There aren’t many plants that don’t mix well with roses, but it always helps to think ‘right plant, right place’. The image of pretty roses rising out of a sea of lush hosta leaves may seem appealing, but roses and hostas require very different conditions. So, as a general rule, it’s better to avoid forcing shade lovers or bog plants to share space with roses – one or the other will fail to thrive. The list of garden flowers that do beautifully complement roses is a long one, but I’d just like to make a special mention of alliums. Like all members of the garlic family, they are recommended as companion plants for roses to ward off aphids and black spot and are even said to enhance the roses’ fragrance. Lots of roses look even better when they are grown inside a rose cage or up an obelisk.