As some of you may remember, I planted three new rose bushes last year. I already had five other roses in the Tranquil Garden, most of which are very hardy and only cause me a small amount of heartache every year. The ones I planted last year are Canadian-bred hardy roses, too, and I’m grateful for that; I can’t imagine how particular they’d be if they weren’t! As it is, I worried over them a lot last year because they suffered terribly from black spot, that scourge of roses. They flowered for awhile and were beautiful, but then they dropped most of their leaves and looked pathetic for the rest of the season. I tried to pick up the dead leaves and pick off the yellowing leaves to minimize the spread of the disease, but it’s hard to get it all.
I get exasperated by roses because they are so susceptible to various problems. Black spot is a big one, but also powdery mildew, leaf-cutter worms and bud-worms. In the spring, in order to keep things from getting out of hand, it’s important to make a daily (or almost) check of your garden to see whether you have any new unwanted visitors. I don’t use pesticides so the most effective tool I have is constant vigilance. The worms and other bugs tend to show themselves subtly at first so it’s easy to miss the signs. If you see leaves that are slightly rolled up, check to see whether there is a cocoon or some other larvae under there. Either wash off what you see or remove the leaf. Better safe than sorry! Bud worms establish themselves in the bud very early in its development, so if you see some brown stuff or the tiny bud looks deformed, cut it off. Be ruthless; sacrifice a few blooms for the overall health of the plant.
There are plants other than roses that get powdery mildew; for instance, bachelor’s buttons, forget-me-nots, and phlox. There are homemade concoctions you can mix up and spray on the leaves, but I have yet to bother with them. Powdery mildew doesn’t seem to kill the plant, so that’s my excuse for my laissez-faire attitude. I feel sorry for my purple-leafed rose this year, though, it’s looking pretty decrepit. It always seems that I miss my window of opportunity for doing the spraying. By the time I start thinking about it, the stuff is all over the plant and it seems hopeless. (What happened to constant vigilance, you ask?)
So, why do I still plant roses, worry and fuss over them all the time and accept a high level of aggravation in the process? As soon as a flower bud overcomes the obstacles and opens up in its full perfection, it’s all worth it. 
I love to hear from you!