Climbing Rose with Lily of the Valley

Question

I purchased a Golden Showers Climbing rose which can grow in part sun part shade. I want to plant the rose next to my garage. The area now gets 5 or more hours morning sun with the recent (last year) removal of my neighbor’s Maple tree; however, there is already an established Lily of the Valley garden growing there. Can I plant the rose at the end of the Lily of the Valley colony or will it choke the rose out? Will the little lilies die now that it receives more sun? Will I have to remove some of the lilies?

Answer 1

My Grandmother had two climbing rosebushes with Lily of the Valley growing at their feet for years. The two seemed to get along just fine. The area on one side of her home got about the same amount of sun as you state (5 to 6 hours) too. Since the lily of the valley plants are well established, they should do okay even with the increased sun time. The key to more sun time and lily of the valley doing okay is the soils moisture. Be sure to keep any eye on the soils moisture and they should do just fine. You will likely need to remove and replant some of the lilies for the initial planting of the rosebushes, perhaps replanting some at the outer edges of the roses planting areas.