ANy monoculture is going to have more pests and disease than a planting with a wide variety. This is an especially important point to those who try to grow roses organically. Give the roses plenty of air and don't crowd their companions in close, but do give them companions. Leave yourself some paths in close to the roses for maintainence too. Rose boot camps of straight line soldiers in a rectangle planting are the most succeptible to disease, and the least aesthetically pleasing to most eyes. That type of growing roses is suited best to those whose mission it is to create a single perfect bloom for a rose show and who don't mind the fussing and spraying associated with growing them like that to do so.

I thought I would try to revive this thread and see if anyone knows of any articles on good plants to put w/ roses to help deter bugs and provide a pleasant scent or look. Brandy

How about some experience instead of an article? I find that each of my roses has different plant neighbor needs. They are each in a different location in my yard, which I am sure has something to do with this - beynd being totally differnt personalities (mini roses are different than shrub roses are differnt than hybrid teas in general - they have different types of basic genetics)

And I find that making the rose happy through good soil , good organic fertilization, enough water and then great plant neighbors they have *good flow with* are key to controlling insects.

I have some classic "weeds" next to some of my roses. I have a Sweet Chriot mini roses that has been doing WAY better ever since the Plantain came to be sitting next to it. My Baby Love shrub rose likes anything with lemony scent nearby...like lemon thyme, lemongrass, lemon verbena. It also seems to adore borage though.

And a Nearly Wild rose has been doing well with sage next to it and pennyroyal almost underplanted.

We tend to plant things like clematis and other "fine perennials" next to roses but I have found that the better plants are the ones we designate "weeds" or are herbs.

Oh...and speaking of clematis, I'd had one for years that never did very much ...UNTIL a Burdock "weed" began growing right next to it. Again, all the other care elements ere the same so there is a very good chance it was the new plant neighbors that made this plant so much happier for the past 3 years.

I've been planting using this type of a feng shui approach - kind of an "ask the plant" approach, really - for years now and I see very good results!

some say Lavender and so I planted that. Turns out Lavender hates water and fertilizer. It's a great companion, but keep the good stuff away from it. This was a big shock to me. I lots several of 'em before I figured it out.

I have Salvia May Night and that is a good one for me. Thanks for the suggestions.

I have planted my roses with daylilies for past 4 years and they have done well.

what a great suggestion with the daylillies....I have noticed my roses like lemongrass plants too so I wonder if the strap like leaves are part of this.

Roses look great with daylilies; also low-growing geraniums, catmint, salvia, and lavender. All of these companion plants need much less water and fertilizer than roses, so you have to be careful to skip over them with the hose.

I have had success with lemon grass, lemon balm, ladies' mantle and coral bells. Also, the ladies' mantle and coral bells have helped immeasurably with excess weed growth. They seem to have a chemical in them that retards broadleaf weeds.

Ive heard garlic is a good one as well.

Can I put summer or winter squash in front of knock out roses? I'm trying to find more room for vegetables and like the idea of an interplanting. I'm thinking the squash would make a good border in front of the roses. Will they like each other?

I'm not in your zone, but are you talking about squash like zucchini? They spread out and become huge and would not make a good border. I have interspersed pepper plants in cages to keep them upright, and that worked ok. I tried tomatoes, and one bush overgrew the rosebush and killed it.

Nicotinia (flowering tobacco) and anything from the Allium group (now the Amaryllidaceae family: chives, garlic, onions, society garlic, agapanthus, amaryllis, spider lilies) work quite well.

Anything from Rutaceae (small citrus, murraya, rue) works well.

The easiest plants I've used are day lilies, reblooming irises and pelargoniums. One plant that isn't considered ornamental is marjoram, which grows into a big, fluffy bush with tiny white flowers that the bees absolutely love and which last for many months. It springs up in various places by itself, much to my delight. I would never be without it. I started my first one from a tiny herb pot from the nursery which was dried out and half dead, and it grew like gangbusters. Lavenders are great if you go easier on the water and have reasonably fast-draining soil.