***Though I have a line of /Lavandula lanata/ beside several roses, and
they are doing well, it's more that the roses are tolerating the
Lavender conditions than the other way around. If the soil, exposure,
and so on are more the rich, fertile, and often moist conditions in
which roses thrive, your instinct is correct: Go for Nepeta, Salvia,
hardy Geraniums, and the like.
Best Wishes,
--BCD