yes you can. In my opinion, roses ALWAYS look better planted with mixed perennials, bulbs and annuals. In fact, to go further, a rose garden, rather than a garden with roses, is rather dull and boring,and there is no way to disguise bare soil or mulch. Even if the bloom season lasts all summer, roses planted on their own seem to have limited interest and, IMO,rarely display the roses to their best advantage either. In a more diverse planting scheme, your main concern would be to ensure that the plants you site next to the roses are not too vigorous as roses do not enjoy competition for resources. Classic choices include foxgloves, hardy geraniums, hostas, phlox. Daylilies, though, have a similar function to many roses in that they provide distinct splashes of colour with fairly extravagant blooms. I think I would be inclined to use some of the smaller, paler hemerocallis such as Marion Vaughn, lilioasphodelus, Golden Chimes. So why not? go ahead, experiment, push the boat out and have fun.
I would also say the same about any border which is dedicated solely to one genus of plants - a collection is a different proposition to a mixed border.

thanks so much! I didn't think they would look so good with the daylilies but couldn't quite pin point why. Now I know. I have the perfect spot! Thanks!

njmomma, you can. Here are some photos

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faBLXMJCACk

I plant disease resistant roses by themselves and give them plenty of air-circulation from all directions, so, I do not have to spray them for fungus diseases.
Dense plantings here in Pa. only cause problems. I use garden decor that still allows good air-flow to fill in empty spaces instead of using dense under-plantings (flowers). LOL
But, it's your garden and you can do whatever your heart desires! LOL. Choose very disease resistant rose/s for your area.

Jim there are actually 2 schools of thought! Many rose growers actually prefer a lot of underplantings because the varieties of perennials you keep in the garden actually improve the health!! of your soil. Just growing one type of plant exclusively invites more predation from insects and fungus, whereas having a variety of plants invite biodiversity. The same type of plant always drains away the same soil nutrients so it is better to fill up your garden with different plants.

Plus it is more beautiful to look at instead just row after row of roses. The most beautiful of gardens I have seen sparkle when they are planted with other flowering companion plants. You do want plenty of air circulation between the roses themselves, but underplantings actually help control the blackspot, because if you think about it carefully, the blackspot falls and is blocked from getting into the soil by the foliage that is covered by other plants. BS spores are also landing on plants to which it has no effect either so the spores are thinned out-so to speak. This is one primary school of thought on why companion plants are so important.

Here is a gorgeous link of roses and companion plants

Maurizio's garden

My apologies, but the only link that I can still search out on Google that remains is my own clippings (top of the page is the beautiful garden with the companion plants).

Another gorgeous garden with tons of beautiful companion plants and underplantings is Boxofrox's garden.Again, companion plants add visual interest and beauty. This is just a tiny fraction of the huge amounts of beauty in his...

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serena, under-plantings are a diseaster here. Just flowers planted to close is a disaster here.
I've learned over the years what works best here.

I absolutely love Maurizio's style of gardening. It has this 'secret garden' feeling to it. He did a great job blending all the prennials and roses together. He's very talented and has great taste in selecting what plants to use. It's not an easy job. I just planted some Russian sages and lamb ears beside 'Mayor of Casterbridge rose' and it looks kind of 'plain'. Something is missing and I'm sure what it is.

Back, to your question, if you select the right perennials, they will definitely look beautiful with roses. Don't forget that roses become bare during the winter months, you need some plants to brighten up the surroundings.

Jim, if Olga and I can do it, you can do it. It's mostly a matter of setting priorities. Since repeat bloomers in general are not worth the effort here, and once bloomers really require 'friends', it's actually a very logical garden style.

One trick to perennials with roses is to choose perennials that have the same water and sun requirements as roses. Water-hungry perennials can lead to overwatered roses. And very dense foliage can cause a rise in humidity and loss of airflow that encourages blackspot. Stay away from aggressive/invasive plants. But that still leaves hundreds of possibilities. A list of drought-tolerant poernnials would be a good place to start as their requirements are similar to roses.

I use a lot of [woody] herbs, chives, dianthus, snapdragons, gallardia, agastache, smaller yarrows, succulents, small daylilies, oriental/tiger lilies, huechera, columbine...

I use siberian iris, bearded iris, catmint, foxglove, delphiniums, dianthus, and veronica. The iris and catmint can grow quite wide so I have to plan ahead and give everybody plenty of room, plus divide every couple years. The catmint gets sheared after its first bloom to keep it more compact. The foxglove can look quite ratty after bloom so I usually cut it back to the ground, maybe let one stay so I can get seeds. I also have tall garden phlox, which really fills in with nice color in mid to late summer when the roses are tired of the heat. They need to be divided often as well or their size will overtake an area bordering on a rose.

I grow mostly Austins and OGRs, so their palette is mostly soft cool colors. So I have to choose carefully the colors of my perennials by sticking to pinks, blues, white, and purples mostly. Bright yellow, golden yellow, and orange do not work at all in my rose garden. Nor does fire engine red. All that would depend on the color of roses you grow though.

I also grow wooly thyme throughout, plus this tiny lime-green foliaged veronica as ground covers near the paths. And I have stuck in some dwarf evergreens. I especiallly like the juniper 'Pencil Point' as it is so skinny and doesn't take up hardly any room but makes quite a statement. I love evergreens that are narrow as you can stick them anywhere and not have to worry about them taking over and encroaching on their neighbors in a few years. I have a couple of other junipers that I have to be vigilant in pruning their width each year or else they'd get too big for the area they're planted in. Would fill my garden with 'Pencil Point' if I could ever find more for sale around here.

I positively prefer roses mixed with perennials, I love blue colored perennials with roses, either as edging or plants as Irises or Clematis, sage, plumbago and so forth. I think one needs different textures apart from rose leaves that are sometimes not that interesting or beautiful and roses in themselves rarely give me a finished garden feel except when they are so meticulously designed and maintained that I am not capable of. I try to plan for mistakes to happen in the garden. But, on the other hand, I confess, I rarely liked a truly formal rose garden with rows of roses and only surrounded with a boxwood hedge.

And air circulation or not, I did see rows of roses that were blackspotted, blooms balled - looked awful and it was too bad that there was nothing else that could distract or entertain the eye.

So, under-plantings are for hiding ugly roses. lol
Someday I may try it, who knows.

I live in a hot hot area, and have tried planting perennials with roses. They just die on me. So now I just plant roses, and they look pretty ok for now. Someday I may feel like venturing out into a perennial land again, but for now I am happy with the display.

Oh I use groundcover roses, and other low growing ones - like china doll - to cover up the unsightly lower ground...

My choice to stick with teh roses is more out of ignorance on how to care for other plants than a landscaping decision...

I'm going to vote for with perennials...

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WOW!

But but but they all die on me!

Looks great morden_man!

I also grow my roses with perennials. I have several different type of lavender, including sea lavender. I put in a new rose bed last fall, haven't decided what perennials will go there. Also thought I would try some annuals.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, Mordenman!

Mordenman's garden is another perfect reflection, Jim, of a garden that SPARKLES!

I think to help convince Jim is to have no-spray rose gardeners who grow lots of perennials with their no-spray roses. I showed Jim photos from Polplastron who doesn't use any fungicides or insecticides (whether organic or synthetic-an absolutely untreated garden) but I think it'd help for any other organic rose growers here who have perennials with their roses. My garden is too young, lumpy, and lopsided with terrible color coordination to convince Jim either, lol! so if anyone else (organics) who has photos, please post. I know you're out there! lol! There's tons of antique rose-rs who don't spray. Can you post your perennials? Thanks!

From Polplastron's garden (Peter Beales forum)

another no-spray garden

Jim, I think the woodier stems, tiny leaves tend to really go well with the roses without cutting into the air-circulation issues. (examples-russian sage, certain lavender, orange thyme etc)Also certain smelly herbs like oregano, thyme and rosemary are fantastic insect repellents. Some are very decorative and fill out the rose bed nicely I would think?

Mordenman's garden remind me of Mottisfont - even the sitting arrangement and the stepping stones leading to it.

By the way the very very famous and stunningly beautiful Mottisfont Abbey rose garden also uses a lot of perennials.

LOVE THIS THREAD! I have been trying to plan a blank canvas and figure out textures and colors myself (it will be at least a yr before I can start putting stuff in the ground - it's getting far too hot where I live now) Still can prep ground and narrow down choices though :)

Love all the little blue flowers and spike shapes...

Modernman or anyone,

What's that BLue flower in the second photo just beneath the red rose? Love those blue flowers.

LOL. To clarify, only the first picture of the ones I posted was from m personal garden. The rest of the photo's are all from Mottisfont Abbey in England, where I had the pleasure to visit back in 2008. along with David Austin's gardens in Albrighton.

I only wish that was my garden...

I posted these up as it is such a wonderful example of how roses truly shine best when intermingled with perennials. At least how OGR's shine with perennials anyway.

Glad you all enjoyed, but no way can I take credit for anything other than the photography.

JumboJimmy,

The little blue flower is Nigella, more commonly called 'Love in a Mist'. It is only an annual here in Canada and one that is hard to find at best. However, in warmer climates, it is a perennial and a freely self seeding one at that. Beautiful isn't it? And so airy when grown around roses that it allows plenty of air and sun to penetrate.

I just had to say this is a great thread. You all have lovely gardens and the examples that have been shown are breath taking.

It is helping me plan my new gardens. I have 4 acres to plan and this is helping a lot.

Oh my gosh. Those pictures make my toes tingle. Did you mean the first picture was yours Modern Man? What is the electric blue spikey flower in the background? That is remarkable... I have such limited space that I plead guilty to cramming in many other plants in some of my small borders. My one bed that has only roses in it is soooo much easier to maintain. It's easier also because of the mono culture required. You can use all sizes of roses from tall to short groundcover roses to achieve a nice everblooming border without worrying about the different growing needs of other perennials/annuals. The only thing you can't achieve is the beauty that the color blue lends to any rose planting. Those pictures demonstrate why mixed borders, even if they are more work and require more thought, are such a success.

Thanks Modern Man...I bought some seedlings of Nigella today at a nursery. My only disappointment was the seedlings was a mixture of blue, pink and white. I guess I'll have to pull
out the pink and white ones when they flower.

Perennials are so expensive! I bought two catmints - they are so tiny and they cost me $25 dollars. And 2 is not enough to create that airy atmosphere.

This is such a helpful thread. I am fairly new to roses and I have mine planted with perennials here in the "blackspot belt" (TN). I have wondered how the gardeners here grow these lush, jam packed gardens with disease-free roses.
I have chosen smaller, more compact perennials because I have a small garden. I guess this was the right thing to do!
I have wanted to try catmint and I really want a compact type; I have never grown it and was afraid it would spread wildly. Thanks for the cutting back advice, veilchen. If anyone knows of a modest or compact catmint, let me know. I believe "walker's low" is pretty large?

Maryl,

Yes, that first pic is mine, the rest were all taken of Mottisfont gardens when I was there. The spikey dark blue flower is a variety of Salvia Nemarosa. I don't know the specific cultivar variety. If you meant the far, far background then those are Delphiniums. The lighter blue spiked flowers in the foreground are Munstead Lavender. There are some Asiatic Lillies also in the pic and that is a young Super Dorothy on the left that was grown from a cutting originally and a young 2 year old Cinderella Fairy Tale in the right of the pic. This scene was taken 2 years ago and Cinderella Fairy Tale is now a very large shrub. 6ft tall and 4ft wide by end of season with moderate pruning.

Rootygirl,

Instead of growing catmint, which can be very invasive and does in fact attract cats to your garden, you should try growing Calamint instead. It is closely related to Catmint, but not nearly as agressive in nature and attractive to cats if that is a potential problem in your area. Walkers Low Calamint is a very good variety, but can quickly become a sizeable clump of 3X3. A variety of Calamint that is about hald the size of Walker's Low, but identical in all respects is a cultivar called 'Dropmore Calamint'. It can be harder to find than 'Walker's Low', but works much better in smaller spaces. Grows about 1.5'high and 1.5'-2'wide.

Jumbojimmy, don't buy Nigella plants at the nursery! Get seeds! First of all the seedlings do not transplant well, second, if you buy seeds, you can select the colors etc. As far as I know Nigella is annual everywhere but if you let the seedpods to develop they will re-seed diligently. And the seedpods are very attractive. If there are too many you can cut it and can use it flower arrangements. (The seedpods are pretty costly.) You should broadcast the seeds before it gets cold (whatever it means in your climate. The seeds germinate and they stay evergreen in my climate even during freezes in winter and then they flower in the spring. Here, because of the humidity Nigella does not last that long than it does in arid parts of the world but they are wonderful till they do. I just have to remember to seed it in the fall.

I hope the seeds are not expensive there, are they?

I have some dianthus, myosotis, campanulas, mini daffs, all planted around my roses. I just LOVE the myosotis planted there. True blue flowers and look gorgeous! I don't care if they fill in the whole bed around the roses. The only problem I'm encountering now is the daffs. The daffs need divided this fall and I'll have to dig them up around everything. So, lesson learned, I will never plant daffs in my rose bed! lol I'm surprised that anyone can plant iris in their rose beds! Those would need dividing too. The dianthus and campanulas work well, and if they get to large can be sheared back.

Thanks, morden, I will google calamint. The name "walker's low" is deceiving because it is not low.

These pics are bee-utiful. Look at those decorative gates in the pictures above. To-die-for!

Calamint is a different plant. For me, it's a very aggressive seeder, though it does smell nice when I pull it:) Dropmore is a small variety of catmint. Mine is maybe 12" by 12", and is the smallest catmint I grow. I have another that is only a bit bigger, but it's a passalong, and I'm don't know what name it travels under.

Catmint is a popular companion perennial to roses because it blooms at the same time as the roses, and makes good pictures. Some of my best beds are filled with companion perennials that bloom when the roses don't.

Morden Man: I just knew that electric blue was from a darned Delphinium. I have Delphinium envy (and Lupines too). Can't grow them here. I DID note the hot orange lily in amongst all the rest. It's the "pop" in the otherwise serene planting. Love it. BTW, was that the same trip to England where you got the pics of Queen of Sweden en masse?

I found it! Nigella seeds, 'love in a mist'. I'm so happy. I bought a packet and it contains 500 seeds which cost me $3.75.

What do I do now??? Is it okay to sprinkle those seeds straight into the ground and cover them with a plastic dome cover? Do those seeds germinate easily? It's autumn here in Aus.

Thanks in advance.

Oops, I found the answer to my question in ceterum's post. Thanks Ceterum.

Some great info and fabulous photos here! So would the following assumptions be correct?

1) Perennial companions can really make a bed stand out more than a rose-only bed

2) Companion plants increase the likelihood of problems like blackspot

3) Mixed beds would require more labor to maintain (primarily due to disease issues)

Or are any of these assumptions wrong?

It is just my humble opinion. answers

1.)Positively: yes

2.) No

3.) Maybe or maybe not but if it requires more work it has nothing to do with disease issues rather that companion plants need division every 3-5 years or replacement, or you don't like the color combo, etc.

astphard, there are lots of organics people who feel that planting the right companion plants actually lessens the blackspot and increases plant and soil health.

Here are some articles that say this...

companions as protection against rose disease and pests

companion plant properties

alliums vs. blackspot and other beneficial properties of companion plants

Just a little food for thought...

Thanks ceterum and serenasyh! I particularly appreciate the articles. So happy to have the wealth of knowledge here!