A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum The Rose Grower's Forum What should I plant with my rose bushes?

I got put in charge of getting some flowers to plant around our company rose bushes. I'm thinking of some kind of bulb for sure, so I need to plant them pretty soon. Can you give me some ideas? My co-workers talked about Hyacinths, Daffodils, and Tulips. Are these good choices? How many should I plant?

Here's a picture of the place they will be going.

These rose bushes grow very large in height, so within a few years, the flowers are going to need to be able to do OK with less sunlight.
Thanks in advance!

The flowers that are mentioned are great additions. They bloom in spring before the roses do so you have color for a longer stretch of time. All three mentioned grow well planted in clusters. I like to have clusters with old numbers of flowers. So groups of 3 5 or 7 would probably be my choice. With good soil the bulbs will multiply each year and soon you'll be thinning them and giving the extra's away. I would also include some kind of allium. These ornamental onions are good for keeping aphids at bay. Enjoy your gardening project.

Thank you tkhooper! I sure appreciate that. One question, what is allium? Does it flower?

Alliums are onion relatives. They do flower in a lot of colors and sizes.

Alliums are a type of onion. The ones that you see most often are probably the big purple globes that bloom in the spring. They smell unattractive to many pests, and can help deter aphids and such from eating your roses. They also are deer resistant. If you decide to plant allium or other tall bulbs, I suggest planting them towards the back because they do get quite tall. Remember any perennial bulb that you want coming back year after year, you will have to let the leaves die off naturally. You shouldn't cut them down after the flowers fade.

I suggest planting a variety of bulbs that bloom at different times to prolong the display. Usually, crocus blooms first, followed shortly by dutch iris (Iris reticulata). Muscari (grape hyacinth) follow behind them. Daffodils and tulips are divided into catagories (early season, may blooming, late blooming etc.)

Do note how deep the bulbs need to be planted. You want to be careful not to damage too many rose roots (I did a lot of damage to an established butterfly bush when I dug too close to plant solomon's seal). In the spring after the bulbs are past their prime, you might want to grow some low growing annuals to complement the roses. Alyssum works great with red/pink roses.

Ok. Thank you everyone! I'll add Alliums to my list. If I remember, maybe I'll post pictures next year when it's all so beautiful. :)

That would be fantastic.

What is a easy to care for rose moved into a new place and got two flower beds and I would like to have a rose in the front small flower bed? Any ideas?

How big of a rose bush do you want?

Do not want a large one it is a small flower bed but thougth it would look nice in the center of it? 3'5' size full sun

Well you could try a Parkland variety..they are a shrub rose(look like the old fashioned wild roses) and very hardy...best part is they require minimum pruning, they grow 2 to 5 ft(depends on exact variety) also.

Brownell are nice also, they are a continuous blooming Hybrid Teas(looks like Valentine roses)..3 to 5 feet also, they require a bit more care but are very disease resistant

Then there's Explorer roses, some varieties are from 2 to 4 ft high...they are the most cold-hardy rose I know of.(they look like old fashioned wild roses also)..I find these smell the strongest..

These are the only kind of roses I grow because of my cold winters(those names are varieties also...not store names)...I'm sure your temps are milder...someone else should be able to help you if you are looking for something different.

Oh and if there's a certain color you're looking for, just let me know then I can help pin point a certain name to help you also.