Kathy, based on my experience (I am in MD too) and what I saw in other gardens around, Carefree Beauty gets some BS here, much more then Knock Out. It still looks decent (lest then 30-%) leaf loss) and blooms well, but still.... It is good roses for many climates, it is doing well even as close as in PA, we just have too much BS here.
Both roses will be big, I have two knowck outs and they are at least 6x6 even with strong prunning every spring. I don't have CB now, but I when I did it was even bigger then KO.
Bugs enjoy them both, as well as any other roses, unlesss they are silk or plastic. No such thing as bug resistant rose.
Olga

Carefree Beauty is rose pink and has larger, more interesting flowers. The original Knock Out is an odd fluorescent pinkish red that may not go with your perennial colors, but other KO colors are now available.

If there are a lot of japanese beetles in your neighborhood, these will attack roses in the summer months. However, having just one relatively non-fragrant rose will not make your yard a major JB target. Other pests such as aphids and rose slugs usually don't do serious damage.

Thanks for the info. I was lucky last year-very few JB-but I'm sure they'll be back eventually.

Is my area too hot and humid for Rugosas? That would have been my first choice but I haven't seen a single one planted nearby. My David Austins do get spider mites in spring-is a problem for Rugosas and could they tolerate being sprayed for that?

Spider mites shouldn't be a chronic problem in MD unless you are using an insecticide such as Merit (imidacloprid). They usually appear later in the season in hot, dry weather, rather than in spring. They can be discouraged by hard sprays of water applied to the underside of the leaves.

I grow only rugosas (including a few rugosa hybrids)and species roses in southern Maryland.

The rugosa 'Frau Dagmar Hastrup' (I've seen a couple of different spellings) is the right size for your situation and bullet-proof. Single clear pink flower. Beautiful scent. Heavy hip set. All in all, an excellent choice for you and, I think at least, significantly more attractive than any of the KOs. It will bloom heavily in the spring and again in the fall.

BTW, rugosas will tolerate nothing sprayed on them except water. I've only had spider mite issues on one rugosa during an exceptionally droughty summer. Regular sprays of water with the hose kept the problem to a dull roar and the rose recovered in subsequent years.

I live in fungus-prone Alabama and grow half dozen Carefree Beauty's and never had any blackspot on them but I have a ton of it on other roses.

No Riverspots, your area is not too warm for rugosas! I am in z8a and grow them succesfully, so sure you can too! I just put them were they get some hours of shade, not in constant full sun.
For a size of 4 feet (=120cm) or less, use the 'pavement' rugosas or r. romantic roadrunner, snowdwarf, dagmar haartrup, foxy. These stay small and are carefree.

I would choose Carefree Beauty over Knockout.... hands down. It has a much more beautiful bloom form and color.

colllinw: I would choose Carefree Beauty over Knockout.... hands down. It has a much more beautiful bloom form and color.

Ditto and I have several of both.

I like Pink Meidilland for low growth, drought resistance, rapid rebloom. I can't say about black spot. The flowers, which come all summer, are truly beautiful. Mine got about 4'x4'.

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I have Carefree Wonder and Pink and Red knockouts. The Carefree Wonder only gets 4 foot tall or so and has some really nice flowers.. I have not had too much issue with BS on Carefree Wonder..I like my knockouts also because they seem to bloom more then my Carefree Wonder all in all.. Here is a picture of both from last year..

red and pink knockouts
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Carefree Wonder
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Jess, your garden is gorgeous! It is so cared for, so green, so perfect! Not one leaf out of place, no disturbing elements, truly harmonious, and colors are so intense! I have seen similar gardens only in the pages of catalogues, I didn't believe they existed in real life. You have made your own little paradise around your house!

Jess, what is the name of your red and white knockout? Could you post a picture of it?

Very nice and well-tended garden, Jess. Looks like you have a full-time gardener with manicure scissors. That is a real WOW to behold, so neat and so well-tended.

Beautiful pictures of Carefree Wonder. Unfortunately, I had to get rid of my Carefree Wonder plants. They are really blackspot magnets in the South but Carefree Beauty seems to enjoy the South, so I grow her in multiples.

Both the rugosas (& I looove Fru Dagmar) and Knock-Outs are very very thorny. I put Carefree Beauty in a mixed border partly b/c it's much prettier than KO but also due to relatively less thorns. In the next bed I have three Old Gay Hill Chinas, also very few thorns!

I much prefer Double Knockout to the regular Knockout. I'm posting a link to a picture of mine that I just took the other day. For what it's worth, my gripe with all the Knockouts is that they have zero fragrance.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of Double Knockouts on Davy's Blog

I did not prune my Knockouts this year and they are buggars, about 10-feet tall and wide. Well, last year we pruned on time and had a hard freeze and lost a lot of stuff secondary to that so we did not prune this year, just let it go.

I just planted a double knockout rose..Usually, I'm not good with roses, but I thought this one might be easy to grow. I just read the post about the Japanese beetles!!! What can I do to prevent them from attacking this rose??? They come around here like crazy!!!

Sandra

CB is my best performer for blooming, disease resistance and vigor. It is very well named!

That is not a red and white knockout it is a original red knockout and faded alittle from the hot sun along the fence..These are pink and red knockouts and really love their color and rebloom most of summer and fall..I guess Carefree Beauty gets bigger then Carefree Wonder.. Both are very pretty though..