Paso, I would say don't be too concerned. Whenever designing either you either stick with masses of standard colors for strong statement in simplicity or you mix in a haromony other colors. There are so many ways to design its limitless. Personal taste will be different among anyone as well. Masses of reds are done all the time with roses around my area and done quite effectively. The trick is to use other plants in the areas you have left that will compliment in color the house and roses but will not replicate either of them. Use blue foliage or dark foliage plants. Ornamental grasses can help well because there are many blue colored ones that will also add a relaxed textural beauty to the rigid mass of red. A Russian sage has bluish foliage and blue flowers and mixes well with red rose masses. I don't know your zone but you could even plant white variegated miscanthus such as Rigoletto to offet the colors. You need bold to go with the bold, don't mix too many colors in remaining areas you have left or they will be lost and clash against the roses. good luck!

Well thanks everybody, I do appreciate the input. I am putting on the border, not only do I really like, it, but I think spatially, it's needed. I'd imagined this top w/ the thin brown border it has now, but it feels too close in width to the beige border holding the corner squares. So I feel that proportionwise (?) it needs a wider outer border to anchor it. That's my story & I'm stickin' to it! Am piecing the last 2 borders. Will post updates when done. Thanks for your help everybody!

If you are selling I think a border has a lot more chance of feedback than no border. Meaning, if the bs was just subway, then there probably won't be comments like "I wish there was a border" because they don't know what they are missing, but if there is a border and potential buyers might say " I don't like the border". Buyers are quite picky and insane these days. Been there, done that. If you think you aren't selling, then by all means do what you like. Life is too short to just be designing your home for a potential possibility you might sell it. No matter what, it will look clean, current, and fresh. And those are always good.

I just put in the Horus Art Cristalli tile in biscuit and I love it. I am awaiting the grout (which I will do in a matching color). I have honey/toffee maple cabinets in a Shaker style door, Crema Astoria granite (a creamy granite with white, black, and garnet areas, and with some subtle but not overpowering gray/silver movement). Even though I love clean lines, I chose this tile over the Tiffany (which is a straight subway) because it has a handmade appearance (the lines are kind of wavy, which go with the movement in the granite). It also has a little sparkle, which my granite does as well. I did not do a border or accent in my backsplash; I used only the HA Cristalli subways. I don't have a big kitchen - it's 10x10, only 15" from cabinet to counter. I chose to leave it plain as I want the focus on the granite and not the tile. I am so happy that I did! When I get a chance I will post some pictures.