Growing a clematis up a rose bush can make an impressive sight.

But oddly, most rose books offer little advice on how to grow roses as part of a garden. Authors act as if roses exist off somewhere in their own exalted stratosphere rather than down here in the garden, mingling roots with other plants. Even the 700-page encyclopedia Botanica's Roses offers only a paragraph or two on companions. Alas, this stand-alone status is not justified by a rose's looks: Many are leggy, with all the bloom happening high up. Few plants call out so clearly for a little skirting to disguise their skinny stems.

There are practical considerations. Roses are greedy feeders and resent too much competition. They need good air circulation to prevent disease, and their wicked thorns discourage planting anything close that needs much tending. Still, plenty of plants have cultural needs that coincide with those of roses, and add color, texture and year-round interest to planting schemes.

If you plant companions early in the spring when you put roses into the ground, be sure to consider how the color and bloom time of these partners will complement each other. Or not. Since roses are show-offs, companion plants should be carefully chosen to blend with or accent the rose's bloom. Consider companions that flower earlier or later, extending the season for that patch of ground.

For early spring, skirt roses with pulmonaria, which blooms far earlier so color clashes aren't a consideration. Later in the season, the soft, spotted leaves of the pulmonaria carpet the ground beneath the rose stems. Early bulbs work, too, but keep them away from the frequent summer water that roses need.
 

Now In Bloom Lungworts (Pulmonaria) are among the earliest perennials to bloom, and are among the most effective because their little bell-shaped flowers are variously colored and their soft leaves dotted and dashed with white and silver. The bright effect of the white flowers held above the leaves on Pulmonaria officinalis 'Sissinghurst White' is doubled by the white-spotted leaves. It looks best paired with pale narcissus or dark tulips. Pulmonaria prefer fertile, moist soil and partial shade, although P. officinalis thrives in full sun. As soon as the leaves start to look ratty in late spring, shear them back to encourage fresh foliage that will last all season.

Gray-foliaged plants are a classic pairing with roses because their pale leaves show off bright or pink roses to perfection, and their preference, too, is usually for full sun. The soft textures, low growth habit and silvery leaves of various artemisia, the licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare) and many of the catmints (Nepeta) make a lovely, light haze around the base of roses. Hardy geraniums are another good choice, often as handsome in foliage as in flower. For a startling sight, marry two of the world's most gorgeous flowers by growing a clematis up a rose bush. Great combinations include bright pink roses with the purple flowers of C. 'Venosa Violacea' or the pale little flowers of Rosa 'Rambling Rector' with the rosy mauve blooms of Clematis 'Hagley hybrid.'

Tall, narrow delphiniums, lupines and foxgloves make a spiky contrast growing up through the rounded shape of shrub roses. Consider the impact of bold blue delphiniums punctuating the butterscotch-yellow blooms of R. 'Graham Thomas.' If you're into more innovative combinations, trim out your roses with ornamental grasses whose flowing shapes add a ripple of movement to the more static roses. The gilded silkiness of Stipa tennuisima plays beautifully against a rose's ruffles and thorns, and these little grasses grow up just high enough to hide naked stems. Hot-colored roses look best skirted with cool-toned blue fescue (Festuca glauca), and red roses are shown off by arches of white-striped Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus.'

For color photographs of roses paired with a variety of perennials, vines, bulbs, grasses, annuals and each other, take a look at The Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations by Tony Lord (Firefly Books, 2002).