In the past, roses, especially noble roses, were mainly planted individually as solitary plants or with many plants of the same variety in pure rose beds. In modern gardens, however, a more colorful, varied design has become established. Luckily, because roses can be wonderfully combined with summer flowers, perennials, grasses, hedges or some climbing plants. You can plan the beds in a colorful way by choosing plants with different flower colors. Flower beds in which one or two colors can work together also look very beautiful.
What are suitable companion plants for roses?
Ideal companion plants for roses are perennials such as delphinium, monkshood, mullein, candytuft and lady's mantle. Other good combinations include perennial grasses such as pennisetum or feather grass as well as climbing plants such as clematis and honeysuckle.
The best combinations of roses and perennials
Perennials are the ideal rose companions because they have a variety of flower shapes and colors and thus provide a lot of variety in the bed. Choose plants with different flowering times so that your flower beds will bloom continuously from spring to fall. The combination of roses with the bright blue delphinium is particularly classic, but monkshood, mullein, stone thyme, candytuft and lady's mantle also harmonize very well. Other ideal rose companions are:
- Bluebells
- Irises
- Ornamental Sage
- Scabioses
- Spurflowers
- Coneflower
- Gypsophila
- Evening Primroses
- Troll Flowers
- Yarrow
- Burning Love
- Turkish poppy
Needs for location and care should be the same
Ideal rose companions are not only the plants that look particularly beautiful in combination with roses, but above all those that have similar needs in terms of location and care. For this reason, roses and lavender, for example, don't get along so well.
The right selection of roses and grasses
If you combine roses and grasses together, you will create a varied, natural bed. Choose perennial, rather clumpy growing grasses that form few runners. Suitable examples are:
- Pennisetum grass – very rich flowering from July to October
- Miscanthus – lush flowers and beautiful autumn colors
- Feather grass – very good for full sun locations
- Pipe grass – bright yellow autumn color
- Garden riding grass – can be combined in many different ways
- Pampas grass – very large inflorescences
Beautifully framed: roses and hedges
Elegant roses, planted in front of a lush green boxwood or yew hedge, are also very classic. The popular boxwood in particular has been used as a border or background for rose beds for centuries - the rose colors develop particularly intensively against its beautiful green.
Always beautiful: roses and climbing plants
The classic rose companion among climbing plants is the clematis, which is available in an almost unmanageable variety of species and varieties. Another possible partner for strong-growing climbing roses and ramblers is honeysuckle, which grows to around five meters high and blooms profusely with strongly scented flowers.
Tip
Always make sure to place taller growing varieties in the background; lower flowering plants belong in the foreground. Tall rose varieties, such as certain breeds of noble roses, are also suitable for underplanting with summer flowers, perennials or sub-shrubs. However, roses should never be crowded too closely by their neighbors.
