Icebergs in a High Plains Desert

"A friend bought me a rose and while I'd never look a gift plant in the stamens, I simply don't do roses. They frighten me!" - Fearful in Flagstaff

Fear not, Fearful: Roses love it out here.* What you really should be worrying about is what to plant next to that gorgeous rose! Doesn't this dainty white flower look spectacular mixed in with my roses? It's a weed. And, a very well cared for weed, I might add.

I'm an equal opportunity employer in the garden. I don't need references. You just need to be good-looking.
Roses are so lovely on their own that most times we don't think about what makes them so darn gorgeous in a bouquet. When that white weed worked it's way up through the climbing rose vines, it gave me the big idea to plant Baby's Breath and blue Cat Mint near other roses for the same effect.

And, I gotta say... I think they're healthier for it. Companion plants keep the ground shaded and cool. Seems harder for bugs and disease to take hold.

Burgundy Iceberg Roses are happy bloomers in high plains deserts.

The rose we were yakking about is a breathtaking Burgundy Iceberg. Icebergs are about as easy to grow as a daisy (well, not quite, I love to exaggerate,) and they bloom all summer long. So if you haven't bought one yet, buy one today. I did! As soon I stopped emailing Fearful.

Cat Mint & Roses bloom together all summer.

Hot Tips!

1. Why grow slacker roses that bloom for a day and call it quits? Icebergs and tons of other varieties bloom all summer long. No muss, no fuss.
2. Sink one of those black 1-gallon nursery pots (the kind your perennials come in) into the soil, next to the rose. Fill it with water so it trickles straight down to the roots, where it will do the most good.
3. Baby's Breath (Gypsophilia) looks incredible planted next to your roses. This easy perennial absolutely adores the alkaline soils of the desert southwest.