Balloonflowers and Siberian iris are missing from your list. I like lilies a lot if you don't have trouble with red lily beetles. Bapistia is another good one.

Butterfly bushes are invasive in warmer climates. Here, they often die off. Flax is nice, but short lived, so we leave it to reseed around.

I tend to grow a lot of large roses. So the many of the perennials are either shade plants growing under the roses, or large perennials.

Ooh, I love your Butterfly Bush, Aaron. I've never seen that one in real life or photos before. I grow a lot of BB in my zone 7, and they are not invasive. Your hops are prettier and more decorative than ours, which as I've mentioned, were grown for privacy and beer (when we drank our beer--ha). I grow the blue flax, which also grows wild around here if we get any rainfall (rare in summer). A smattering of rain, and voila, the flax appear for a couple of days, only to disappear until the next rare rain. The flax I grow gets a little more reliable water. I love snapdragons which I grow from seed (or my friend grows them for me from seed). It lives for 2 or 3 years, grows woody, and I dig it up. For a so called annual, snaps can grow huge roots after a couple of years. They reseed well and produce some wonderfully varied offspring. So if you grow snaps, don't dig them up after one season. I love penstemon and grow many kinds. It's a perennial here. Another flower I have grown for many years are hollyhocks. I recommend the Carnival series, which blooms the first season ( many hollyhocks are biennial). This series grows to about 5 feet, is double, reseeds, and comes in many, mostly pastel, colors. I also gather the seed. I've grown other kinds, including the short Queenie series, which I don't like much, and another tall, beautiful double, Chater's Double, which is a biennial. I also love all kinds of Campanula, which can be grown from seed, as well as plants, and are perennials. One of my favorite indestructible plants is Jupiter's Beard (red, pink, and white), a perennial. It really reseeds, but I have no trouble with it, and plenty of free seedlings.I've grown JB from a couple of passalong plants for about 20 years. I'd better quit now. Oh, Veronica is lovely and the bees adore it. Here are some photos. Diane

The first photo is Brunnera, the second, Scottish Harebell (Campanula), the third is a Penstemon, the fourth and fifth are snaps, and the sixth shows Jupiter's Beard. Diane

Beautiful photos, Diane! Very inspiring. I want to try penstemons but they are not easily found in Denmark.

Jupiter's Beard is lovely and selfseeds well (so much that I haven't dared inviting it into my own garden yet). Lychnis Coronaria is also lovely with its grey foliage and magenta flowers.

Thanks, MetteBee. I know that Jupiter's Beard can be a problem in milder climates like yours and California. I think zone 7 is about the limit on a containable Jupiter's Beard. I would think Penstemon would do so well in your Copenhagen climate. Maybe, this coming year there will be more available. It seems to be taking off as one of the "in" perennials. I remember when the craze for coneflowers, coreopsis, and several others began. It gets so tiresome. The hybridizers just start copying each other. Diane

I wish I could say the photos above were mine! They're things I'm considering. @Diane Brakefield the thing that looks like hops is a form of oregano! I lost my mind when I saw it. There's another form called Kent Beauty that looks much more lantern-like.

I only just saw that version of butterfly bush yesterday when looking for ornamental oregano--High Country Gardens (not roses :p) sells the hopflower oregano as well as that stunning butterfly bush. The BB is apparently much less invasive, though it gets very large. Not for my garden at present, but an aspiration.

I love your hollyhocks! I'm trying to break into more autumnal tones and think the "black" hollyhocks would look fantastic with apricot colored roses (or the double apricot hollyhocks) as well as the dark reddish purple ones. I've been trying to nurse my Alpine Lady's Mantle along but am doubtful it'll make it--the variegation and leaf shape I feel adds a fresh look to an otherwise.....doilyish garden :p here's what inspired me:

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and look forward to more!

Aaron, I wondered if that were a photo of hops that look like oregano, or oregano that looks like hops. You fooled me. I love Kent Beauty--now is that oregano? I had no idea that oregano could look like hops. I suppose they are closely related. Is your climate too cold for the Lady's Mantle? It's a lovely plant. I wouldn't worry about invasive BB in your climate. It certainly isn't invasive here. Brunnera (Siberian Bugloss, heart leaf, false forget me not) is extremely cold hardy. My plants are from a passalong plant, the mother plant pushing 100 years old. The leaves grow huge and heart shaped as the season progresses. Diane

Rozanne geranium is a must have beauty here and was in Alaska z3. Lady's Mantle was hardy in z3 Alaska, Aaron, and Diane is right it is wonderful. I have it here too and it is also wonderful in heat. Foxgloves are wonderful too.

Aaron, you can try Alpine Poppy (Papaver alpinum). My friend in Chicago said it does well for her. Sadly my climate is too warm for it.

That brunnera is stunning! I saw the flower and thought it was cynoglossum and that it would take over. The leaves are lovely--I'll have to add that to my garden. I really appreciate you showing me that! The Kent Beauty is oregano, too--I've seen many more that are hardy in your area, if you don't mind starting from seed Barbara Tingey Oregano looks even more spectacular: https://www.selectseeds.com/scented-foliage/oregano_barbara_tingey_plants.aspx

I'll have to see the various Brunnera options--I'm a sucker for variegation and Jack Frost and Hadspen Cream are both gorgeous......might have to just get both :p Thanks for mentioning more about brunnera because I'd sort of dismissed it prematurely!

Lauren's Dark Purple Poppy, Dara, purple Queen Ann's Lace, and Black Lace Elderberry. Diane

I LOVE my hyssops/agastaches, of which I have several types. Their foliage has a great smell, you can make tea with it, they're cold hardy, and pollinators go crazy for them. If you let them, they self seed freely. But the seedlings are easy to remove if you're not into that, or you can deadhead.

When I lived in western Massachusetts (z. 5b), I loved Astrantias, or masterworts (for example: https://www.gardenia.net/plant/astrantia-major-roma-great-masterwort) among my roses and grew some from seed -- no hope growing those here, though, as it is much too hot! A decorative oregano I can recommend and that has a long bloom season, is Amethyst Falls, also at the High Country Gardens mentioned above (https://www.highcountrygardens.com/perennial-plants/culinary-perennial-herbs/origanum-amethyst-falls, hardy to zone 5.) -- very showy, tough, and long-blooming.

Oregano, thyme, columbines, delphinium and lavender are my favorite annuals. Heirloom columbines are hardy as all get out.

I also grew Silver Fountain Butterfly Bush (Buddleja alternifolia) in western Massachusetts and liked it very much -- nice 6' x 6' shrub that was trouble-free and hardy (but needs good drainage). The more common sort of buddleja, Buddleja davidii, was not hardy there.

@joeywyomingzone4 those are some of my favorites too! Columbines self seed in the most amazing places. Is Salvia Officinalis hardy for you? It survives very well in my zone 8 and is even evergreen.

I wonder if Nicotiana will grow in Z5. It's sprouts very easily from seed, starts blooming in late summer and continues to the first frost. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nicotiana-alata/

@MetteBee_Copenhagen8b my salvias came back each year but were slow to bloom, so they missed out on the first grand flush of flowers when everything else was putting on a show.

Ok, Diane, your garden pictures are more than amazing. If I could hand pick my next-door neighbors, I would pick you to live on one side and noseometer on the other. You both live in dry, hot climates and still manage to have these sumptuous gardens that give me a feeling of awe!

I love roses, but I'm personally not fond of gardens with only roses. I love all those perennials weaving in and around them, particularly white, blue, and lavender ones. Thanks, Aaron, for starting this thread! Kent Beauty is gorgeous. I just bought a plant recently and yes, it's an oregano, but it doesn't really smell like one. Oregano loves it in my climate and I am always on the lookout for any striking cultivars. While I adore Lady's Mantle, I don't think it would love my climate. I see you like High Country Gardens, too! I have ordered from them for years and can highly recommend them.

Papaver rhoeas 'Amazing Grey'

Its a very easy annual, can be sown very early, but tends to be done early in the season, so best planned to be used such that something else fills its space after its done blooming.

Oh cool, I have those grey ones for this coming season. Can't wait to see them in person. I think a few of us might have gotten them.

@User I have a ton of Amazing Grey seeds but keep forgetting to plant them! I've heard succession planting can extend the season (I forget who suggested it) but only by so much. What colors would you put it next to? I thought apricot would be a nice contrast, but would love to hear your thoughts!

I succession sow the dark purple poppy seed. It produces huge amounts of seed which can be sown in late winter, fall, etc. It also reseeds. I'm sure the gray poppy would work the same way.

Thanks so much, Judi. Diane

This is so much fun. I have a lot of these in my "rose garden"--columbine, peonies, siberian and bearded iris, nicotiana, swamp milkweed, etc. etc--and also native grasses like switchgrass and pink muhly grass. I've been trying to introduce more native plants in between my roses too; a lot of them have lovely blooms, good foliage, and will be perfectly happy without other care.

Have you thought about more native plants and more grasses? I use my local botanical garden and extension agency as resources for finding suggestions and plants.

Oh! And if you're not growing zinnias from seed every year you absolutely need to!

Bearberry is local--one of our rivers here in MKE has the name kinnickinnic which is an Indian name for bearberry. I've tried planting it with mixed success. I've thought to do wild bergamot (monarda) but have heard horror stories of it being extremely aggressive. Any you'd suggest?

Wild bergamot gets powdery mildew pretty easily, how does your garden generally fare with powdery mildew?

Aaron, what is MKE ? I should know, but don't. I hope you're feeling well. If you have a chance try to obtain a Select Seeds catalog, or go to their website. They have seeds for a beautiful oregano called "Barbara Tingey". I think this seller has the best selection of annual and some perennial seeds I've seen. They sell some plants, too. They have always offered antique varieties, as well as the newest kinds. I would love to try the heirloom climbing petunia they offer. Diane

OK, google has the answers. MKE is Milwaukee. I have visited your lovely state a couple of times, including MKE. Love the whole place. And I love the food, New Glaris, Door Country, and German Restaurants. Diane

It's gotten really great! Sorry I had a comment all written up and then the internet crashed :( Thank you for pointing out Select Seeds--I just looked and they have an AMAZING selection of scented geraniums. I always thought they sounded incredibly dowdy until I read about "Attar of Roses" and now I have so many :) thanks for showing it to me!

@Aaron Rosarian Zone 5b One annual I would not be without is Zaluzianskya capensis, aka "Night Phlox". Its a 8-12" annual that you sow early in the spring (I start seeds on March 1st) and pot into 3" individual starter pots for planting out in early May. You can sow directly in the ground, but I find I have more reliable results when sowing early, in pots. It grows in any soil, but requires full sun to perform well.

It has one of the most distinctive fragrances of any plant I have ever grown: a kind of smoky vanilla scent with hints of almond. The flowers open only at night, and its after dark that they really kick up their intense fragrance. Its not the prettiest plant in the daylight (but its not unsightly either); its fine, feathery bright green foliage fits nicely into a cottage garden scheme. Plants clumps of 10-15 plants 4-5" apart.

I've been growing Zaluzianskya for 27 years now, and I save seed every fall for the next year. It produces copious amounts of seed.

Zaluzianskya capensis

I noticed that one in my Select Seeds catalog. Thanks for the extra information. Diane

My favorite annuals are the cheerful reseeders:

Lychnis coronaria alba -- biennial I think; beautiful silvery gray foliage and white (sometimes flushed with pink) flowers all summer; wispy "see-through" flower stalks.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) -- I have some from my gma's garden and some of the newer varieties: fresh lime leaved, a double white (Vestal?). Easy to pull out the extras, fluffy foliage, flowers all summer. Acts like a short-lived perennial here.

Spanish/Moroccan poppy (Papaver rupifragum) -- LOVE this one! It only re-seeds in the sandy soil up by the house. One of the first and last perennial plants to bloom-- from May to September. Soft orange, delicate looking flowers but tough plant! Lovely foliage too. Hot, full sun, sandy to almost gravely soil -- it will be happy. A short lived perennial, but reseeds itself reliably every year.

Stocks -- if you have rich heavy soil, these are wonderful. Cut back in the heat of summer, will bloom again in the fall. The old-fashioned singles seem to put up with hot humid summer better.

Borage -- big hairy leaves -- a rather coarse plant, but beautiful sky blue clusters of flowers most of the summer. reseeds.

Larkspur -- would not be without it. I like the silvery grey and deep blues the best. Let it reseed.

Did anyone here recommend Nigella (Love in the Mist)? It's a great self seeding annual and the flowers are followed by lovely interesting seed pods.

Here it is next to Madame Hardy and a penstemon (a perennial that I love and that comes in many shades/colors). You can see my Nigella is mostly blue and white but I get the occasional purple/pink bloom a seen here.

Hmm. It has been awhile since I lived in z 5-6 and I had only a handful of roses then. I have always loved flowers, though and grew them even as a child.

Dianthus- There's a dianthus for everyone, I think. Some even have beautiful foliage that will smother weeds. The flowers are charming, often fragrant, and a color that will enhance most roses. I remember growing some from seed so if you're willing to start them early indoors, they may even bloom for you this year.

Daisies- Just plain old-fashioned Shasta daisies look lovely in most country-type or cottage-type gardens. They look great with roses and last awhile in a vase. Modern Shasta daisies come in various heights from 1-4 ft. Some are doubles with a tousled appearance. Some are a pale yellow. Most will give you another flush of bloom if you cut them back after blooming, depending on when they bloom for you and your first frost.

Cosmos- So easy to grow from seed. They should bloom for a good long time even if your first frost is late summer/early fall. Many will reseed so you may get some in the following years. The plant is sort of see-through and so not likely to overshadow even the young or delicate roses.

Browallia- I don't know why these pretty blue flowered native annuals aren't more popular. Although not a good cut flower, they are easy to grow in the ground or in a pot and once they start to bloom, they don't stop. They are good for the front of a border or along a path. They are so lovely with most roses.

Salvia- This is my favorite class of plants. There are several that make great garden annuals. Salvia farinacea (sort of looks like lavender) is hardy and tough without overwhelming most roses, looks nice with most roses and is something that deer despise. What's not to like? Salvia coccinea is a snap to grow from seed. The red ones might be too strong for pastel lovers but they also come in pure white and pink and white. They start blooming almost as soon as they come out of the ground and never stop. Hummingbirds will thank you.

I can come up with plenty more but this is a start.

I’ll chime in and add bachelor’s buttons to the others great suggestions. They bloom all summer, don‘t need much water, can be cut along with the roses, self seed without getting too crazy and easy to pull any extras. They are a good size plant next to most roses and don’t compete too much for water and nutrients. I planted ’Black Gem’ but the shades of blue and white would work well also. I don’t have a garden shot.

My favorite annual is Diamond Frost Euphorbia.

My favorite perennial is one already on your list... Nepeta. Mine is the Cat's Pajamas. No good pic but you can see a little beneath Bathsheba.

I enjoyed white swan coneflowers with my roses this past summer. The yellow in the foreground in lantana.

I'm curious if anyone has tried the new "Drops of Jupiter" oregano with roses or elsewhere. I am keeping my eyes open at my local nursery for that one. I am so very fond of lime/chartreuse foliage and wonder how well it would take hot dry climates like mine. (The average golden oregano at the nurseries seems to like some shade here.) The flowers look pretty similar to Rotkugel Oregano, but the foliage is lime colored.

My favorite oregano is Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus), not because of the rattlesnake tails that become very long by the end of the season, but because of the attractive fuzzy grey foliage that lasts through the winter (in my climate). Probably not hardy in zone 5 though. I like Kent Beauty also, but it goes completely brown in the winter, and it needs more water than Dittany of Crete. These oreganos aren't tall enough to be significant companions to roses in my garden.

Here's my Dittany of Crete:

And in the winter:

(after trimming):