Too many chemicals for me. I just use garden compost.

I tried my hardest to stay away from from chemicals. Especially since I'm partial to everything organic. But after treatments of natural homemade & organic sprays that were not helping I went to the local nursery & used what they suggested (I don't like using harmful chemicals on anything but was at a loss on what else to try). Living in an apartment & only having a balcony to use as my garden...composting is not allowed & am looking for other options that people have had success with. Thanks:)

Given the conditions that you are growing your roses (indoor & dry) I would guess Spider Mites. Every time I buy a miniature rose and try to grow it in my classroom, I inevitably get Spider Mites. There is a smattering of what looks like dust on the leaves and, after a while, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. There is evidence of burn on the tips and the plant quickly looses vigor and dies. I would use hydro therapy to treat mites before I went to chemicals (you can usually spray them off with a hose), but eventually I always end up using chemicals if I'm invested enough in the plant.

flowerlilies,

Often people who work in garden centers don't really understand much about pests, diseases, and chemicals. You should ask first on the GW forum for the particular kind of plant. And don't believe the first poster who responds, because we can make mistakes too. Though, if we let a reply stand without further comments, that's probably a tacit approval. It's really important not to panic and apply a barrage of remedies before you have a good diagnosis.

Also, when you post a question, it's important to give a general idea of where you live, because pests and diseases are regional, rainfall and winter damage can play a role, etc. For example, a diagnosis of scale insects on roses would be more likely if you are in Southern California, Hawaii, or Miami. But rose midge, suggested above, doesn't exist in those places.

One thing I can say for certain, the purple spots with lighter centers are either cercospora spot or spot anthracnose, both fungal diseases that usually don't require control measures.

Also, there may well be some spray damage, because homemade and "organic" sprays are rather likely to damage plants if not used carefully. Large purple smears are often the result of spray damage.

What are you saying is wrong with the open mauve flower?

If the grayish things are scale, they will scrape off easily with a fingernail.

Thanks for your thoughts/suggestions michaelg! I'm in Northern Virginia. I thought when I filled out the profile part on where you live & what zone that it would've transferred to the post? The purplish spots on the leaves actuality started off looking like tiny specks of pepper all over the leaves (prior to any sprays/treatments). Which is why I thought spider mites at first. I did a lot searching for what I am dealing w/not only on my roses but my lilies & clematis as well. I wish there was a zoom in opt. for photos on here. When the photo of the flower is not zoomed in it just looked like little black specks everywhere but when you zoom in there were many tiny holes in the stamens, the center looked like mush w/possible eggs of some sort (w/o my camera I would not have been able to see any of this except for the mushy/unhealthy look to the center of the rose). It also had what looked like tiny black/brown bugs clumped together (all blooms have since been cut off & thrown away). I have more photos I just didn't want to overload my post.

I agree with MichaelG about not to rush to a barrage of remedies. The garden center wants to sell you a few bottles. I think it is important to have good natural healthy soil. You can trust Michaelg to what works better than us northern posters because he in the same region.

Compost can be purchased. It is important. After Sevin had been applied and bayer3 and 1 and soap and alcohol. Healthy soil mayneed to be reintroduced.

Sam