I might re-think those bushes if I were you. Two and a half ft might be all right, but If I planted them there, I'd put them closer to 3 ft from the foundation--you need to let some air get in there, and Knock Outs can spread out quite a bit as they mature. However, I'd worry about water from the overhang--could periodically knock over branches and blooms. On the other hand, if the plant is too protected by the overhang, it will not be able to take advantage of the rain--and rain is much better for roses than water from your hose/city system. Don't know where you live, but here in the Midwest, we usually put up gutters--to help protect our foundations. When it rains, blooms will sometimes get a bit waterlogged and need to be propped up or at least gently shaken to get rid of some of the excess water. That is a common problem. The issue here is whether your roses are getting far too much excess water from the overhang overflow. I guess I'd need some pics to decide for sure. Good luck. Kate

In my hot and humid climate, Eyes For You is a real winner. It's been 100% disease free, maintained a very leafy, pleasing bushy shape, repeat flowered constantly and has lovely perfume too. It's one of my best! I also have For Your Eyes Only, the blooms are lovely but it's not as floriferous as EFY, although it's not in a great spot. It's had a little black spot too. Looking forward to hearing what others recommend!

Thanks for the approval, Paul. :-) I'm not a genius at all -- the only reason that rose was in my head was because it's one of the rare things Rose Fire carries, and which I'm waiting to become available again. While it's lumped with the Gallicas, it's most likely something along the lines of Vibert's Hybrid Gallicas -- the result of Centifolia/Gallica crosses. And that's why you see those Damask-y sepals, since they came from Centifolias, which inherited them from Damasks. :-) ~Christopher