Whoa. I had no idea this forum post was updated. Carolyn, Definitely not looking for rot problems. The problem with getting recommendations for my region is that I have not found a reliable source yet - they just say "plums" and "apples" grow well here. I called my county's extension office and the guy was nice enough to email me some informative things but they didn't exactly answer my question about what is specifically known to grow well. Just now, I found an article online that says Frontier and Ozark Premier can be grown in the Southeast. On the other hand, Stark Bros. says Ozark Premier is "the best choice for the Ohio Valley and the Northeast, as well as the Midwest". So I've stayed in a state of flux and just used this forum mainly to see what people's experience with different varieties has actually been. At the time of this posting, I'd decided on Shiro and Satsuma. I want to get them from the same place and I want them the same size roughly so I've had a time locating a source. In the meantime, I've been trying to learn as much as I can and trying to see if there is a better choice to start with than what I have determined.

Wait a minute -- I have clerodendrum bungeii coming out of my ears and sending suckers out my nose, so to speak -- in a sheltered location beneaath my bedroom window the thing has spread from one small stick to a three-foot thicket in two years, and it blooms for more than a month! If anyone wants me to bring a potted sucker of this sweet-scented pink-and-cream-blooming monster to the swap, I can certainly oblige! Other prolific plants that like it hot and humid: - maypops (passiflora/passionfruit vine), - sweet autumn clematis (these two vines are lovely together, though be sure to keep the passiflora in a solid-bottomed pot so it doesn't send runners up 30 feet away), - daylilies, - phlox do OK, but get mildewed in our climate - Japanese anemone, - closed gentian (gentiana andrewsii) - trycirtis (toad lily) and lots more! LynnT

msrpisi: I have 1 Mary Rose and 1 Heritage growing 3 feet apart. Over 10 years old each. 4-5 hours of sun a day, tops. MR gets a bit more. Your description of how MR does matches mine, re: BS/defoliation. That's with 1 March copper spray, and (past years) 1-2 "other" fungicide sprays per year. Good initial flush, then sparse smattering of bloom after big heat subsides. Heritage in past years has given 3 flushes a year - 1st best, of course. With same Rx as above, trivial BS and no to minimal defoliation. Last year I just did the single March spray on it - no difference. Some of the healthiest foliage of all my roses. I do see Heritage was near the top of this http://www.nybg.org/gardens/rose-garden/performers-2010.php list's rankings. Although, as it has good delicate fragrance, some of the high score reflected that (rather than just disease resistance and flower power). I'm presuming the 10 point scale system Peter K. used there was akin to the 100 point scale he used here: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3840656/spray-free-roses-spreadsheet-kukielski    Interesting Heritage doesn't even appear on the spreadsheet (or I missed it). FWIW, I'm about 20 miles from Manhattan. Hope that helps.

WEDDING BELLSSSSSSS! (Imaging that sung out like a happy and fat opera singer). I love love love this rose and I know you will to. I think it may be the perfect rose. I told Chris from New Flora that it should be added to the Sunbelt collection along with Beverly since both performed so well for me here in South Florida, but I'm sure there is more to it than just Florida heat. My Savannah is still small and has only bloomed twice. Its not in the most perfect location. Right now it doesn't get much sun and will only start getting ideal sun once it grows a little taller. It had pretty good disease resistance however and the bloom is very pretty. Its only been in the ground a couple of months though. I love Plum Perfect. Cream Veranda is also a wonderful rose you may want to try. It stays very compact and the blooms are quite large considering the plant stays so small. Solero Vigorosa is in the same boat as Cream Veranda. Its not quite as disease resistant, but its not bad and it too has large blooms in comparison to its size. I really like Roxy vigorosa. Its pretty much a miniature though. But the little blooms look like miniature versions of Fallstaff or Rouge Royal blooms and its just too cute. It blooms a bunch. I also really like Lavendar Veranda. Its a little taller than Cream Veranda growing to about 2.5 feet and a very prolific bloomer. Not quite as deep in color as Plum Perfect. One that has not done well for me is Summer Romance. No blooms. None! Its been there for 2 years without a single bloom. Just lots and lots and lots of healthy foliage. Another one that's still up in the air is Raspberry Vigorosa. Its extremely resistant to disease and has bloomed some. But so far its much more plant than flower. I havent given up on it yet though because its only been in the garden about 6 months. One that puzzles me is Earth Angel. Its first few months it gave me about 6 gorgeous blooms that were to die for. Then it stopped blooming and had just shot out new shoot after shoot after shoot. I've never seen such a vigorous rose. Its the bushiest thing ever, but no buds. Its not tall per say, just really really bushy. Its about 2x2. I cut it back about 2 months ago, hoping to git it to bloom but I think I just angered it because it shot out 7 (count em, 7!) new basal canes after i pruned it, and still no buds. Again, I'm not giving up on it, because it was just a little one gallon thing when I planted it last fall but if it sends out any more shoots, I don't know where its gonna put them. Its so friggin' bushy! I'm so impressed with many of my new Kordes that I just put in an order for a bunch more. I'm getting: Florentina, Jasmina, Honeymoon, (all climbers) from Edmunds. Then, Lemon Fizz Kolorscape, Rose of hope, Dark Desire, Soul Sister and Poseidon.