I have mostly irises and foxglove around my roses. I find irises easy to lift up and divide since they like to be planted shallow. I try not to plant the irises inside the drip line of the roses, but they encroach anyway. It hasn't really been a problem

Daylillies can be a bit harder to dig up and I leave a bit more room. I think putting them in front of the rose plant and leaving a buffer space is a better idea than interplanning as far as day lillies go.

As far as fertilizing, I don't! I figure the stuff I put down for roses will also feed the other plants. I use mainly organic fertilizers and may sprinkle some in when replanting the divided irises for example.

I love interplanting companion plants with my roses. I grow daylilies, iris, candytuft, tulips, candylilies, clematis, speedwell, May Night salvia, Japanese grasses, and whatever catches my eye to add color and interest to the garden. I like to think of it as a canvas...just roses by themselves are boring to me.

When you go to divide the plants you mix with the roses, don't use a shovel - use a garden fork. The shovel will break the rose's roots while the fork will slip around them. A few might break, but generally the fork is safer.

I agree with Buford regarding fertiliser. As long as you are starting with relatively good soil, many perennials won't need a whole lot anyway.

As for the planning part, this may be treason, but I treat roses as just another plant in the bed. It would be different, I must admit, if I ever made beds with JUST roses in them, but I don't - there are just too many neat plants out there! LOL!

KCC

Thank you so much for your replies.

I agree with using a fork to divide. But, what about planting around established roses? I might use a fork to break the ground, and gently make a hole with the loose soil and add the plant. I'd definitely not add anything from a 1-gallon pot or larger... probably sticking to 4" pots or smaller.

I use one of those little hand-held shovels to make small holes and just add the 4" plants into the holes. I don't use the big spade for a small job...

I forgot to add that 'Blue Chip' butterfly bush makes a great addition to the rose garden and they stay compact and bloom all summer. Easy to tuck into small spaces and add a pop of blue color!

I like the effect of the self-seeding annual called Four O'clocks around the bottom of roses. They don't get more than a foot tall, have tiny 1/2 inch flowers, but lots of them, don't compete with the roses and are a nice soft light blue color for the flowers or light green like grass when not in flower, and once established, they come back every year by themselves.

Here is a link that might be useful: Four O'Clocks

You can always use shorter plants under/near the drip line. I bought sweet alysum seeds packs at the dollar store and poured them all in my beds when we were expecting a few days of rain. The effect is fantastic. It looks like baby's breath on a small scale. It reseeds for me each year. I was encouraged to do this by DiggerDave and have been rewarded for years.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to pic that Dave used to inspire me

Thank you for the additional suggestions. Love all of these ideas and suggestions.... thanks so much.