Herbs & Roses Companion Planting

The Rose as an Herb

• The Apothecary's rose (Rosa gallica) and the Dog rose (R. canina) provided medicinal remedies in Europe in Medieval times. Chinese practitioners recognized the roses’ medicinal value. Modern scientists confirm that rose hips contain high levels of vitamin C, along with other micronutrients. Edible roses are the basis of medicinal, culinary and aesthetic products including rose water, attar of roses and rose hip syrup, confirming roses' rightful place in the herb garden.

Herbal Biological Control

• Strongly scented herbs repel or confuse insects, distracting them from ornamentals and roses. Other herbs attract beneficial insects to the garden bed. Some herbs are insect repellents. Lavender masks the scent of roses from hunting aphids. Sweet marjoram and basil confuse rose-seeking insects. Fennel and dill attract beneficial insects. Santolina, wormwood and tansy repel many insects. Gardeners use garlic to reduce blackspot. According to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, catnip, tansy, garlic and chives repel Japanese beetles, and geraniums and petunias are effective against leafhoppers.

Cultural Requirements

• Roses and their successful herbal companions require a sunny location with an organically enriched soil that drains well. Roses prefer a slightly acidic soil, which is acceptable to most sun-loving herbs. Roses require sunlight and air circulation around the entire plant. The mature sizes of herbs and roses determine their placement in the herb and rose bed to eliminate eventual crowding. Organic gardening practices keep edible herbs and roses safe for kitchen use.

The Rose and Herb Bed

• Chives create an attractive border or accent. Large lavender shrubs anchor the bed with clouds of fragrant blossoms in season. Pots filled with seasonal scented geraniums near the rose bed provide complementary or contrasting color and low-growing thyme carpets bare spots between plants. Several wormwood varieties display attractive, soft, silvery foliage in mounds for edging. Large, free-seeding herbs, such as dill, are best behind and away from the formal bed, and invasive plants in the mint family are to be avoided among roses.