New bed

Help needed. I have one bed really.  It will definitely be having rambling rose France E lester planted in it. What else would you plant ? I've got so much to choose from, I don't know where to start. The bed is roughly 1m x 2m .

Does it have a support for the rose?

I've no idea but I eager to see what suggestions you get.

Does it have a support for the rose?

That rose is the reason I built

   

It’s gone to it weathered grey now

   

Aah, I hadn't twigged that the new bed had the arch beside it.
As for planting ideas, I have none, sorry. Its usually tall things in the middle or back and lower things at the edge but I'm just a Bung it in sort of person who works on the basis that, if its wrong, it can be moved later.

Methinks this is a job for Scarlet. I've just had a look at the rose, it's a lovely creamy white with a yellow centre, so there's lots of scope for colour introduction, unless of course you want to go with a single colour grouping. Not that I have any idea really.

I’m not colour coding any of the flowers. If I end up with a pink & orange next to each other, it’ll still look awesome. I am concerned about hights and spacing.
Do I plant close together and let them fight it out ( less space, less weeds? ) or do I plant with there final established size in mind?
Also do I plant all my peonies, buddleia, lupins for example together/ in same area. Or do I dot them about Willy nilly? I’m leaning more toward together/ same area for the benefit of pollinators and it’d look more natural, maybe?

I plant lots of the same thing in the same beds...I have never been bothered about colour. I like a cottage garden look/thibgs dont get clipped etc but I have found when i stick to similar plants in a bed they do look better. But all subjective? I plant for now, whennit geys over crowded, something gets dug up and gets moved to an empty spot/given away.

I like to plant at the established spacing and fill the gaps with annuals or ground covering perennials. I've used poppies, poached egg plant, lamb's ears, cornflowers, phacelia, betony, oregano, chives. This year I'm adding some linaria 'fairy bouquet' which are hopefully smaller and more manageable than the big purple one.

First thoughts something like this.

   

I don’t plant many annuals anymore because the voles just eat them. But then if the perennial are to small they eat them too!