I squish roses in, but I'm tough on roses. They have to muddle along on their own without much help from me. Some roses really need air circulation and most all roses need lots of light.

In my garden, most of my roses are underplanted and/or are part of the fence cover. So, they compete for space/light/water/etc with any number of plants. One rose (William Shakespeare 2000) does get blackspot every year, but it survives.

I had a small Cëcile Brunner growing in shade from a plum tree until I moved it, it did just fine. Now, it's hunkering down under an Autumn Olive out back, but it gets more light.

I wouldn't squish hybrid tea roses into densely planted beds, but some of the old bush and climbing varieties will hold their own or even out-compete less hardy plants.

kent

I squish them in!

from a few years ago

i was wondering the same thing. i have a group of roses and i want them to be bigger and i'm wondering if i have planted them too close or have too much around them.. SIIGHH..

i will be watching what eveyrone tells you! :)

Just beautiful altorama!

thank you gardengirl!

I agree with Kent, I wouldn't 'squish' in any hybrid teas,
but some of the older, toughter roses would do just fine.
I also have good luck with the Austin Roses. Knock-outs would probably be ok too, they are very easy. Though maybe not too'cottagey'...

I'll post some pics in a few...I never really set out to have a 'cottage' garden-maybe mine wouldn't even qualify!

Friend, what kind of roses do you have?

Alida

I love the squished look as exemplified by Altorama's beautiful pictures. I've interplanted roses with perennials but everything's too young yet to tell you or show you how they will look. I'm hoping to get the same effect as Altorama.

Mary

Mine are squashed in too, but mainly because I have a small area to work with. The knockout in the first picture is new and has really taken off since this picture was shot. It's neighbors include Black/blue salvia, coreopsis, coneflower, 4 O'Clocks and containers of veggies.

Marilyn

If you use a sprinkler, which wets rose leaves when you water, they need to be able to dry off quickly. That is the purpose of creating space for air circulation, so the leaves won't develop fungus. Black spot is one type of fungus, which can develop on rose leaves when they remain wet for too long. If you want to crowd roses, it is best to water at ground level--keep water off the leaves.

Lorna

Alida - just beautiful. That looks pretty cottagey to me. Maybe I'll get brave with my new home/gardens, and try roses again!
Nancy.

I always use a sprinkler-can't be bothered with all those
hose-thingys. Actually, I think it is good to water this way-it
washes off any spores or insects that could be on the leaves.
In my garden, the weather has more to do with the roses developing b/s than anything else-that hot, muggy weather..
the key is to select roses that will be healthy in your area-
which means alot of trial and error. Which I enjoy anyway.
Also, my whole front garden is under a huge maple tree and
only part shade, roses don't seem to mind. I do get lots of
reflected light though.
Here is a picture from this morning

this is the sitting area-ramblers mostly here-they bloom
later

Some great roses to use among perennials-Charlotte and Mignonette
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this is a great rose for tucking in places-Bourgundian Rose-
i included a pic of the whole bush so you can see how tiny
the leaves are-once bloomer, but perfectly healthy, and
nice fall color
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Well, thanks for looking..

I squished mine in among the other plants last year, then promptly forgot about them! They were overtaken with perennials and annuals. This year, I've left much more room and they seem to be doing well so far. I have buds on two of the three I planted.

Altorama- Your gardens look wonderful! I hope you'll drop by the gallery side to post more photos that we can "oooh" and "ahhhh" over.

I researched roses that were hardy in my area. Plus received lots of advice from the wonderful rose enablers here. So I am hoping to be BS free this season. We shall see.

You could always install a soaker hose to water- they're so much cheaper than I thought! Hubby helped me put one in this past weekend for all of $20. Now I can water my entire front and side gardens easily without wasting water on the sidewalk and grass like before.

Tracy

HI all

Alita, I'm about to put a post of my roses up and ask you all for advice ... so keep an eye out.

also i love your garden.. it's cottagey as heck!
oddly- i am not suffering from black spot.. and i dont spray.. and we DO get high humity. perhaps i just picked resitant roses.?hmm

Altorama, your garden is truly beautiful. What type of maple is that? Because I have large maples in the back and I've always assumed I couldn't plant anything near them. Your pictures are giving me hope!

I'm loving all these pictures! It is inspiring me to go ahead and give some more roses a try.

I interplant roses and perennials, though roses need a year or two of room to get established before they can hold their own in a "squishy" situation or they can get choked or shaded out by more aggressive neighbors.

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What a gorgeous picture lori_elf! That's just what I imagine in my head when I think about interplanting roses. I adore Geraniums and have a lot of Love in a Mist.

I'm a squisher too. I have too many roses not to in my size yard, plus all the perennials and annuals. I too think it is very cottagey looking to squish.

Mindy

a2zmom-
not sure what kind of maple-but here it is-
i have lots of raking in the fall!
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