Sorry folks, I may have misidentified these. They may been the Common Eastern Bumble Bee. I'm trying to ID online and some of the photos are misleading and bad.

I'm right outside of Savannah. My impatiens bloomed like crazy from April 'til frost last year. They were in full shade, though, and got lots of water. They'll drink a lot in our summer heat. Welcome to the neighborhood! :)

I'd do the 14.75/9.0. But what is the efficiency of the NG component? I have a 90% because of a basement location - it was actually cheaper. I have been in the house 3 years and have used about $500 in gas so the 80% would probably cost $15 a year more to run. (5000 sqft house) You should know that "energy rated" does not at all mean that the house is being built with best practices. My biggest regret is not doing a better wall system - just adding an inch of rigid foam would really futureproof your house but payback is likely 15 year range. Of course, dropping to seer 13 and using the savings here will be a better long term financial decision. With NG costs right now, it is really hard to justify much $$ invested on the heating side without a long outlook. Mature trees are nice but you can get window coverage pretty quickly with planted trees. Sounds like West is the front. What I find works well is a flowering tree planted fairly close to the house centered on a window bank. You can crop the lower branches as it grows so the window view is not blocked and the house is still visible - but within a few years, you get a great reduction in the heat gain from that window bank.

tinman, I am a Master Rosarian in north Phoenix. Perhaps I can help you. As you've guessed, bare root season in Phoenix ended in mid-February. Any bare root rose you purchased after that date had less than 50% chance of growing enough to protect it from hot temps, hot soil, hot water, etc. Bare roots purchased now will have 25% or less chance without some major work. First, no more ground planting until after Oct 1. The soil is so hot right now, that feeder roots will cook. Use the largest light-colored container, with excellent drainage, a rose-planting mix and plan to place the bush and container in the shade, preferably on the patio. You'll not only need to water the bush every day but you may need to erect shade cloth over it. My recommendation would be to create a little shade structure using part of your covered patio. You can purchase outside roller shades that produce the same effect and don't look quite so ugly. These are weighted shades that can resist some monsoon winds. Better to roll them up before the dust moves in, though. Don't feed those roses until after Oct 1. The planting mix will have enough nitrogen to give the roots a boost through the summer. Too much nitrogen will just cook them. Soak the bare roots for up to 24 hours in a 5-gallon bucket of water with several drops of SuperThrive. You can continue to use SuperThrive at least once a week throughout the summer. Unfortunately, you'll also need to mist these bare roots every day until they leaf out. There are several methods of erecting shade structures for established roses but all need to be weighted in order to withstand the monsoon winds. Trellises need to be galvanized, powder-coated or redwood for best results in heat and dry. The trellis should be attached to the wall with at least 4-6 inches of airflow between. You can accomplish this by using a 4x6 block between the trellis and wall and using masonry bolts to anchor. There are plastic polypropylene trellises but they don't last any longer than a lawn chair made of the same stuff. I start most of my bare root climbers in a large (20-24") container and use a tomato cage to hold up the canes. I do the same for David Austin English Roses that droop and OGRs that do the same. You can also use a large/giant tomato cage and shade cloth to create individual shade structures for these bare-roots. Attach the shade cloth with twist ties, shower curtain hooks, or some such. You'll need to weight the shade cloth down with bricks, pavers or similar. Leave some type of access to get water and mist inside the shade area. Next Phoenix Rose Society meeting is Tuesday, June 20, 6:30pm, at the Valley Garden Center, 1809 N 15th Ave, Phoenix (between Thomas and McDowell Roads). It's the potluck before we take a summer break in July and August. You can also find me at the public rose garden most Saturday mornings at about 9am. During the winter, I'm there for several hours a week but during the summer, I may only drop by for a couple hours, 1-2 times a month.