My new bed across the lawn (30 x 3 m) is getting ready. This was to be white and mauve roses with silver trees behind.

Then I went out and bought 5 ioensis plena crabapples (the salmony pink and white blooms). So now a new think. At one end there is a magnolia grandiflora (not in the new bed but near it) and at the other end a sliver birch grove. Where it will be sunny I want a mass of roses - big roses but not so high that they will overpower the crabapples that only get to about 3 metres or a bit less. I want roses that are dense and flower to the ground rather than spindly so maybe 1.5 m high and wide. it is growth habit and floriferousness that I am looking for and color, not for picking and not even fragrance as the number one determinant.

Possibilities are for a row of the following, either many of the same or a mixture:

carabella (apparently same colour as the crabapple blooms)
lucetta (apparently (same colour as the crabapple blooms)
stanwell perpetual - is this the same colour as the crabapple blooms???????
belle story - is this a bit spindly??
marie van houtte - but I am told she is the wrong pink beside the crabapples

mutabilis - 6 of these - but maybe it will overpower the crabapple feminine story
duchess de brabant - is she the same color as the crabapple blooms?????
jean ducher - is she the same color as the crabapple blooms????

any other ideas?

I do like the idea of 30 metres of the same rose planted so it merges into each other, even if I buy say 6 now and do cuttings. I do have a renae hedge (20 of these) growing not too far away and do not want to repeat this - or overpower the place with "feminine" colours as there is also a lot of cerise in the other parts of this garden

I was also given a Gloire de Lyonnaise and thought of a white row.

now totally confused - please help dear friends

I guess I think carabella might look a bit wishy washy when there is so much of it across the front lawn - this is a bit slice right across the lawn.

Now I wonder about whites like a number of Mme Hardy and my 3 Reine de Violettes that I have to move. Not the same color as the crabapples but might "tone in" ???

I wish I could plan without all this indecision!

I've had Carabella and I use it as a hedge but it does get long in growth and flowers at the top..Don't think it would go well although the colour is spot on for a blend.

What about Raubritter. If you could time them together that would look great and suited as a much lower grower. Not sure about blooming times with each and whether you could get lucky there. Similar flower shape also....
Another low grower is Jenny Duval although she may be a bit 'dark' for your purposes.

One I've been impressed with this year is the Generosa rose 'William Christie' that is quite short in stature but very floriferous and healthy.

Garry

I have "decided" - thsi new bed will be the original purple and white that I planned, even with the pretty pink crabapples. I have ordered or have: 2 MMe Hardy's, 2 Gloire de Lyonnaise, 2 Prosperity, 1 Marie van Houtte, 1 Dove, 1 Mrs Herbert Stevens, 1 Raubritter, 3 Reine de Violette, 1 Blue Moon and 1 Blueberry Hill - and lots of purple salvias and lavender. I willl see how that all grows and then add/move next year more whites or purples as needed.

Thanks for all your advice. The Duchess and Daydream will be going to another bed. Will also look for William Christie and maybe even Princess of Wales that I hear are lovely white roses.

Would always love any rosey visitors as I have said before. One of these days, in about 5 years, I will aim to open my garden but right now, it is early days and times for planting what I like from the wonderful advice given, and then seeing how it grows here and making changes as time goes on. Thsi winter I am moving quite a lot but that is fun planning and trying to ge them to the "optimum" position.