Going dryer, or Garden is a verb

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Hi All,

Walking out in our back yard yesterday, I was impressed by how well everything was doing.  The "English " border along the garden wall is adrift in white Iceberg Roses punctuated with purple Sea Statice, Lavenders, and dark red Leptospermums.  These glowing white roses are balanced by towers of climbing Icebergs on the pergola opposite.

The garden, for what it is, is a success.  It looks like something you might see in France.

But now, I wonder if I should lose the roses, and go for a drier, more sage look, something in keeping with the now already beige surrounding hills.  After all, I'm not in France, and the garden looks like an island in the countryside around it.

I've already decided to replace some of the back lawn with an herb garden and small ornamental trees later this year (if I can squeeze it in!).  

Now, I'm thinking of removing the roses next winter, and putting in something like Texas Ranger in the border, and some rare vine like Mascagnia lilacina on the pergola columns.

Does anyone have any experience doing this, really altering (but not completely replacing) an existing garden like this?  Is it wise?  After all, the roses look good most of the year, and the drier garden may not look so good, even if it harmonizes with the champagne beige of the hills.

Here are a couple photos of the space, two years old, but the look hasn't changed, except now they're a little bigger and more lush.

and:

Thanks for any advice!

-Ben Armentrout-Wiswall

Simi Valley, inland Ventura County,

Southern California