My most productive and rewarding activity over the past month has been murder. Yep, quite literally killing. And I must admit it gives me great pleasure to see the tiny brown specks which only the day before were an inconspicuous green. No longer sucking the life out of my rose buds, but in my imagination that life is drained out of them back into the roses. They are purely and plainly parasites. Aphids are to plants what fleas and ticks are to animals. And what pleasure it is! There's the challenge of the hunt. Without proper equipment (very good reading glasses) they'd escape detection. And then spritzing them with insecticidal soap! Ah, the joys of gardening. Similarly, the slight crunching sound as I squish the rose beetles under foot on the walk is somehow very very satisfying. As is the gentle search of myriad petals to find them nuzzled there. Gotchya! I understand the primates who preen their kin. And it's good practice for the next war. The one against the arrival of new fire ant queens who learn that they are sadly mistaken. My garden is NOT prime real estate for the likes of them.

At least here in Greece (and in neighbouring Bulgaria) commercial cultivation takes place in (micro)climates which are not particularly warm during the winter. I would guess they are probably zone 8a at most. This caused either due to altitude or the distance from the Med. There's no doubt in my mind that for best results these roses need their winter to be 'wintery' but I do agree with Malcolm that they are not like stone fruit trees with regards to their strict requirements for 'chill hours'. I was reading some details about commercial cultivation practices in places in northern Greece where damasks are grown. The altitude is at least 500m (about 1500ft), soil neutral with good drainage and preferably inclined and breezy. Irrigation is provided only during the first summer after planting at 10 day intervals at about 1 gal per plant. Fertilization is done with manure AFTER the flush. Older canes are removed after 5 years and plant productive life is estimated to 20-25 years. Planting distances are about 3ft apart in the row. A damask field in the Chalkidiki peninsula uplands (photo from www.bostanistas.gr ). This particular field is about 7.5 acres and produces 1/4 gallon of rose essential oil yearly, from about 4 metric tons of rose petals, which fetches about 7000-8000 Euro in the bulk market.

I keep reading further on in this thread and it doesn't make any sense to me. You should NOT be having this much trouble. My suggestion (based on the assumption that you bought your roses from the big box stores and that they are grafted on Dr. Huey): Go to a local nursery that sells roses on Fortuniana rootstock. I noted on the Nelson's Florida Roses site that http://www.gardengatenursery.net/ just got a shipment in on Saturday. Ask them if they sell KO on Fortuniana. If two or three are available, buy them (they are not cheap compared to what you find at Wally-World or Lowes) and test these out in place of your more under performing KOs. If you note a big difference, then your problem, which is common in Florida (especially Central Florida with its sandy soil) is nematoads. Should you still long for the hedge of KOs but need a break on the price, contact Nelson's Roses directly and tell them that you're interested in purchasing...I don't know how many you initially bought...like, 50 bushes and ask for a bulk price (it'll be cheaper than the $20-$25 price you might have paid at Garden Gate). When you go pick them up (you'll need a truck) make sure to ask for Ramon and explain to him what problem you had with the previous lot of KOs. Bring a plant or branch to show him. He will be more than happy to lend some of his advice, and it is very good advice. Good luck and try not to give up on roses. You live in a great spot to grow roses on Fortuniana rootstock. Unfortunately, roses on Dr. Huey rootstock will NOT live in your area and will decline much like what you described. Another challenge if ever you go to Nelson's, I dare you to walk off without more than what you ordered, lol. Good Luck and keep us posted, -Adrian.

There's a reason 'Mr. Lincoln' has been in commerce for decades. Yes, it is a product of its era: very upright growth, eventually reaching 7 feet tall or more, and the color is not RED, its crimson (a "cool" red, leaning towards deep magenta with purplish values: a color I favor heavily over unmodified true reds), and it isn't 100% disease free in regions where disease pressure is high. However, I have seen many old established specimens in my local town, and most grow beautifully without care other than (apparently) watering. I grow it myself and wouldn't be without this rose in my garden. The fragrance is superb. I have grown 'Chrysler Imperial' (and numerous other classic "reds", and modern variants as well), and 'Chrysler Imperial' was - for me - a tragic wimp. It never exceeded 18" and eventually died of disease and freeze damage. I didn't bother replacing it, nor would I. Nothing about it impressed me. Once upon a time I considered adding 'Rouge Royale' to the garden, but declined because of its bad reputation for Blackspot susceptibility. It is also known for a very upright growth habit, something I avoid in modern hybrids (which should exhibit better architecture, IMO). The David Austin reds are an odd bunch. I started with 'Othello' 25 years ago and I still have a plant of it. Its a very coarse rose that wants to make 10 foot canes that do not bloom well until trained horizontally, and perform best after year one. It is never especially generous with bloom (basically two flushes per year), but the fragrance is top notch and the blooms are exquisite deep, full cups. A shame they come on such a grotty plant. Other Austin reds I have grown include 'William Shakespeare' (both), 'Tradescant' (AKA "Old Rusty"), 'Prospero', and the first of the bunch - 'Chianti'. Not one of them is perfect (far from it) and all but 'Chianti' have failed to prosper in my care once I stopped spraying fungicides - a common issue with the Austin roses, in general. Summary: if you want a very full bloom with Old Rose style and in a modern red hue, then 'Mr. Lincoln' will likely disappoint you (but that fragrance!!). Modern HT types roses in clear red and with OGR form are few and far between. I can only point to 'Rouge Royale' as an example (that I know of), but I am not optimistic about its Blackspot resistance in a hot, humid climate.