I'm in Tyler and Texasrosegal is spot on. But the blackspot will go away when as the days heat up. However, since you have a business that relies on your roses being beautiful year round, you will probably have to spray. Aphids don't bother me so much as you can wash them off. I've thought about planting some butterfly weed - I think that's the plant that aphids love more than roses and will go to first. Check out the Earthkind roses. They are perfect for us Texans. :)

It's a caudiciform succulent- Adenium obesum. Here is a link that might be useful: Cactus and succulent forum

Sara Ann, I hope you join the Tulsa Rose Society if you do not already belong. Feel free to email me, and I can give you specifics about joining. I would love to meet you. Exhibitors plan their exhibits. They often have roses that they groom specifically for show. When they plan for an exhibit, they may prune off much of a rose, so that the rose can put all its energy on a few, then on one bloom. The "art of exhibiting" is its own special talent or art. It is very interesting, and fun to be involved in for someone like me who mainly watches in amazement. I have many photos in HMF, and so do many who post here. I just catch a pretty photo by chance. I used to spray, and could grow most roses. Now I do not spray, and mainly grow certain categories that do not require spray. I will never grow so many roses that others grow, but those who exhibit may not enjoy the type of garden that I love. I live in a suburb on the east side of Tulsa - almost in the city. They main thing I need to do to be successful is to keep a hose inside in the winter, and hook it up on pretty winter days to water. Last year was the first true drought that I can remember since the early 1980's. I was too busy to ever even purchase a new hose and hook it up. I left all my hoses unattached, but on the ground. I did not water. There are very successful rose growers who belong to the Tulsa Rose Society. They can answer so many questions about rose growing. The meetings are on a Sunday at about 1:00 or 2:00 at Woodward Park. My email is attached on this forum, I think. Feel free to contact me. Sammy

Earthkind is just a designation by a university in Texas. The roses tested met certain criteria, performed exceptionally under adverse conditions. This post was edited by mauvegirl8 on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 10:11