10 Beautiful Rose Bush And Clematis Vine Pairings To Try In Your Garden

Although climbing roses and clematis vines make a great pairing in the garden, you can also pair clematis vines with shorter, more compact shrub roses. There are many clematis vines that don't grow too tall and pair beautifully with non-climbing roses for vibrant color and texture in the summer garden. Do some research before planting to determine the mature height of your roses and clematis vines to make sure the size works for your space.

Planting these two perennials together successfully needs a bit of planning. You can plant your clematis vine in front of your rose, behind it, or on one side of it, then train the clematis vine to grow beside your shrub rose. You can also add a small trellis for the clematis to cling to. Roses need plenty of sun to bloom, and so do clematis vines. But, clematis plants also like to have their roots remain cool and somewhat shaded, so planting a small perennial nearby to create shade for the roots is a good practice for these perennial climbers.

There's a huge variety of roses and clematis vines to choose from. Roses also range from being very low maintenance plants, such as long-blooming Knockout roses, to those needing slightly more care, like English roses. Both roses and clematis benefit from careful pruning. Do some looking to find the varieties best for your needs. We gathered some attractive combinations for you to try to create a truly spectacular summer display.

Yellow roses are a sunny, cheerful sight in summer. Plant them with a deep purple clematis vine for a striking pairing in the garden. There are many excellent yellow shrub roses including the hardy 'Baby Love' rose with lemon yellow single petals. 'Morning has Broken' is a disease-resistant yellow shrub rose that stands up to summer heat. Deep purple flowered clematis include 'Arabella,' 'Sapphire Indigo,' and 'Elsa Spath.' The 'Taiga' double-flowering purple clematis tops out at eight feet, so can pair with a large yellow shrub rose like the long-blooming 'Julia Child.'

Who says red and pink don't mix in the garden? This colorful arrangement combines warm pink roses such as the award-winning 'Dee-lish' or the gorgeous heirloom 'Reine Victoria' (named for Queen Victoria) with Niobe clematis. The bright warm pink of these fluffy-petaled roses is beautifully accented by the vivid ruby red of the large clematis flowers, creating a show-stopping display. The Niobe clematis blooms for weeks, likes moist, rich soil, and tolerates dappled shade.

A pale lilac-pink rose such as the hybrid tea rose 'Blue Moon' or the glamorous pale 'Lagerfeld' (both of which are strongly fragrant roses) makes a stunning pairing with a dark purple clematis.  Try pairing one of these pastel roses with the popular 'Jackmanii' clematis with its huge long-lasting bright purple blooms, or 'The President,' a lush rebloomer whose purple flowers have a striking reddish stripe down the middle of each petal. Other light purple roses to try with this color combination include 'Angel Face,' 'Blue Girl,' and 'Violet's Pride.' 

Peach roses are a refreshing and unusual shade for the garden, and pairing them with pale blue clematis vines creates a rich color pairing that stands out. Some peach roses have tinges of yellow, while some are more pink. One excellent peach rose from David Austin is the fragrant shrub rose 'Carding Mill.' 'Orange at Last' is a newer robust hybrid worth trying. Pale blue flowering clematis to pair with your peach roses include 'Cezanne,' 'Sugar Sweet Blue,' and 'Blue Light.'

The lovely heirloom Sister Emanuelle has large bright pink-lavender blooms with a sweet damask rose fragrance that bloom for weeks starting in mid-spring. This double-petalled rose has a full,cupped shape. Grow it with another French heirloom beauty, Etoile Violette: the magenta purple flowers of this clematis vine will provide a vivid, dramatic color companion from mid to late summer. 

Deep red roses with blue-violet clematis is perhaps one of the most dramatic variations for combining these climbing, summer-flowering perennials. There are numerous possibilities to try together in this color combination. For low-maintenance roses there are many stunning options. Try classics like the bright red, fragrant 'Mister Lincoln,' or the dark red velvety petalled  'Oklahoma.  A pale or medium violet-blue clematis like 'Violet Stargazer,' 'Ravel,' or 'Olympia' brings a great cool contrast to the warm, deep red tones of classic roses, creating a vivid color show for the summer garden.

White roses can be a great neutral backdrop for brighter colors of clematis. From single-petaled wild roses to multi-petalled heirlooms, there are many white shrub roses available. Try the regal, fragrant heirloom rose 'Margaret Merril,' or 'Iceberg' for two excellent white roses. A deep violet clematis entwined with your white climbing rose makes a great color combination in the garden. 'The Duchess of Cornwall' is vivid dark purple with burgundy striping and yellow centers, 'Warsaw Nike' has velvety dark purple magenta petals, and 'Guiding Promise' is a striking four-petalled deep plum violet clematis.

Don't feel limited to choosing single plants for your color pairings. You can have more than one shade of the same hue in your combinations: like dark and light blue clematis with bright red roses, peach and yellow roses with blue clematis, or magenta and pink clematis flowers with white roses. Layering multiple colors like this allows for a more expressive display, and also allows for longer bloom time if you combine early and late season bloomers.

The color combination of magenta and pale blue in the garden can't be beat, but what about having fragrant flowers in these delectable colors? There are many roses in deep pink magenta shades, like 'Elmshorn' which has clusters of deep magenta pink fragrant blooms. The 'Princess Elise' rose is a compact heirloom shrub rose with lovely fragrance and deep pink blooms. This rich color would look wonderful paired with the pastel flowers of 'Sugar Sweet Blue,' a pale blue and white striped clematis that also offers sweet fragrance.

Two-toned flowers provide extra colorful tones in the garden. Both roses and clematis have a number of two-toned varieties to create distinctive color pairings in the garden. Clematis flowers with striped petals that offer two-toned beauty include 'Kilian Donahue' (lavender and magenta), 'Nelly Moser' (white and pink), and 'Dr. Ruppel' (carmine pink and rose). Try pairing these with two-toned shrub roses like the legendary 'Peace' rose (pale yellow with pink edges), 'Cherry Parfait' (white edged with deep red), or 'Painted Moon' (blush red with yellow centers).