Do you have a photo of the space?
What is the purpose of this garden? Viewing it from the house?
Visual buffer? Curb appeal?
What is behind and/or beside this garden area?

I am not the expert here but I love to visualize gardens--mine and other peoples :-)

Good idea
Here is the description: we built a retaining wall, 4 feet high...We are on the hill, and this way, we now have a terrace in front of the yard
I am trying to create a terrace (already have a name for it, how pathetic: Little Bubba's Butterfly Terrace ...Little Bubba was my little garden helper, a semi feral kitty, who died on Feb 23 2006)
I want a cottage garden look, if possible...The sun is working against me, as there will be lots of it...Sun and heat.
I am planning on a circular sitting area, with two benches, and two walkways leading to it...Lots of OGRs all around it, and a little patch with african iris, day lilies and some tough perennials....

Along the wall facing the road I want taller plants to hide the sitting area ...

Here is the wall, in process - it is now finished and we are busy filling the area in with soil
Also, something that will trail over the wall...I am planning to put two dwarf orchid trees that trail/climb, blue sky vine, and Evergreen Wisteria, Millettia reticulata- if the plant makes it. I also have seedlings of Solanum crispin - Blue Potato Vine, and Rangoon Creeper...both still young...

The area is large...at least 35 feet wide...In front of it there are 4 orchid trees - different species and colors (purple, lavender, fragrant white, and another white, but different species)

Thanks for your design ideas and suggestions :)
Olya

The roses that are going in - cannot remember all though (I have been preparing for this wall for a loooong time)

Grafted on Fortuniana:
Belindas Dream
Hot Cocoa
Louis Philippe
Sally Holmes
Burgundy Iceberg
Don Juan
Knock Out
Salsa -- love it, very heathy rose
Black Cherry - another healthy one

Own root:
Ducher
Duchesse de Brabant
Marie Pavie
Natchitoches Noisette
Old Blush
Mme. Joseph Schwartz
Sweet Chariot
Perle d'Or
Reine des Violettes
Sombreuil
Veilchenblau
Mrs. B.R. Cant
Vineyard Song
Prosperity
Night Owl
Cramoisi Superieur

As you can see, it is going to be lots of roses..but they need to be interplanted with something else, for the hot days when roses look crappy...

Olya

Oh, Olya, what a great idea! It's going to be a beautiful garden and seating area. I love all the things you have planned. It will really cut down on your grass mowing area too, and will make your yard so much more useful to you! Maybe plan a large umbrella or a small tree that will give your seating area a little shade?

The one thing in my yard that looks great in the heat of full summer sun and every season, actually, is variegated furcrea. I love this plant and actually have 9 cuz I love them so much. They are not cottagy, tho, so it may not fit your scheme. Very sculptural- kind of like agave, but very cheery and colorful. No care. I actually have 3 next to my roses, but it wasn't planned that way.

I love your ideas of rangoon creeper and bauhinia galpinii cascading down that wall. I think it will be stunning. Please keep us posted on your progress. I definitely would love to see your project come to fruition.

WOW. That's an impressive project. I am trying to take it all in.

First of all I am impressed you have a HILL. In Florida!
Yes I know central florida has hills because I just crossed the middle of the state and saw some but didn't know that Tampa had any. You are lucky to be on a hill.

Second of all I am impressed with your list of roses. Just awesome.

So...is the area at the top enclosed by the wall going to be level with the ground when it's filled in? It looks that way.
And then the area outside the wall is stepped down 4-5 feet?
The very first thing that comes to mind is safety to keep people and animals from wandering off the edge and falling over (I'm clumsy myself) so I would think about a solid hedge and/or fence around the back and high parts. You could put climbing/rambler roses trained horizontal along it, maybe a split rail fence there. A solid hedge might work too but then you couldn't see your rose garden from the street side.

Perhaps rather than planting something at the top that trails down you could do an espalier on the wall below.
There are so many vines to choose from.
Or you could espalier the Don Juan rose you have.I'm not familiar with the other roses to know if you have other climbers but mixing two different colors with different bloom times would be cool.

I know what you mean about needing something to interplant with the roses and I don't have anything specific to reccomend but can suggest putting some of your roses in decorative (large) pots. That way when they don't look good they can be rotated out to a less visible area.

My favorite sun loving plant is perennial verbena. It's pretty low maintenance, comes in lots of colors (except yellow or orange). I also love daylilies for the same reason.

Sorry for the long ramble-on. I look forward to hearing other peoples ideas. It's fun to imagine your finished project.

I couldn't believe a hill either. lol Wonderful change from all the flat land. Please do keep us posted on the updates, I am sure it will look wonderful when finished. The tithonias come in all sizes and have a cottage look to them. I especally love huge Mex. sunflower and the flowers are great for a bouquet.