I can't tell what they are. Aphids? They come in different colors. Whatever they are, they're probably causing at least half the problem. Nutrient-deficient plants are more susceptible to insect infestations. Squash the bugs, or brush/knock them into a container of soapy water. Sue

Ginny, yes that creamy leaf-roller looks like exactly what is in my roses. Thanks for the link! Barfedy-barf barf! I am so not a squisher, unless it is something little and relatively fluid-free like an aphid. Those worms? No way. I am however a big believer in hand-picking. I just burn them instead of squishing. I'm not against using chemical sprays; a few times in the past they have done the trick and prevented nasty things like spider mites from spreading. BUT. I'm trying much harder to avoid spraying now, 1) because of pregnancy..no matter how calm it is, I always seem to get a bit of spray flavor in my mouth. I'm sure that's healthy... 2) Some of the sprays seem to weaken the plants so much, that I almost always seem to get something even worse that moves in after I spray 3) Sometimes the spray doesn't quite finish the job, the bug repopulates, and then you are truly screwed because your plant is weakened and you got rid of your beneficial bugs. Definitely a last resort for me. So a handpicking I go! Those rose weevils are annoying..at the slightest brush they fall to the ground, making it hard to find them if you didn't have something under the branch to catch them. That, and the roses also have plenty of revolting spiders camped out on the buds, which for a person with arachnophobia like me, makes for some very ginger picking. There also seems to be some black splotches on quite a few of the buds..like at least half. I'm not sure if I should cut them all out, or if some dark spots are normal or caused by water or something else..hmm..I hope I don't have to cut them out, because Prairie Peace is a heavy bloomer and that will take forever!

WOW! thanks fiedlermeister! i`m relaxed now hehe. for me it was always like - strange spots on leaves - something worng, but now i know that it`s normal! cheers

Ya... some confusion going on it seems. Chilie is a pepper. Chili is a dish. So in a literal sense you can have chilie powder made out of dried ground peppers. Now... to make the dish most in the U.S. consider chili you have to add a spice mixture know as "chili powder". As I recall Lars has a fondness for Mexico and lives in the South Western corner of the U.S. I'm not surprised that he would think of powdered peppers before a spice mixture. One of the things really interesting about his cooking is that he is doing different things with his food. Much as I'd love to sample Lar's cooking someday I'm going with Arley on the cumin. Cumin is the heart and soul of the dish we call Chili. My pot of chili often contains several kinds of hot peppers but it also takes a load of cumin. People walking into my home will exclaim in delight when I cook chili because of the fragrant cumin. I found whizzing my whole cumin seed in the blender with some tomatoes chops the cumin up pretty good. Not as good as hand chopping. My first lesson with cumin seed was to chop it up on a cutting board with a knife. Still strikes me as the best flavor. Our friends on the CF from India have recommended toasting the cumin... very good but I'm not 100% sold. The seed does require considerable cooking to release the oils that account for the intense flavor. The very best cumin I can purchase at the moment is bulk ground cumin from GFS which is a restaurant supply company. Tops even Penzey's whole seed. Still ground does not get the full spectrum of flavor so I add mostly ground GFS cumin and top note my flavor with some freshly chopped seed. Somehow ground cumin even when fresh and strong still does not have the high aromatic essence of whole seed. Chili powder often contains garlic that I've removed from my chili. Garlic is great and garlic is good but it is also sweet and not the character I want. Maybe sometimes it is alright.... I used to add sliced fresh garlic to my chili. Goodness that warms your entire body when the mood is there for it. Cilantro, in particular fresh cilantro provides an intense aromatic flavor and scent that many associate with north of the boarder "mexican" cooking. LOL!... sorry don't mean to go on so much. Chili is one of my favorite dishes. Fresh garden tomatoes are priceless if you want chili with star power. Different peppers add heat with different characters as Lars noted. Peppers at different stages of ripeness also display remarkably different characteristics. Green habeneras are not ripe but they are milder and have more tang then mature red habs. Then the amount of time a pepper cooks will change the flavor and heat profile of a pepper. My chili is tested and approved by Luna! Suppose I should admit I don't use chili powder in my chili. Not powdered peppers or any branded spice mix. Cumin and cilantro with hot peppers being part of the vegtable mix. I top coat much of my food with salt and black pepper and always do so with chili. : ) lyra