There are many ways to make the canes invisible.One is chives or garlic makes a good deterrent to aphids.Forget me not is another you can try lobelia or pansies.There are many more this is just few..

I have coreopsis and catmint under my roses.

Perennial Geraniums are another that might work, some of the Veronicas.

A......

Lavender and rosemary.

Don't they want a lot less water than the rose? I know lavender and roses is a classic combination but I've never understood it.

Another thing to ponder is how many people looking for porn are getting this thread in their search hits.

We place roses at the back of a bed or border and the lavender at the front, then run soaker hoses around the roses. That keeps the lavender sufficiently dry, the roses sufficiently wet and does a great job of covering bare legs. You might also try a smaller rose planted in front. I also interplant peonies in with the roses because the foliage is a very attractive cover for those legs.

Sue

I like the idea of lavendar but I have a couple of other issues I'm trying to solve. I just did a fenceline alternating between climbers and shrub roses. There are a total of 10 roses that go white, red, purplish red, dark pink, cream/pink, dark orange, cream/apricot, bright orange,orange/yellow, and yellow. Because I had a 4" drain running through at a depth too shallow, I made individual raised planters out of 18" black corrugated pipe and they are on about 36" centers. My wife hated the black plastic look, so I alternated 'Moon Bay' nandina between these planters to eventually fill the gap and cover half of the planter on either side. In the meantime, to buy me more time with less grief while the nandinas mature, I wrapped the pipe with that brown plastic lawn edging to make them look like brown pots and they actually look pretty good. Which brings me back to my interest in naked leg hiders :-) I planted the new roses on the back side of the 18" pipe to make it easier to train on the fence and have been thinking ahead even before this lovely thread got started.

1)How to hide the legs
2)How to also cascade a bit over the front
3)What combo of plants to do this (one to hide, one to cascade)
4)Since all three plants would be in the same pot, all would need to have like requirements
5)How to co-ordinate colors as I transition the color wheel from white to yellow

I haven't taken any pictures of it yet because I was afraid to see it before I got the rest of the pipe wrapped. But now I'm thinking I need the pic on my monitor or printed so I don't always have to be standing in front of it like a statue to figure it out.

If my description was any clearer than mud to anyone, are there any ideas forthcoming ? I'll try to click a picture tomorrow and post it.

Thanks

Boxofrox, you could try a trailing rosemary, they like pretty much the same conditions as lavender for me. They aren't white or yellow flowered, but I like blue with both those colors.

And seattlesuze, I was coming here precisely to post a question about planting a rose and a peony together, thinking they need much the same care; but I wasn't sure if two heavy feeders would eat each other out of house and home. Anyway, I got an Intrigue on sale yesterday, and I have a potted pink peony I got at a sale last fall I was thinking of planting together.

Oh, I think I misunderstood Boxofrox, I didn't realize the roses were in the pipes too, I thought they were behind the pipes. If it were me, I'd try catmint, which is a nice continuous bloomer that can trail prettily. I don't have a lot of roses (I bought two yesterday, bringing the total to three); but my Tuscany Supurb has looks nice in the Summer with a white hardy geranium at it's base. The geranium dies back, so you still have the other seasons to deal with of course.

jennie,

Yes, the pipe was for the roses to elevate them above the fray, I mean drain :-) The catmint may just be my best option to solve both hiding and trailing. Plus with the very colorful foliage of the nandina, coupled with the rainbow of rose colors, adding too much flower color might be a bit much. I've even thought of nasturtiums to trail.

I designed the fence of cedar and copper for climbers and it is interesting enough that I can live with die back. I never really intended to have more than a couple of roses when I started but it seems when I get to a sunny location that I want late summer color.........well now I have over 50.

I shot this pic this morning from up in my living room. I had to break out the curb for the pipe so please don't mind the debris or the muddied lawn.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1073321}}

I like your fence, I'm putting it into my shamelessly stolen ideas bucket. :)

I think there are white catmints if you want something very retiring to let the roses take first place. I keep thinking something dark green and trailing would look nice too, but my mind is blanking on recommendations.

Steal away, I've been too busy to apply for a patent ;-)

It does look better not slimed and soaking wet with something growing on it. Here's a pic of the cross fence that 90's off that front one.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1073323}}

Wow, that's a good piece of work. Here's my two cents - your nandinas are going to grow to about 5x4 in about 5 years, although they're very pretty now as spacers between the roses. I'd probably plant Roxanne geraniums in front of the rose 'pots' - it's a steady bloomer all summer, a flattering blue flower that's charming, lots of green foliage without being too demanding, and a terrific filler that will go about 3x3, maybe a bit more. It doesn't seed out like many of the other geraniums, which means you'll pay more for the plants but at least they'll only be found where you put them. If you feel like experimenting wildly and can't find Roxanne, check out Six Hills Giant catmint - it's luxurious, continuous bloom, easy to control and has sufficient height and width to make your pots completely disappear without threatening the roses.

Sue