Elin wrote: " I do now have a few of the Knock-Out roses which are not as susceptible. Of course, rosarians don't consider them real roses. "
Although I have plenty of roses, I don't travel in rosarian circles. My solution to the disease problem in our climate is to grow only once-blooming roses, mostly climbers from the first half of the twentieth century. Many of these have Rosa wichurana in their background and are just about black spot free. I've never understood why anyone wants to grow roses or other plants which require a lot of attention in July and August in our climate: those months are the pits. With respect to the Knock Out roses: I know it's fashionable to poke fun at them, and in fact the first time I saw them I mischievously asked my companion if they were plastic. Now that I've seen what they are capable of, I've changed my mind. In particular, they are invaluable for late season color in the garden. In my mind's garden I see them combined with the hardy Ackerman hybrid fall blooming camellias, all in full bloom in early and mid November. I know we've wandered far from alpine plants and rock gardens, but here's a nod in that direction: has anyone grown any of the very numerous dwarf roses as rock garden plants. They come as bush- and climber-forms, and some of them retain the "species" look. Jim McKenney
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