There are few sights as lovely as a trellis or fence smothered in roses, unless it’s a rose and a clematis growing together intertwined, bringing out the best in each other. Most clematis are vines that need the support of a structure or a plant. But the support needn’t be vertical; the plants will grow along a low fence or wind their way through other sturdy plants. Even shrub and ground cover roses make good partners, so the possibilities for combining these two stars of the garden are endless.
Bloom time is the first consideration. Decide if you want both plants to bloom at the same time or at different times to prolong the flowering on the fence or arbor. If your rose has just one flush of blooms, you can choose a clematis on the same blooming schedule. Or you can choose a clematis that blooms earlier or later. Or you can really extend the show by planting three different clematis alongside your rose — one that blooms before the rose, one that blooms simultaneously, and one that blooms later. That way, you’ll be sure to have color all summer.
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