16 Perennial Partners for Roses

Fuss-free and easy-growing, 'Sunny Border Blue' speedwell thrives with minimal care when tucked in average, well-drained soil. Blossom spikes contrast strikingly with the round flower form of roses. Speedwell buds appear in May and keep coming all season long if you faithfully remove spent blossom spikes. This perennial is hardy in Zones 5 to 9 and is gorgeous when planted with roses in shades of pink, red or yellow.

Silver heart-shaped leaves with green veins add sparkle to a rose planting all season long. Light blue flowers appear above leaves in spring, fading before roses typically burst into heavy bloom. Choose 'Jack Frost' brunnera for a  low-maintenance groundcover that’s slug-, deer- and rabbit-resistant—and complements any color rose bloom. Plants are hardy in Zones 3 to 8. Divide plants as clumps enlarge and outgrow their spaces.

Sun-loving and low-maintenance, 'Elegant Candy' is a reblooming daylily, opening flowers all season long. Choose this pastel beauty to create an eye-catching disguise for knobby rose stems. Plants are hardy in Zones 3 to 11. Flowering tends to dwindle as plants age. Keep the show going strong by dividing plants every four years or so. Divide plants in early spring or after flowering. Cut back leaves if you divide plants later in the season.

Fuzzy, gray-green leaves introduce wonderful texture to rose plantings. Chartreuse flowers appear from late spring to early summer, just in time for many roses’ first flush of blooms. Give plants full sun in Northern zones; protect them from hot afternoon sun in Southern gardens. Lady’s mantle self-sows freely, but seedlings lift easily, so plants aren’t invasive. This perennial is hardy in Zones 3 to 7.