Underplantings

[citygirlinthecountry]

What do you under plant your roses with? I need something that will keep the weeds down, so it will need to be a strong, dense grower.
Anyone ever use Vinca Minor?
thanks!
CG

 

[Rosalind]

MORE ROSES!

There are groundcover roses. Teeny little things, but they smell lovely and there's at least one for every horrible climate.

I was planning on some white Meidiland (sp?) this year, but there are newer ones like Peach Creeper & Green snake that are truly ground covers.

Other than that, moss and creeping thyme.

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

I herd bean plants are good for that...But I'm not sure if thats true.

 

[citygirlinthecountry]

Holy Cow! The way my beans grew last year they would completely swallow up the roses! They were planted near one of the rose bushes and the the bean worked their way up and over!
Has anyone ever used creeping phlox? It's somewhat evergreen here and gets pretty dense. I'm also wondering about Vinca minor, also perennial and somewhat evergreen here.
I'll check out the groundcover roses too, but my groundcover knockout roses are huge! I"m really looking for something in the 12" or less category.

Thanks!
CG

 

[patandchickens]

Partly it depends on how Serious you are about your Roses

If you want the biggest or most blooms and have mainly hybrid t4eas, I suspect that mulch is a lot better than any growong ground cover (with which your Roses would have to share nutrients and water), since if you look at all the Serious Rose nuts out there, that is what they do. Although a few do sorta interplant with medium-height perennials in the mulch, which does look a little nicer if you ask me.

On the other hand if your roses are just another plant, not a religion or a means of one-up-manship then a ground cover might be fine, especially if your roses are of a more tolerant and friskily-growing variety, like rugosas and some of the more rampageous shrub roses. Alas while I have seen this done a number of times I don't recall with *what*, sorry. Oh, my parents have "The Fairy" adrift in a part-shaded sea of vinca, if that helps, and neither seems any the worse for it although it may have taken some years to really get it established.

Pat

 

[digitS']

On the other hand if your roses are just another plant, not a religion or a means of one-up-manship wink

I worked for nearly 7 years in a rose greenhouse - the roses in my yard are a source of embarrassment . . .



Steve's digits

 

[Southern Gardener]

Mine too! I had 15 at one time now I'm down to two - I yanked them up and gave them away! I love them but can't seem to grow them!

 

[Rio_Lindo_AZ]

Roses are the only plant we use fertilizer on.

I guess they just don't like too bloom?

 

[sebrightlover]

lol ... spearmint! Not really - but my bed with my rose in it has a rose, a few columbine, a few iris, a few daffodils and a S(*^load of mint. And I knew better when I planted it!

Anyone near West Virginia need some spearmint? Only plant it in a raised bed by itself and kill all the runners or it will be down your driveway too! (From experience!)

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread!

 

[citygirlinthecountry]

Not a problem! Instead of spearmint, I have burmuda grass taking over. I can't get rid of it!!! I"m hoping that by underplanting the roses with something I can keep the burmuda to a minimum.

For some reason, the roses grew like crazy last summer in the midst of our drought. I kept the gardens watered, but the roses were the only thing that grew much. Like everything else in my yard, it must tolerate a little loving neglect if it's to be a keeper. The roses that are here seem to like the neglect.

Thanks for the suggestions, y'all!
CG