Rose Companion

[ColinM]

Hi All!

Yes, I'm still alive, so sorry I haven't been in here much, but been flat out getting my new business hapening (per my profile - hope that doesn't break any rules guys )

I trust you are all well!

Our roses are just comming into leaf after our August pruning and now is the time to plant our companion plants. Was wondering if day lillies would be good? (If so, stand by for a big order Ian!! )

Take care all, and all my love!

[ColinM]

They say the first sign of madness is talking to yourself? - no rsponses, I'm beginning to develop a complex

[Joanna]

patience!!!! Personally I would not put daylilies with roses. I like to dig out my daylilies about every third year ; give the soil a good dig etc before dividing and replanting the daylilies. This would disturb the roots of the roses.
Depends I suppose on how wide the rosebed is etc.and just where you want t o place the other plants.

[ColinM]

I hardly think the first word and exclamation marks are warranted , but thanks for the rest of your input Joanna.

[grevs1]

hi colin

i am with joanna..... lol..i reckon the 4 exclamationmarks just hit the spot..... ...as we all are out gardening in the middle of saturday afternoon of course.... hahaha.and our tired brains will only work after an evening feed and shower......

hopefully you will post pics again of your lovely blooms when they start flowering..... !
so you still haven't decided what you;d like to plant with your roses ??? guess there are so many choises, st's is hard to make a decision.... am sure somebody will sugest something suitable which will get you exited for a good companian for your lovely roses !
my personel choise would be a whiteflowering dark green leaved groundcover to bring out the beauty of your colourful roses !

[neptune]

you can try small lavender and daisey bushes

[ColinM]

Ok all, thanks for the input.

The only gardening store we have locally is Binnings and interestingly, the heady advisor down there was strongly against companion plants. She was adament that roses should be on their own. This is interesting given that some good authorities in here (Pam etc) originally advised they should have companion plants.

Yes, we considered small lavender bushes, but both my wife and I weren't taken by lavender.

I'm after a leafy annual that flowers at a time alternative to the roses to fill the beds with a display and foliage when the roses are dormant. They're just starting to come out now after there August pruning, so I'd like to get them in soon as it would be a lot easier (and less dangerous ) at the moment.

[Barbara B]

Hi,
the advice not to underplant the roses is correct as far as I'm concerned. It's an invitation to black spot - roses like to be in the open, like to have the wind blowing through them to blow away the nasties.
I guess you could go with alyssum or ajuga but my roses flower best in a bed of roses only. I'll admit I have a few foxgloves amongst them and some years I plant an ageratum or two for a bit of blue colour in the garden.
Barbara B

[grevs1]

what about groundcover grevilleas ???
some are quite hardy to extra ph .. especially the grafted ones ..maybe royal mantle.... has dark green leaves and red flowers and is only about 10cm high so no risk for taking airspace or wind away from the roses....and they flower in winter when the roses are just sticks.....!....

[ColinM]

Hi Barbara and Grevs

Thank you for your input and my apologies for forgetting to reply!

I guess there will always be three types of folk in the gardening world, those that ardently suggest that roses should have companion plants, those that don't and those trying to decide where they sit.

Personally, I'm leaning towards filling the bareness in our 4 tiered rose beds - and I think you may be on a winner with alyssum Barbara.

Grevs - the soil mix is a heavy organic one, so not sure how grevillea would handle that.

[grevs1]

hi colin....
well grafted grevs would survive alright i think...

what about hardenbergias..lovely white or lavender colour lovley little groundcover or even erigerons....they are there for good and flower their head off all year ????? or even "fairy grass"..so pretty !!!!

and my opinion is white always brings out the colour of other blooms even better !...

[ColinM]

Thanks Grevs for yet too more options - now for the decision before the roses's post August regrowth becomes to dangerous.

[Amy]

How about these??

[ColinM]

Hi Amy!

Welcome to the forum - I'm honoured and thank you very much that your very first post was a reply to my thread .

Yes, my wife and I had considered daisies as we have had them before as accompanying plants, but wanted something different this time .

[daffy]

Snow in summer and also throw out packs of catmint seeds.
Evening primrose
Pelagonium Madame salleron (variegated, no flower)

[ColinM]

Thanks for the input Daffy!

I'll add those to the list that "the boss" to consider

[valleyshots]

Roses will benefit from garlic, marigolds, iris, lavender, basil or parsley planted nearby.

[GoldenWattle]

Roses will benefit from garlic planted nearby

Yes, I recall that garlic deters aphids and re-confirmed this on SGA's website. It won't provide any aesthetic value though.

Cheers,
GoldenWattle

[snakecharma]

garlic chives has that nice, trendy "grass" look and has attractive (to me,anyway) little mauve ball type flowers.
Lime balm or lemon balm are fragrant, useful as bee attractors and as a bonus are edible too.

I have a "Flat White" hardenbergia as a groundcover amongst some taller plants and it still suffers terribly from frost, so if you get frost it may be something to be aware of.

Did you want annuals or more permanent companion plants?

[shamus]

I agree with Snakecharms about garlic chives but think your confusing garlic chives with regular chives. Garlic chives have strappy leaf and very nice looking white flowers. Regular chives have the purple ball flowers. I have a combination of both under roses at the moment and the garlic chives have recently come into flower and look absolutely amazing!