Mixing roses and other plants in our garden can be an interesting idea. They can be combined with other shrubs or herbaceous perennials by placing them individually in a particular position. A rose bush can be placed in a particular position or used to fill a corner, flank a doorway, or adorn a house wall. For instance, tall, arching, modern shrub roses look splendid behind a bank of low evergreens or other shrubs of moderate size or behind some of the lower-growing hybrid teas or floribunda roses.

If you are combining roses of different varieties, or growing them among other plants, keep in  mind the size and flowering seasons of all the plants. Also, be certain to allow at least 2 feet of space between the plants to provide air circulation. You always want to make sure that short varieties of hybrid teas and floribunda roses will not be hidden by tall grandiflora roses in your garden.

Floribundas are ideal roses to mix with other plants to create an interesting visual effect or to prolong the flowering season. In general, they are hardier than hybrid teas. They combine well with dwarf azaleas, which they follow in flowering, or with any small shrubs. They are also the
best roses to include in a perennial border to cover gaps after the spring and early summer bloomers have faded or to fill blank spaces before the autumn display.

A dedicated rose gardening expert usually prefer not to mix hybrid teas with any other kind of plant. However, many gardeners will find the appearance of the garden greatly improved by concealing the rather leggy structures of hybrid teas by planting various other lower growing
perennials or annuals.

Several types of roses make handsome floral hedges in your landscaping, although they are leafless in winter. Except for the floribundas, they take up more space laterally than the usual hedging plants.

A few roses that hug the ground closely are excellent for covering the bare soil and, when established, for suppressing weeds. They can also be used to cover steep banks.

For terrace decoration, roses in tubs, pots, or boxes are a good choice. Containers about 20 by 20 by 20 inches are best. But miniature roses can go in a 1- by 1-foot container. Floribundas, polyanthas and miniatures make bushy plants with many flowers. The soil must be well drained and moisture retentive, Mix garden soil with about one-third peat moss and one-third perlite or coarse sand.

Never let your rose plants dry out completely. Control insects and fungi with regular spraying and apply a dry or liquid fertilizer monthly. In cold climates put the containers in a protected garage or greenhouse for the winter.