It depends on what kind of roses they are.

{{gwi:212908}}

Do you think mint stands a chance of surviving this jungle?

Here mint is a very agressive grower that will overwhelm every other plant. The rule around here is never plant mint in the ground unless you want an entire garden of it. I have mine in a pot. It is solid mint roots--there isn't even any soil anymore. Yet it lives and grows!

Perhaps in colder zones it is more well-behaved?

"Perhaps in colder zones it is more well-behaved?"

Not here, Hoov. It has even colonized a dry bank that is densely covered with candytuft and daylilies. It spreads wildly during wet spells and hangs on through droughts.

Not behaved here either...
My kids took one tiny mint seedling from my mint garden 4 or so years ago and planted in the front flower bed...
it comes back every year, has almost taken over the entire bed & is also coming up in the grass.
The honey suckle vine doesn't seem to mind it, nor does the bridal wreath...
the roses on the other hand don't seem to care for it.
It is now an additional "weeding" job.
As it comes up around the roses I pull it out and give the roses room to breath.
Sure does smell good though :o)

I WISH mint would grow like that here.
It dies every time.

I think it hates our water.

Jeri

We grow ours both in containers and the garden. The one in the garden mixes with the felines catnip and they love to lay on both plants. I trim them both with a shovel:) And they both grow back with enthusiasm. I might have to remove the mint one of these days as it is becoming a force of nature. I love it though but yes it has no manners at all.

Kate

My mint is in my BF garden and is taking it over. But it's easy to pull up. I never though of putting in with roses....hmmm. I think the mint could stand up to it and I don't mind pulling it because then I have fresh mint leaves and my hands smell like mint.

Jeri, you and I must be the only ones who can kill mint... And I love spearmint so very much.

Mint can be just as aggressive in the north, I can testify to battling a "mint patch" when we first inherited this garden, the mother plant was the size of a medium-sized shrub by midsummer. I no longer mess around with mint. I use it in cooking and have some planted in a partially-buried pot so the roots don't wander. But I still need to keep an eye on it as the longer stems will lean over and try to root themselves on the ground around it. My mint gets a severe haircut every few weeks whether I need it for a recipe or not. And I won't even put the sprigs in the compost pile for fear of spreading mint around.

The bareroot roses you got at HD are probably hybrid teas so won't be as vigorous as other roses. Your mint will probably overwhelm them within a year or two unless you are scrupulous about keeping the mint in check.

I think mint and bamboo might make an interesting pairing. Heck, let's throw in some wisteria and Bermuda grass too.

@rjlinva

LOL!! Someone's lived through gardening nightmares! :-)

Like most of you, mint is very aggressive in my garden. I've tried growing them in pots and they've even seeded elsewhere. Their stolons spread everywhere, even in the lawn. I love mints and like using them for cooking, but I wouldn't put them with my roses on purpose.