Hello. What are the best companion plants for roses? I was researching geraniums, marigolds and sweet alyssum. I was hoping to attract the beneficial insects. Thank you.
Various herbs are good in a rose garden, such as thyme, sage, and marjoram. Also consider the annual (north of zone 7) Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue'.
Marigolds are good as are any member of the onion family, although personally I draw the line at planting my rose bed with garlic! However, I do use alliums and chives and those both work well. I also have English lavender - Hidcote Pink - as edging for the border of the bed. newbee
Garlic! Other members of the family are all well and good, but when I started putting garlic bulbs in the rose patch the number of flowers and their size as well increased dramatically. More so than with the onions or alliums.
It's different in Ecuador Zone 12/13! Back to my response to someone who lives in my zone and similar climate, again French marigolds: you can get some longer stemmed ones in very neutral colours: West Coat Seeds have "Vanilla" coloured ones, albeit they are crazily expensive. The other things that work in my garden (round the roses) are dwarf snapdragons - the hoverflies love them, and bedding dahlias (the short types you grow from seed). Oh yes, and Lilies.... but that's for the look of it as I've never seen a "beneficial" insect on a lily! Newbee
I switched from garlic to leeks in among the roses and you can eat them to. They create an interesting texture beside the roses and are supposed to encourage mycorhizal fungi in the soil.
Those you mention are good -- alyssum attracts beneficials, white seed geraniums are anathema to japanese beetles, and marigolds deter harmful nemetodes, as well as attract some beneficials. Another plant that can attract a variety of beneficial insects is Coreopsis pubescens 'Sunshine Superman'.
