My very favorite companion plant for roses are lilies. I have been planting lilies around my roses for years. This spring is no exception.

Yesterday I dug up three roses from the very back of my front yard mostly floribundaville rose bed. I have lily bulbs in the back there and wanted to add more. But there just wasn't enough room. So I dug out the three roses way in the back and planted four groupings of lily bulbs.

The way the rose garden section is laid out, it is planted on a slope going uphill from a low stacked stone wall right along the sidewalk in front. So you can really get a great view of the roses and lilies.

Then I transplanted one of the roses today, having left them all in water overnight. I gave the other two to my lawn mower guy. I lost track of how many of my tossed roses he has by now.

These were two PETER MAYLE and one FEDRICK MYSTRAL romanticas. I kept the one RETER MAYLE and gave the others away. I wish I had room in the rose beds for all three but I just didn't. They grow quite large. I guess if I can't stand it I can always toss something else and buy another one.

Hi Rita

Do you have any photos of what this bed looks like. I am putting in my last new bed (too old to keep up) and I would like some ideas on how to arrange the roses and lilies on this slight slope. I guess I really need enough room to get around to spray and trim the rose bushes. I usually throw large amounts of annual seeds around lilies to hide their leaves after the bloom and have never thought of putting them with roses to kind of cover their bloomless leaves.

Regards

Teri

I have planted lilies to grow thru my roses and the effect is spectacular. However, I think I might regret that the day I have to divide the lilies. It will be a painful task, working my way thru rose thorns.

I will have to look for pictures that show the entire area. I have closeup pictures of the roses in another thread but that doesn't show how the bed is laid out.

The way you get around that as much as possible is to do it in the spring. I cut back the roses each spring and then plant new lilies at that time when its easiest to work there. If I had to divide lilies, I would do those around the roses then also.

The thing is that I have lots of hybrid teas and floribunda that need to be carefully clipped after flowering. Does this present a problem during the growing season?

No, no problems. Lilies do not take up lots of space and they just grow in between the roses. That is if you plant them there.

i love lilies with everything!.. my mom planted some around a yucca.. i thought why in the world..... but it looks great. i find my self plunking lily bulbs everywhere..

Here's Mardi Gras roses with Red Dutch orientals.

Triumphator LO lilies with High Society rose.

Would be really NICE to have a lily co-op.Is there any chance ?

Hi, Brigitte --

There was a lily co-op or two earlier this year. I've been keeping my eye on Mamajack's co-ops and Bleek's co-ops, but they're not offering any lilies now.

If you join Mamajack's cubit, you get an automatic c-mail blasts for any new co-ops but you can also post on there for interest. I would love more lilies too, am enjoying mine so much right now.
I want more Salmon Star.

Tex68 said:Here's Mardi Gras roses with Red Dutch orientals.

I sincerely hope you don't mind, but I stole that image for the background on my work computer. So vibrant and GORGEOUS! I could only WISH my yard looked that beautiful!!!

Mamajack has a new lily co-op:

http://cubits.org/notfortheser...