I use a lot of salvia hecause there are do many different varieties and heights. Fir talker I live hollyhock , foxglove and delphiniums

Mid size. echanachia, penstamon , alstromeria and monarda

Have fun

I use a lot of alyssum, it is easy to grow from seed and is not a super heavy eater. Attracts hover flies and helps keep aphids down, works like a charm. I also love using salvia, nepeta, and clematis for the color contrast

I like all of the above suggestions and would add hardy geranium, lavender and alliums

Thank you, ladies! Glad I have asked! I do not know any mid size plant from Kristine’s list.

Love silvia as well! I am growing petunias from seeds, are they good neighbours for roses?

I am almost always plant them in pots.

I like/have lavander and alliums! Last year I have planted silver carpet lambs ears and did not know how to get rid of then at the end of the season. Also like Dusty Miller.

I plant petunias around my roses and they all get along fine, they are heavy feeders and drinkers though so keep that in mind

Starting shopping!

Diane, just amazing!! I am also planning to start some perennials , but they would be ready may be Fall only. Have almost ready Snapdragons and Petunias. Bought a few starters Astilbes in Costco, they are growing like crazy!

Thanks, Elena. Remember snapdragons may be designated as an annual, but in our climates, they should live about three years, so don't dig them out in fall. Mine bloom until hard frost. Almost all of them came through winter fine, and they reseed some cool natural hybrids. You can plant perennials like penstemon now, too. Diane

My snapdragons made this one. I snap of spent stalks and leave them on the ground and they produce new plants for me. I don't mind the mess which is covered up by neighbor plants.

Diane, your snapdragons are massive! I'm curious about how big mine might grow. I received some seeds as a gift with another purchase, but I didn't pay attention to the variety.

Actually, my snaps are a lot of different sizes. Check out the snaps seed on Swallowtail Gardens Seed online. They have good descriptions that will give you an idea of the sizes of snaps. Also Hazzards Seeds has a huge collection of snaps for sale wholesale and retail. You can buy starter plants at nurseries, too, but some types aren't so great. Diane

Your plan looks lovely! Even if it doesn't work the way you picture it and you need to tweak it a bit, that's part of the fun of gardening. I think you'll like the end result.

A few years ago I decided to add more plants that would attract pollinators. I have a deer problem so the plants would need to discourage browsing. In early spring I have spring bulbs (no tulips) that disappear eventually. Next are columbine, short-lived perennials that self-seed, covering bulb leaves and serving up nectar for returning hummingbirds. I have lilies, amarylis, penstemon, foxglove, nicotiana and salvia for hummingbirds, phlox paniculata for butterflies, monarda, a local groundcover called Cumberland rosemary and decorative herbs for bees. In summer I fill in the empty spots with annuals like zinnias that attract bees and butterflies. Key to their attractiveness is height (standards are best) and fewer petals. Last fall I added a little evergreen heath- erica darleyensis 'Darley Dale'- that blooms fall and winter till April. I've seen early and late bumblebees on their flowers. All these do well with roses as long as drainage is good. My soil is poor, dry, rocky and extremely acidic. You can probably do better than I can.

BTW, deer WILL browse on almost anything if they are starving. Nothing is completely immune.

Thank you, Karen! We've focused on evergreens; all our trees and bushes, except for one cherry tree, are evergreens. My garden has evolved from a mix of vegetables with a few flowers to a rose garden adorned with evergreens. Despite the limited space, I still aim to maintain a traditional garden aesthetic.

Fortunately, we have a fence, so deer aren't an issue, but those pesky squirrels are causing trouble by digging up bulbs and snacking on cherries!

Elenazone6, I have been peppering my garden with fritillaria bulbs to discourage squirrels and voles from digging. I tried alliums too, but the fritillarias seem to be more effective. They dislike the smell.