Pink turtleheads with Montgomery Blue Spruce, Crimson Pygmy Barberry, Hosta undulata, and Pennisetum grass. Mid-September. Panicum Shenandoah with Double Knockout Rose. Late September-Early October. This is the grass behind the previous picture, Miscanthus Graziella with Itea Henry's Garnet. Picture taken last October. The brilliant Itea leaves often stay on until the beginning of December here! This is the bed in front of the large grasses with small shrubs and four Pennisetum Hamelins. Picture taken in late September in the slanty fall sun. A chance picture taken at the very end of October 2006 of dying Siberian Iris foliage and the very late blooming Sedum sieboldii (October Daphne). This sedum doesn't always make it to bloomtime in my garden. Even without flowers on the sedum, I'm fortunate in that the Siberian Iris foliage stays green and upright into late September for me and the tiny blue-grey edged pink leaves of the sedum are lovely & don't splay open until bloom. Another very late October 2006 picture of Honorine Jobert anemone and a stray (self-planted) bit of Sedum Autum Joy, probably from a broken off stem. The front of this bed is lined with AJ, but the anemone blooms always face backwards!! Helianthus angustifolius First Light, the last plant in my garden to bloom, with Goldflame Spirea, already in its fall orange color. End of September-Early October. This picture is from last year, as the helianthus is just beginning to open its buds today.

As Michael correctly stated, many people confuse cercospora and even anthracnose with black spot. Both of those diseases tend to produce "black spots" on leaves and information on them is not as widely publicized as is the information for black spot. Both diseases tend to appear in summer. All that being said, in many parts of the US, true black spot can appear pretty much any time during the growing season depending on local weather conditions That is why it is important to establish a fungicide program for susceptible roses and STICK TO IT for the entire season. As for different races of black spot, as has already been ,mentioned, there are at least five known pathogenic races of the fungus. Chances are there are more. So a rose that is resistant to one race may not be resistant to one or more of the others. However, all the races are controlled by widely available fungicides. Roses - and plants in general - do not have the same immune system as is found in insects, birds, mammals, etc. In other words, specific plant individuals do not actually "develop" a resistance to a specific pathogen as they are exposed. - they either have the genetic resistance or they don't ( this is highly simplified, of course). In a practical sense, if your rose gets black spot, it won't become resistant to later infections - you will have to control the fungus.

Never fertilize at planting time. There's enough stress already on the plants regardless of planting time and fertilizing only adds to that factor. Just make sure the plants have adequate water - that's the most important factor. I believe that most times we become too focused on the need to fertilize. We can thank Miracle Gro and others of their ilk for that!! As long as you have moderately decent soil, there is really no need to fertilize established inground plantings unless they show obvious signs of deficiencies. And most of the time you can circumvent those by routinely applying an organic mulch. Containerized plants are a bit different but even with my extensive JM collection - all in containers - I only fertilize once a season in early spring with a CRF like Osmocote. No fertilizing after August 1 for containerized plants. As to the advisability of fall fertilizing for inground plants, it is a great time IF (and only if) any fertilizing is required. Roots are in an active growth pattern at that time and are able to absorb nutrients very efficiently. You just want to avoid any high N ferts that would encourage rapid growth that could be damaged by winter cold. In fact, waiting until after a good frost is probably best if you choose this timing

hey laydies I tie on my own lures and bait my own hooks. take fish off too- but not as interested anymore. I would like to learn to fly fish though- not so much for the fish but to learn the technique. Now I fish a bit and read a lot when we go fishing- although we havent gone at all this summer. Oh and my beautiful DD also loves to fish and takes care of her own tackle and bait! she doesnt read - she fishes. I want to take off to part unknown for about 2 weeks- I have 6 weeks of vacation I wont get to use.sigh. I would like to pile the dogs in the car and hit the road.