Rose Companions

What plants go well with roses of all kinds? Planting other perennials in the same border as your roses will extend the flowering season. Here is a short list you might like to try which can be planted under or around the roses as campanions, flowering either before, alongside or after the roses have flowered.

Aconitum paniculatum nanum has lovely blue flowers, which contrast well with the pink and white of rose flowers. Or there is Agapanthus, having round balls of blue or white flowers on stems up to 3 feet tall. One our favourites is Alchemilla mollis (Ladies Mantle), the flowers are lime-green in early summer. Some of the varities of Campanulas are excellent plants to go with roses, choose from lactiflora, latiloba or persicifolia. For more scent in the garden go for Dianthus (Pinks), they have attractive grey foliage, bear in mind that old varities flower once and modern ones throughout the summer. Beautiful foliage contrasts can be found amongst the family of Iris. Probably the best sort are the 'Bearded Iris', these have grey-green foliage and good flowers in various colours, they can be used between your shrub roses, they like sun and good drainage. For those of you looking for easy and trouble free perennials Hardy Geraniums fit the bill perfectly, flowering for most of the summer with beautiful foliage too. Hostas make an ideal contrast to roses with their variety of foliage, both in form and colour, they also have bell-like flowers on tall stems.

Lavendars have a long history of association with roses of all types, particularly in a formal setting, they add that "old world" effect. Another plant suited to this role are the many Salvias available, some are hardy, some tender, some shrub-like, some herbaceous, the choice is yours. Violas are wonderful companions, the evergreen V. cornuta and its forms grow to form complete ground cover. They start to flower in early summer and last well into autumn, they hoist themselves all of three feet up into roses, two varieties to look out for are 'Lilacina' a grey blue and 'Alba' a clear white. Finally, don't forget those bulbs. For summer there is the lovely Lilium Regale a wonderfully scented summer bulb with gorgeous large white trumpets. For very early in the season there are Galanthus (Snowdrops) and lots to choose from.

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