Our house is only 5 years old. The first things I planted after the grass went in our yard were roses. I love them. They are so easy to grow; they are the one thing that I don't kill in our landscape due to lack of maintenance.
Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island has glorious rose gardens. The entire place, in fact, takes my breath away. There is so much inspiration for painters there. I see how Monet drew so much inspiration from his own garden. Here is one painting I did that reflects one of the rose "rooms".