I could well see this working if you have the space. For example, a ring of rose bushes surrounding some asparagus plants would be lovely. But both plants are going to want their space to do very well. If you're thinking of planting a rose border, and then just interplanting it with asparagus would be neither attractive nor productive. Although I could see planting a row/border and alternating the two plants, but again, they'd have to be spaced properly. Remember, asparagus plants are at least as big as your rose bushes, 4-6 feet tall with extremely vigorous root systems.

Sounds like another of the "Companion Planting" gimmicks that rarely works out in real life or a flower arrangers idea of a living bouquet.

The appearance wouldn't appeal to me at all even though I grow both, just separately. But my primary concern would be the very different nutritional needs of them not to mention the problems harvesting the asparagus in among the rose bushes. And the huge brown gus ferns in the fall wouldn't add anything to the roses appearance.

But it's your garden. ;)

Dave

I think it was a border interplanted with roses and asparagus. How wide is an asparagus plant?

My idea (if this is feasible) is to have a few roses mixed in with the asparagus, leaving space for a few tomato plants. The tomatoes are supposed to help the asparagus...and the roses. I have a long border strip (about 40 feet) against a fence that I don't really want to put into just flowers. I was planning to put a few New Dawn roses along the fence, maybe a few additional rose bushes and a bunch of asparagus with a few tomato plants. One end of the fence leads to the vegetable garden, when I also have flowers and herbs. I'd like to grow asaparagus, but my vegetable garden space is limited this year.

Well, now, you could put a long row of asparagus along the fence, then plant the roses in front of them. (Asparagus get pretty tall, about 3 to 4 feet.) Is New Dawn a climber? I don't think I would recommend a climber among the asparagus. The asparagus would not want you to be cultivating too near their roots, but then, I don't cultivate around my roses. I keep them mulched. Asparagus like mulch too. There would be the problem of cutting asparagus through thorny roses in the spring, but if you can deal with that, it might work. If you do it, I'd recommend underplanting the roses with bulbs for early spring color. You lost me on the tomatoes.

I have seen pictures of potagers with chives planted at the feet of rose bushes. They are supposed to repel rabbits. (Key work here: "supposed". Anybody know for sure?)

I had asparagus at my old house, and they were very happy in about a two foot wide strip.

Lavender, I have no asparagus experience (yet) but own lots of roses. Just a comment on something I observed. I did put a tomato at the end of a rose bed (near a rose) and what happened is that the 'rust' from the rose, somehow got into the tomato. It was a lot worse for the tomato than for the rose. It was pretty much the end for the tomato. This is one reason I will not do tomatoes and roses again. However, I have a couple of pepper bushes now at the exact spot where the tomato was afflicted and the peppers did very well, no problem. They are still alive, they will most likely overwinter and produce again this year.

Other edible crops that have done well with roses in my garden: creeping oregano, creeping thyme, marjoram, mint (I know, do not put mints on the ground, but mine was already there!), mustards, lettuces, alliums of all kinds, parsley, nasturtiums, sage. Curious to see what others are growing near their roses. Let us know how it goes with the asparagus, I might do that too!

Thanks for the responses.

I thought the New Dawn roses would climb along the fence, with the asparagus in front of it. I'm still planning the fence, so it can be four or five feet tall. (The roses won't be here until June.) The fence is along the back yard and will keep the kids from getting too near a drop off down to the horse pasture.

I just thought that I need a place for the asparagus and I don't really want a high maintenance bed in that area, so maybe asparagus would be a good fit. I'd never thought about asparagus and roses before, but I think green and purple asparagus might be pretty with the flowers above. I want to put New Dawn roses (which get up to 20' tall) somewhere in the yard and they're supposed to be so thorny, I don't want them anywhere by an entrance or arbor. They might do well behind the asparagus and I can prune the roses (only two plants) before the asparagus gets too tall.

I might add a few cherry tomatoes on the end of the row, maybe one in the middle, just to help the asparagus (supposed to be a good companion plant) but most of my tomatoes are in another part of the garden...my kitchen garden is starting to look more like a mediterranean garden, with a grape arbor in the middle. Now you know why I need to find more room for the asparagus :)

Still trying to find a place for the asparagus (two years later) but now I'm thinking about putting them in the fenced area, in front of the lilac hedge. Maybe a bench in the middle (with climbing roses) then 8' to 10' or asparagus on either side, with another rose in each corner.

Any opinions on whether that would work? It would be the east side of the lilac hedge, with plenty of sun during the morning/early afternoon. Thinking of using hybrid musks and alba roses :)

Well year one with the 2 together see what spring brings and how it looks next fall as mentioned might be ugly then one well have to find a new how thats right had some glads in there also

I have about a foot and a half or 20" strip between the garage and sidewalk with roses in it, and space for asparagus. I'm thinking about planting some asparagus in there where it can live it's full life without much disturbance, if I don't kill it and it likes that space. Do ya'll think it can work?

I am also trying to do a 4 bale straw bale garden on the other side of the side walk. And, next to that rhubarb. I am in process of conditioning the straw bales, and have already dug the trench for the rhubarb. Love rhubarb. Next to the rhubarb, squash, love squash. Maybe some perennial wildflowers next to the squash as a border. Never tried straw bales or asparagus before. I hope this whole combination will work. Don't know why it wouldn't, do you? Really, do you?