As garden designs will impact on the health of your roses, the choice of position should be guided not only by aesthetical reflections but also by practical considerations.

Design influences

It is certainly a good idea to visit rose gardens in your area (see: Famous rose gardens) to get some inspiration and general idea of the various ways roses can be presented and combined to form a harmonious entity.

Keeping the planting simple

Keep your choice focused to prevent a mixed planting from becoming too complex. Special care should be taken when grouping different varieties or species of roses together. This applies to foliage as well as color and shape of the flowers.

With the wide selection of roses available it is wise to consult a good rose guide detailing the availability, stature and habit, usage, and disease susceptibility of each variety in various climates. English roses combine the fragrance and beauty of old roses and the frequent blooming habit of modern hybrids. Most of them are easy to grow in most climates and they form an ideal start to develop further combinations.

Practical Considerations

Air circulation and full sunshine are important for growing healthy roses. Roses should be planted where air circulation is not hampered by screens, walls, fences, buildings, hedges or other plantings.

They should receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose an area of your garden where the roses receive sunlight in the morning (bright afternoon sun may affect the color of the flowers and burn the leaves of some roses).

Roses are also particularly allergic to draught and the dripping of water on their leaves. Choose a part of your garden not overhung by trees, shrubs or other plants that can lead to rain drip. 

If you have a larger garden, you may want to group your roses in one area of your garden so as to form a separate rose garden. If possible adapt the watering system of that area to your roses. Roses should not be watered from the top as this tends to encourage the growth of leaf fungus and the appearance of pests. Place the garden hose or soaker in the bed and allow the water to run slowly.

Color and flower combinations

Do not plant roses close to plants that have yellow, orange, peach or salmon colored flowers when the roses are blooming, unless you are very comfortable with color mixing.

Plant your roses together with other plants that will bloom at the same time and other, later, perennials. Daylilies and lavander offer a particularly nice foliage in combination with roses.

Plant odd numbers of anything, five for small plants, three for medium-sized and one occasionally for one big specimen.

Use specific rose varieties, such as 'The Fairy' or 'Max Graf' as ground-cover plants.