sure. I use a drip system for my veggie gardens and always try to conserve where I can, but I didn't wait until later in life to own property so I could have gardens and a lawn to call my own to be cheated out of it. Soooooo......guess what?

Greg
Nevada

Greg, there are thousands of roses from which to choose. Before you start collecting individual names, I'd suggest you get Vintage Gardens catalog (www.vintagegardens.com). VG is the biggest rose dealer anywhere. The catalog (hard copy and online) has concise descriptions of the different kinds of roses and very helpful little line drawings to indicate relative size and shape. Learn a bit about what the different roses do. For instance, Gallicas and Damasks are some of the most fragrant roses, but they bloom only in the spring. But they could be a spring 'centerpiece' in a perennial bed where other flowers come in later. You may want climbing roses on your gazebo; there are several kinds that have few thorns. And Hybrid Musks tolerate some shade...

As you plan the garden, think about the sizes and shapes and colors. You can fill in the specifics later. Wide, tall, pink. Short, round white, etc. Fragrant roses are best close to paths. And, unless you are doing a very formal pattern, "walk your paths" first. People will always take the shortest distance between two points. They hop over, cut corners, and shortcut tight curves. Try to match your paths with the natural traffic flow.

And yes, post on the Antique Rose forum here and try to connect to other rose people in your area, especially when you are ready to collect specific suggestions.

This is all assuming you are going to operate by a plan. Some of us just buy the roses we like and stick them in wherever we have space and if they live, great and if they don't we try something else.

I know you like organic in your vegetable gardening, but what about with the roses? If you do not want to use fungicides, then you definitely want to contact the rose society or even the web site to see what diseases are in your area, and what roses are resistant to them.

This is my first year to go "no spray", and I am losing many roses. Some of my winners are: Cramoisi Superieur, Monsier Tillier, Duchesse de Brabant, Souvenir de la Malmaison. The first three are large and beautiful, the last one is small and very famous. If you like it, there are a few sports from it that look good.

You might want to explore the nurseries around you, and look at the pictures and descriptions on their websites. Are you near Morongo Valley that is near Palm Dessert? There is a man there who has a nursery of some imported European roses that many are discussing. His name is Cliff Orent, and he is a very active rosarian. If you are interested, I can give you his contact number. (He is a member here..)

Sammy