I'm in zone 6, so colder shorter season than you, and my Austins get tall but nowhere near as wide as Jackie's. Mine get maybe 3 ft. wide in a good season. Yours will probably come in somewhere in between. But you have to remember that every variety is going to have it's own growth habit too. Some may be tall and lanky while others will be short and wide. From your diagram it looks like it's going to be a beautiful bed!

I had grown them down on the Gulf Coast in 9b, but like I said I have been moving about every 18 months the last 4 years. Finally moving to a permanent house where they should be able to grow and put down deep roots. Yes I have tried to keep the shorter smaller ones-at least in my experience- towards the front of the bed. Roses such as Queen of Sweden and Munstead Wood. I am hoping to have the roses somewhat grow together like a border, so I am not as concerned about space between, so we shall see.

Kingcobb that looks like a fun program for planning. I draw mine out on graph paper with colored pencils. Yours is a definite technological upgrade. :)

It's funny because I have seen on this forum how roses grow so differently in different areas, different climates, different soil, maybe with different rootstock, etc. I had no idea how much roses varied in their growth habits before I found this forum.

So...Just in case a rose like Munstead Wood or Falstaff ends up growing huge right in the front of the walkway...reaching out and grabbing you as you walk by... you could always put something to support it (I'm a fan of obelisks, or even rebar sculpted, but you could use any kind of support). That way it kind of reigns it in and gives it an area to stay corralled in. Even if you want them to grow into a hedge over time I think you could still find a support to keep them growing in the direction you want and not into the pathways.

Even like Jackie's gorgeous, huge Graham Thomas. That one has a support too. It keeps it in the area where it is supposed to be and helps to keep it looking neat and clean.

I think supports (tripod supports, obelisks, rebar supports, trellises, or any type) could end up solving most spacing issues. Helps them bloom more too when you get the canes going a bit lateral. :)

It's going to look and smell fabulous! I hope you post photos when you're all set!

Yes, please do post pictures of the bed next Spring.

Jackie

I may have to give this planner a go. I also use graph paper to draw plan and elevations of the space, but cut out little stylized "roses" drawn to the estimated max dimensions to see where they'll fit. Cori Ann, don't know why I haven't thought of using all my coloured pencils, especially my watercolour ones. What a great idea! I usually just place pics next to one another to see the colours together, but this would be an even better way to imagine them in situ. I usually do the pics onscreen, but now that I'm getting catalogues I may just cut those out and go old school. : )

P.S, Kingcobb, that is going to look fabulous! I second CoriAnn's suggestion of vertical supports.

Oh, I have some home made rebar trellises already and will have to make more. I plan to put a trellis over the bench between the two Climbing Lady H's in addition to supporting some of the larger varieties. I have to admit that I have been astounded at how much better the roses have grown up here in North Texas than they did down on the gulf coast.

As for the program, I have to use something like that. I can't draw if my life depended on it.

I am still trying to determine if I have them too spread out or not.....Doesn't help that I want to add more roses---albrighton rambler and ancient mariner and desdomona....not to mention the local nursery has all 4 of the downton abbey roses available.....

Transplanted all of them yesterday. 1st time I have ever done it without heavy pruning. We shall see.

That's going to look fantastic with those climbers covering the fence framed by the tree! The visual brings it all into focus. What a lot of work for one day.

Thanks I still have to dig the pots out of the central path and figure out something for ground cover there.

Kingcobb, what is that program? I love it. By the way I am in zone 7B and in it's first year in a too shady spot my Munstead Wood grew to 6'.

Just google gardenplanner. Its just an online program. I found it googling for online garden planning programs and found it.

The munstead wood may or may not grow, but it should stay shorter than what is behind it.