I have zero technical knowledge of this issue, but I can share an observation. We have neighbors who grow roses in their grass. They get good sun and seemingly ample water, as the grass is green. I do not believe they winter protect.

At any rate, these roses are NOT thriving. I think I've only seen one bloom this year, and the rest are barely over a foot tall, though I know they're established bushes. So, I can't at all imply causation here, but the grass growing all the way up to the canes gave me pause.

Some other thoughts: I believe grass (at least bluegrass) is pretty greedy when it comes to nitrogen, so the roses might need a supplement of this. Also, if the grass forms sod around the base of the rose, and the rose ever dies to the ground, it may struggle to push new canes through sod. And, just like with trees planted in the lawn, you'll need to be careful to avoid mechanical damage from mowers and whackers and such.

Do you currently water the grass and bushes the same amount? Depending on your soil and such they may really prefer different amounts of water.

So! Those are my thoughts. I'm interested to hear what other's have to say, as I've wondered about this issue.

Best,
Lara

Grass is really thirsty and really hungry so I think you should maintain the mulch circles.
A little bit of weeding should make your Roses healthier.

Bermuda grass here! That would be a bad idea in my garden. The bermuda would set seed inside the rose, and begin to grow through it. It would find the most difficult places to go, and you would almost have to remove the rose to cut out the bermuda.

Possibly in the fall when I stop caring for the roses a little bit early, they may derive some benefit by the weeds that grow near them and insulate them. But they are harmed by the critters that want to build a nest by them, and by the ants.

Sammy

I should have mentioned, my roses are on drip, even the ones in the lawn, and I almost never water the grass (if a patch can't make it thru the dry spells, I dig it up and put in rose beds). The nitrogen might be a problem, tho...

Around here, most of the roses you actually see are large, hardy shrub roses like Harison's Yellow growing in a lawn. IMHO, grass growing in the rose looks messy, and once it really gets in there it takes pretty serious gloves to consider pulling it out. However, the idea that it has any effect on the rose is fairly silly.

However, the idea that it has any effect on the rose is fairly silly.

Not silly here. Grass does steal the water from roses here, where water is scarce and summer rain is non-existant. Remember every climate is different.

I would think it would look messy--how are you going to cut the grass ? I guess it depends on how neat and refined you want your garden to look. If your garden is very informal and tends towards the naturalistic style it would be more tolerable than in a formal styled area.

I suppose i could be considered an expert on this!lol! all my roses are planted in the lawn, in the pasture, etc. It isn't so much the lawn grass that gets in there it's crabgrass and weed grass, it looks like sh@#. but i have since put rocks around them, i quit mulching it seems to do more harm than good, and probably helps the weedy grass more than the roses. I dump scoops of fertilizer every so often. I have even had to find roses in the pasture at times. the strange thing is the buried ones seemed to be bs free until you clear the grass away and then they seem to be just as vulnerable. as long as they get adequate food and water, i don't think it matters much, the real problem is cosmetic. the rocks help because i can weedeat around them, and i think sort of provides a mulch. I recently bought some grass killer, mainly for my iris, but will probably use on the roses also. it only kills grass so that should help out tremendously. Eventually the roses get larger and less grass grows under them. Something is going to grow around them unless of course you pile a bunch of dead stuff around them, and then you will still get something coming through which looks even stranger.