What to Plant With Roses: Tips for the Best Companion Plants
If you want to know about Best Companion Plants for Roses, you must first read my article on “Ranunculus Perennials.” This will help you get more information. Then, you can read my Best Companion Plants for Roses article. I hope both of my articles will be helpful for you, and you will be able to decide better about your best plant.
Let’s know about tips for best companion plants.
Choosing companion plants for roses can be beneficial, aesthetically pleasing, and even address certain difficulties. Select Rose Companion Plants that help in pest control, and soil improvement, or positively affect the overall health of the plants. Companion planting: Anecdotal or tried and tested? University of Illinois Extension Office. Select catmint, lavender, and verbena because they share similar soil type, sun exposure as well as USDA growing zones and requirements to be considered.
Plants That Look Good With Roses
The appearance of companion planting involves considering textures, colors, and shapes together. For instance, perennials and dwarf shrubs like English lavender with pale greenish or silvery purple leaves enhance the grandeur of rose flowers, while taller plants like snapdragon roses have wide cup-shaped flowers. Additional practices in companion planting can enhance the blooming season by adding color during the main flushes of rose bloom in early summer and fall. Annuals such as lantana and verbena which are warm loving also do well and fill in around roses and are ideal in the same light conditions.
Plants That Solve Problems for Roses
Like with all forms of art, every component matters to achieving the desired result, and companion planting isn’t any different. Snapdragons with their tall and slender stems pair well with the cup-shaped blooms of roses while English lavender and many other shrubs and perennials boast pale green silver and lavender leaves that add to the beauty of rose blossoms. Besides creating beautiful views, companion planting serves other purposes as well. For instance, it allows for extending the duration of the flowering period by filling in gaps that stem from the main flushes of rose bloom in early summer and autumn. Moreover, Lantana and verbena are both annuals that thrive in the sun. They fit wonderfully around roses and flourish with the same amount of sunlight.
Plants That Don’t Compete With Roses
Perfect rose companions relish in the same growing requirements and conditions, however, don’t compete too much with the roses. Roses are best planted in full sunlight with well-drained soil, and their companions should also share the same preference.Compagnons that are too aggressive may crowd the roses and extract too much nutrients and water from the soil.
Numerous annual flowers that enjoy full sunlight, such as heliotropes (Heliotropium), lantana (Lantana), verbena (Verbena), and million bells petunia (Calibrachoa), do incredibly well through the summer months and help fill the space between roses. All of them have moderate water requirements and will benefit from the heavy feeding balance that roses necessitate.
Plants That Discourage Pests
It’s said that good companions help each other grow or defend each other from danger. Certain companion plants may serve as deterrents to insects, without the need for chemicals, due to the natural elements present in their leaves, stems, or flowers.
Chives, allium flowers, and onions as well as other members in the onion family boost the aroma of roses while also preventing infestation from aphids and the development of black spots.
- Scented geraniums (Pelargonium): This beautiful flower is used to deter Japanese Beetles and Cabbage Worms.
- Rue (Ruta): The potent odor of the rue plant keeps ants and beetles away.
- Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium): The plant contains pyrethrin which causes it to repel bees and flies.
- Parsley (Petroselinum): Known to draw beneficial insects, beetles, and other harmful creatures are discouraged from making their home in the Parsley plant.
- Thyme (Thymus): This herb is effective against whiteflies and hornworms.
- Marigolds (Tagetes): Aphids and whiteflies are driven off by one of the best-scented flowers.
- Culinary sage (Salvia): Snails and cabbage moths are warded off by the strong-scented sage.
- Anise-hyssop (Agastache): The plant is capable of keeping cabbage moths and various other pests at bay.
- Perovskia: This plant china-spas term ‘spider-mites.’ The foliage of this plant is scented and is free from aphids.
- Lavandula: Lavender has a hallmark floral sweetness that proves frightening to multiple varieties of moths and hand flies.
- Achillea: Yarrow has many ‘natural’ oils stronger than some chemically-based scalp repellants, which is why it manages quite a few flying pests.
- Origanum: This herb has a pungent scent that repels cabbage worms and helps in keeping beetles away.
- Nepeta: Squash bugs, along with aphids, are drivers known to be repelled by the minty leaves.
Roses and tomatoes do not blend as many would like, though it is said that tomatoes take away black spots. Lavender, paired with catmint, proves to be effective at keeping rabbits away as well. Mirabilis and Consolida attract the Japanese beetle insects that pulverize roses to nibble on their leaves, thus serving as phony plants. Yarrow is responsible for fetching ladybugs that go through the danger of feeding on aphids.
How to Plant Rose Companions
Always plant companion roses no closer than 1 foot to your roses so that you do not disrupt their roots. When you are in your rose garden, wearing leather gauntlet gloves may be useful. Children and youth’s natural suede leather gloves are thorn-proof and mold to the hand. The stress points where the thumb and fingers meet the palm are reinforced for greater durability.
Manage your rose’s growth habit with appropriate pruning cuts to enhance its natural open growth form. Maintain good circulation around your plants to help minimize the risk of pests and diseases. With the right attention to those care practices, you will have an array of fascinating companions for your roses.
ANNUAL COMPANIONS FOR ROSES
SWEET ALYSSUM (Lobularia maritima)
Exposure: Full sun
Height/Spread: 4-10 inches tall and 10-48 inches wide
Bloom time: Spring until the first hard frost
The sweetly fragrant flowers that vary in color from white, pink, rose, and lavender are superb for covering the ground under roses while giving off a lovely scent. Unlike past sweet alyssums, these new hybrids bloom continuously and make maintenance easy since no deadheading is required.
ANGELONIA (Angelonia spp. and hybrids)
Sunlight: Direct
Height/Width: 1 to 3 feet tall, 1 to 2 feet wide
Bloom time: Late spring to autumn
Also referred to as summer snapdragon, this beautiful annual produces colorful spires of flowers throughout the summer, offering stunning beauty between flushes of gorgeous rose blooms. These flowers are also heat resistant and do well in full sun, so they are ideally suited for warmer places.
CALIBRACHOA (Calibrachoa hybrids)
Exposure: Full sun
Height/Spread: 4 to 10 inches tall, 10 to 48 inches wide
Bloom time: From planting until frost
Often referred to as million bells, calibrachoa are dainty petals with rose-like pinkish purple flowers that come in various colors with plenty of patterns, which can beautify the surrounding areas of shrub roses. These flowers, similar to roses, need fertilizers regularly to sustain blooming.
PERENNIAL COMPANIONS FOR ROSES
AGASTACHE (Agastache spp. and hybrids)
Zones: 5-9
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Height/Spread: 1 to 6 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet wide
Bloom time: Summer to early Fall
Also known as anise hyssop, it is a fragrant sweet herb from the mint family featuring spikes of tubular flowers that bloom for weeks from summer until Fall. Its erect form adds interest vertically to the rose garden, and the hyssop scent helps deter common pests in gardens.
ARTEMISIA (Artemisia spp.)
Zones: 3-9
Exposure: From full shade to partial sun
Height/Spread: Depending on the variety, they can grow anywhere between 6 inches to 6 feet tall and spread 1 to 12 feet wide
Bloom time: Mid-summer to early fall
Soft-textured plants with silvery leaves, like lamb’s ear and artemisia, greatly enhance the beauty of the rose by adding textural contrast. Both options/Silverbush also need low maintenance after establishment and are highly tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soil.
BEE BALM (Monarda didyma)
Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Light Exposure: Full sunlight to partial shade
Dimensions: The growth height and spread range from 10 inches to 4 feet tall and 8 inches to 3 feet wide.
Blooming Period: Late spring to early fall.
A real showstopper in the garden, pollen-bearing perennials such as bee balm will garner a vibrant influx of bees and butterflies in your garden through its continuous blooming. Jelly’s hybrids like ‘Pardon My Cerise’ are compact and bred with mildew-fighting traits and retain firm, vivid cerise flowers.
ENGLISH LAVENDER (Lavandula Angustifolia)
Zones: 5-9
Sunlight needed: Full Sun
Height/Spread: 1 to 3 feet tall. 2 to 4 feet wide
Bloom Time: Early to Late Summer
Besides its great culinary uses, lavender goes well with roses because it balances out the round blooms with its elegant purple spikes. This fragrant herb will keep roses healthy by repelling aphids and attracting predators.
LANTANA (Lantana camara)
Planting zones: 9-11, some treated as tender perennial in zones 7-8 or cultivated as an annual
Sun exposure: Full sun
Height/Spread: 3 to 4 feet in height, 1 to 3 feet in width
Bloom Time: From planting to frost
Available in upright and rambling shapes, these are low-maintenance plants with vividly colorful flowers in yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple. Trailing varieties work well as ground cover to reduce weed growth and retain moisture in the soil.
SHRUB COMPANIONS FOR ROSES
BOXWOOD (Buxus spp. and hybrids)
Hardiness: Most cultivated species are zones 5-9, but some varieties are hardy to zone 4.
Exposure: full to partial sun
Height/Spread:1 foot to 20 feet tall, 2 feet to 8 feet wide.
Chenoweth Boxwoods are ideal for formal and informal gardens because of their yearlong structural appeal. In addition to having an evergreen foliage accent, Boxwoods bring color when many plants are dormant. Most shrubs do well in full shade, and some will tolerate full sun, which makes them ideal companions for roses.
SPIREA (Spiraea spp.)
Zones: 4-8
Exposure: Full sun
Height/Spread: 1 to 8 feet tall, up to 6 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring, summer
Spirea is one of the most admired flowering shrubs. During its long blooming season, it produces large clusters of white, light pink, or rosy red flowers. With each new cultivar, spirea not only becomes more compact but also grows more colorful foliage, making it of interest even outside the blooming season.
VIBURNUM (Viburnum spp.)
Zones: 2-11, based on the type
Exposure: From full sun to partial shade
Height/Spread: Ranges from 2 to 20 feet in height and from 2 to 12 feet in width
Bloom time: Spring till summer
Viburnums provide four-season appeal with winter berries, brilliant fall foliage, and spring through summer blooms. Sophisticated dwarf types, like Lil’ Ditty, are excellent companions to larger rose shrubs without masking their beauty.
COMPANIONS FOR ROSE PEST CONTROL
CATMINT (Nepeta spp. and hybrids)
Zones: 3-8
Exposure: Full sun
Height/Spread: 10 to 36 inches tall, 12 to 36 inches wide
Bloom time: Late spring through summer
Catmint’s long-blooming flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, while the aromatic foliage fends off aphids and many other pests. Unlike its close relative, catnip, catmint does not spread aggressively, making it a great filler plant between roses.
ORNAMENTAL ONION (Allium spp. and hybrids)
Zones: 3-8
Exposure: Full sun
Height/Spread: 12 to 36 inches tall, 3 to 18 inches wide
Bloom time: Early summer
These globe-shaped beauties possess a striking aroma that repels aphids, much like others from the onion family, such as chives and garlic. Besides, they invite drones and parasitic wasps for hoverflies that aid in controlling pest insects.
MARIGOLD (Tagetes spp.)
Zones: Annual
Exposure: Full sun
Height/Spread: 2 feet to 4 feet tall, 6 inches to 2 feet wide
Bloom time: Late spring until frost
Beyond its decorative purposes, this colorful annual also draws helpful insects like lady beetles and parasitic wasps that feed upon aphids and other garden pests. The flowers give off a strong smell, which is also thought to repel rabbits.
WHAT NOT TO PLANT WITH ROSES
A few recommendations of things that should not accompany roses are as follows:
- Avoid companion plants that do not extend far vertically, like big shrubs, because their extensive root systems will use the nutrients that should be available to your roses to remain healthy. In the same way, many plants will not do well if there is a struggle for water and nutrients, as there will not be enough to go around.
- Invasive species and aggressive self-seeders are plants known to take over a certain area of the garden. If no action is taken, it will be impossible for your roses to grow as they will be deprived of light and air. Roses are known to have good airflow but require breathing space to prevent black spots and other fungal diseases.
- While some plants will aid in keeping aphids away, others will do the opposite. To keep aphids away from the rose garden, Cosmos, nasturtiums, flowering tobacco (Nicotiana spp.), and sunflowers, which attract aphids, should be kept safe. Find out how to eliminate aphids from roses.
- Roses and their companions need full sun (minimum of 6 hours a day) and well-drained soil. The abundant leaves of hostas and ferns that prefer low light and grow along with roses when they are in bloom are, unfortunately, going to be in trouble because there’s bound to be too much sun.
Quick Tip: Pair roses with lavender or marigolds to repel pests and enhance their fragrance while keeping your garden vibrant and healthy.
FAQs
What kinds of plants should not be planted with roses?
Avoid planting aggressive spreaders like mint or tall, dense plants that block sunlight, such as large shrubs.
Can you plant vegetables with roses?
Yes, you can plant vegetables like garlic, chives, and onions with roses to repel pests.
What is a good ground cover to plant around roses?
Good ground covers include creeping thyme, sweet alyssum, and low-growing sedum to retain moisture and prevent weeds.
