Ideas needed on what to plant with Rose Robert le Diable

[theinsidegardener]

I just can't decide what to do with my new rose Robert le Diable, or more so what to plant with it... any ideas? 

[andy]

Just crying out to be planted with Lavendula munstead

[theinsidegardener]

Thanks andy, I've taken note of that, you're right it would be lovely.

[Ladygardener]

Sounds good to me too although leave a bit of room around the rose before you plant your Lavender, Roses will maybe need more watering than the lavender.

Oh by the way theinsidegardener, I think you mis read when you said it was thornless.

[Rosefriend]

Two tips on this theinsidegardener, if I may..

Robert le Diable is a Centifolia with a touch of Gallica and these reddy purple colours burn very easily if they are planted in full sun (most roses need around 6 hours full sun per day to do well) but try and find somewhere that avoids the midday sun if possible...

Also this rose, although wonderful, only flowers once and will need pruning eventually after flowering in June/July. After that whatever you choose to plant with it needs to be good enough to go with just rose leaves....

Munstead is actually my favourite Lavender and as andy says will go well but you may need something else that takes away the fact that there are no blooms on the rose after early summer.

I'll have a think..how much room have you got?? Oh yes - as Ladygardener says, it is a thorny bugga!!

RF

[Geranium]

How about Nepeta 'Walker's Low'? Mine carries on flowering from early summer until late autumn.  You could also plant Achillea 'Cerise Queen' which has the same colour 'tone' as the rose, but lasts longer.

[theinsidegardener]

Thanks for all the tips Ladygardener Rosefriend Geranium. I'm going to have to have another think about where to actually put it now that I have an idea of what to put with it, it's worth knowing that about the sun urning the edges rosefriend, though a fair bit of my garden is in shade for a good portion of the day. I know it's not the same as summer but at the minute my whole garden is in shade and its almost lunchtime! The nepeta is lovely Geranium, I've added it to my wheelbarrow online! It's getting pretty heavy now to wheel though, I might have to checkout soon lol. oh, and I've been reminded that I probably already have lavender munstead

I have a bit of room beside my paniculata limelight where I could possibly plant the rose and let it grow up the garden fence?

[Rosefriend]

Jan 2, 2014 12:59:55 GMT theinsidegardener said:

Thanks for all the tips Ladygardener Rosefriend Geranium. I'm going to have to have another think about where to actually put it now that I have an idea of what to put with it, it's worth knowing that about the sun urning the edges rosefriend, though a fair bit of my garden is in shade for a good portion of the day. I know it's not the same as summer but at the minute my whole garden is in shade and its almost lunchtime! The nepeta is lovely Geranium, I've added it to my wheelbarrow online! It's getting pretty heavy now to wheel though, I might have to checkout soon lol. oh, and I've been reminded that I probably already have lavender munstead

I have a bit of room beside my paniculata limelight where I could possibly plant the rose and let it grow up the garden fence?

I think the Nepeta is a great idea and will go every well.. Robert le Diable has a lax growth, as do a lot of Centifolia's - the heads are heavy and they can get sodden with rain but are really wonderful once the sun shines - as I say the edges may well burn with hot midday sun. It is only a 100/120cm rose which can be left to grow higher but remember that if you do that you must have something in front of the rose as the bottom half will become bare. It's a trick I have used many many times by the way...make roses do for you what you want them to, in the realms that they can. A miniature rose will never be a climbing rose or vice versa but it is amazing how you can out trick nature a little bit..

RF

[theinsidegardener]

Thanks Rosefriend, I ordered the nepeta and might try growing the rose up the fence with the nepeta in front. I will have room for something else in front of the nepeta ... any suggestions??

[Rosefriend]

Jan 2, 2014 14:06:25 GMT theinsidegardener said:

Thanks Rosefriend, I ordered the nepeta and might try growing the rose up the fence with the nepeta in front. I will have room for something else in front of the nepeta ... any suggestions??

Can you split the Nepeta and get 3 plants out - one in the middle and one on each side perhaps, or you could find a plant in a similar colour to the rose itself - with the blue from lavender/nepeta it would look lovely. Salvia's are wonderful - Agastasche may be an option.

Tie the stems of the rose to the fencing and then when the blooms start tie again fairly near the bloom but so that it looks natural and it should stop the blooms from hanging too much - or, you can let the stem droop naturally but still tie it at some point, a sort of graceful droop instead of a heavy rain smashed droop...are you with me??

RF

[Ladygardener]

What Rosefriend is saying makes perfect sense theinsidegardener. Although your Rose won't grow up the fence as it's not a climber, you can use the fence to help show off the Rose. There are many gardening tricks to be learned. Bear in mind that you also already have the Salvia Amistead, I agree, it would go really well and as it's a shrubby Salvia it should help make a perfect foil for the Rose.

[Geranium]

How about viola cornuta for a border in the front? If you google Elizabeth McGregor's Nursery, they specialise in them - I got some last year and they did wonderfully well. You'll be spoilt for choice, but if you go for the deep mauve shades, they'd look great with the Nepeta. (I know - mine did! )

[Jasmine]

There's an interesting article in January's The Garden theinsidegardener on rose planting combinations. It focuses on the Bowes-Lyon rose garden at Wisley that used to be a traditional rose garden circa the 60s/70s and they went for a bold new look!
I can send the magazine to your Mum if you'd like to read it!....she could have a read too then!

[theinsidegardener]

Thanks everyone, I'm loving the suggestions, and really appreciate you all taking the time to reply. Rosefriend I think I am with you on the droop lol . Geranium I don't know how many hours I've spent on that website now planning and thinking! Jasmine I'd love to have a look at the magazine when you are finished with it, no rush on it though, I know you'll have a million other things to do at the minute.

I had a look outside today and took a bit of stock of where I might put the rose and what is already planted in that area. I was thinking of putting it in between a black stemmed hydrangea (which might be pink or blue according to the soil I have - not sure), and Penstemon Eveleyn which is on the other side. I have ordered the nepeta walkers low and it should arrive tomorrow, so I'll put it in front of the rose, depending on what size it is at the minute. Ladygardener I might well move the amistad to that area as well, although it does seem happy out the front ... decisions decisions.

[Ladygardener]

theinsidegardener you could even take a cutting from your Amistad in springtime and then plant out them near the rose if you'd like. It takes well from cuttings and that way you would'nt have to move the one you have.

[theinsidegardener]

Thats a good idea Ladygardener. I was also thinking I could scrap the other idea and have the rose to the front of the border and keep it lower .... Might decide once I get all the plants in one place .... then decide again and again and again ....

[Jasmine]

I'll post it tomorrow theinsidegardener! Hope you and the girls are feeling better soon

[theinsidegardener]

Thanks Jasmine, big to you all too. I'll hold off on making anything too permanent until I see the magazine then lol. Everytime I see your avatar it makes me wish I'd planted snowdrops ...

[Jasmine]

Thank you theinsidegardener.

Don't buy snowdrops....I'll send you some in the green (about March time) and then you'll have them for next year!

[theinsidegardener]

I have no idea what that means "in the green" Jasmine but that sounds good. Please pick something from my garden once it starts to produce something worth taking so I can return all the favours!!

[Geranium]

Hallo, theinsidegardener. I'm glad you're enjoying Elizabeth's website. Some of the violas make you drool, don't they.   I got my Anemone 'Wild Swan' from her. It flowered and flowered for ages. I was well pleased with all the plants I bought from her.

[Jasmine]

Jan 6, 2014 20:19:33 GMT theinsidegardener said:

I have no idea what that means "in the green" Jasmine but that sounds good. Please pick something from my garden once it starts to produce something worth taking so I can return all the favours!!

Sorry theinsidegardener!

You can plant snowdrop bulbs in 2 ways. The first way is buying the little bulbs in a packet and hoping for the best as they dry out quickly and then nothing will come of them...you'll plant them and then wonder what happened to them as they'll never grow. Or, you order them 'in the green' and once the snowdrops have finished flowering you'll get a bunch of bulbs with the dying back green leaves on them.  You just plant them as and where you want them and the leaves will finish dying back and next spring back they'll come!  I have a garden full of snowdrops and I am more than happy to dig some up and send them to you...I think your Mum has some of mine in her garden that I sent a few years ago!

[Ladygardener]

Jan 7, 2014 8:00:06 GMT Jasmine said:

Jan 6, 2014 20:19:33 GMT theinsidegardener said:

I have no idea what that means "in the green" Jasmine but that sounds good. Please pick something from my garden once it starts to produce something worth taking so I can return all the favours!!

Sorry theinsidegardener!

You can plant snowdrop bulbs in 2 ways. The first way is buying the little bulbs in a packet and hoping for the best as they dry out quickly and then nothing will come of them...you'll plant them and then wonder what happened to them as they'll never grow. Or, you order them 'in the green' and once the snowdrops have finished flowering you'll get a bunch of bulbs with the dying back green leaves on them.  You just plant them as and where you want them and the leaves will finish dying back and next spring back they'll come!  I have a garden full of snowdrops and I am more than happy to dig some up and send them to you...I think your Mum has some of mine in her garden that I sent a few years ago!

Oh yes Jasmine some you sent a few years ago and some you sent to me along with Jilly. I can see lots of little green shoots and a couple of white ones as well where the heads are on them.