The problem is people don't really care because they are probably not rose growers and lovers like us. I bet most of them just use roses as landscape plants. So even if they paid attention to your concerns, it doesn't affect them like it would for the rest of us.

I guess patience is the key here. Continue to teach those who want to listen. Eventually people will catch on because all the roses would be dead or gone by then, unfortunately.

Do you have a local newspaper? It might be worth a try to tell them about the problem. People may still read the paper and actually learn something because "it is in the paper".

Good luck.

The first thing I did was send an article to the newspaper. The editor said he was going to publish it, then didn't. I am not sure why.

Like you I would be sick. So sad to know that if you lived in a state where roses grew for the industry ie Texas. I don't think those roses would still be there. Are there any large rose nurseries in Georgia. Have you tried to email Ann from here. To see if she might know someone in the state that has some leverage. Perhaps Buford will have an idea when she is home. She is active in the rose societies.

Then sickening to say perhaps nothing will be able to be done.

I have emailed Ann. She has been very informative. If it were not for her ebook, I would be lost. I did try my local rose society, not much luck. Their concern was spreading misinformation, and after that my tone was not as friendly as it could be, and I turned away from asking them for help. I understand how some would mistaken herbicide damage for rose rosette, but there is a difference. I have read many stories here about rose rosette. There are places in Texas where it is bad, so bad they send a special garbage truck. They have taken to wearing the hazmat suits over their clothing in some areas, and dig up the roses at the end of the day after everything else has been tended to. They are now saying it can spread by clothing, while Ann has known this, it is just now coming to light. I did ask a researcher, and he said sometimes people just don't do the right thing, and sometimes people do not listen to him. That made me feel better, that someone with his knowledge and expertise, would be ignored, yet he is not deterred.

"If people are warned, and do nothing and your roses become infected, you can seek damages."

An expensive lawsuit to bring. You would have to show it was their rosebush that was responsible. Has there ever been a successful case where a landowner was actually forced by court order to remove infected rosebushes?

Follow up with him. Alot of the time they don't have room in a particular issue and then it just gets put on the back burner and forgotten. Maybe if you follow up they may print it.

Lucille, i understand you criticism, and should not respond, but people can fight back through the courts if they choose to do so.

Yes they can. And they can be counter sued. I take it since you have not provided an example that no homeowner has actually been forced by court order to remove a rosebush.

All I am trying to point out is that taking a hostile stance may not only not win, it may get people to dig their heels in and actually be counterproductive. Your first poster 'They know, they don't care' is a prime example. Are you actually trying to change someone's mind by mocking them? It won't work.

Friendship and education. Those, given enough time and effort, have a better chance of producing change. I love SoFl Rose's suggestion of getting Lowe's involved, a replacement program to help with the time and expense of replacing roses.

That's a great idea.

For some households, the purchase of 5 or 6 roses may have been a real chunk of their disposable income for the month, if they were approached the right way and helped with the cost, they might be much more amenable to removing their infected roses.

It is in the paper as a letter to the editor. I saw it today, they print the info about the upcoming class next week.

Lucille all that niceness has been done already. The sign is a reflection on reality, if someone takes offense maybe they need to take a long hard look in the mirror.

Momscottagegarden,

If the sign is for you to feel better, be honest, because it serves only to mock others. If the sign is to change minds, it won't work.

Honestly, I wonder what the 'nice' phase meant to you. If you genuinely like people, and offer friendship, they will almost always meet you part way. Some 90%, some maybe only 10%. It is time and continuing friendship that gets you there. Saying the 'niceness' was done already makes it sound like a fake political move. If you offered real friendship it should be ongoing, not just a passing phase that 'didn't work', a means to an end.

People have all sorts of reasons in their lives and in their histories that make them hesitate. They may have hesitated for financial reasons. They may have hesitated because they read that RRD and herbicide damage are similar. They may have hesitated because they have 3 children and a job and they are overwhelmed and busy and they don't have room to process any more information right then.

Instead of signs, take the 3 children for an ice cream and give Mom two hours to put her feet up and relax. You'd be surprised at what she might be willing to do to help you after such a gift of your time. And not as a quid pro quo, but as a gift to you for being a friend.

Time and friendship. It works.

if you are trying to insinuate that I have not been nice to people, you are wrong. I offer help to those who need it, if it be a ride to the dr, bringing a meal because they are sick, offering all the help I can when I can. Paying out of my own pocket to have the neighborhood stray fixed, rescuing stray kittens, etc. I have done it all. When a dog is loose I catch it and take it home. I don't do it because I expect anything, I do it because it makes me feel better to help, not because it is expected of me. You want the gory details, I have heavy female bleeding problems sometimes, and anemia. I walked around knocking on doors, and felt as if I could not stand up when i was done. I did it because someone needed to do it. You are free to tell me that I am not nice enough all you want to, or I did not ask nicely enough etc. If you think you can get better results than I can, fell free to do so. My neighborhood full of rosette waits for you.

I didn't say I intended to go out taking all to court, I said that option is available. Sometimes people don't care until it affects their wallets.

It really seems like people don't like being told how to do things whether it's what to do in their gardens or what to do with other people or how to think. It's just part of being human. We like to be convinced with respect and patience.

I think bringing in a second opinion is a good idea but I would not want to go head to head with my neighbors about RRD. I would not confront any neighbor who was growing a plot of weeds even if they might get in my yard. I do think the effort to educate about RRD is worthwhile, but I might focus on people responsible for municipal plantings of Knockout, which so often are neglected and infected. I would talk to the city landscape people and maybe the mayor, just to give them some information. I'd point out how expensive it could get for the town if they keep planting Knockouts which are apt to die eventually. I'd point out the risk to local rose growers both commercial and private. I would not want to communicate a whiff of pressure. I would keep it very respectful. But I think tax payers have a right to bring concerns like that to the attention of the local government, so it is not an invasion of their privacy. Perhaps then a newspaper story about your efforts with the town would be appropriate and people could learn from that in an indirect, less personal way.

I would not think you'd need to babysit for someone to get them to listen to you but I think private gardeners have a right to privacy and I felt very lucky when my neighbor listened to me about his RRD plant. I had no demand, just a hope he'd care and he did.

You are lucky your neighbor is a reasonable person, erasmus. It doesn't sound like momsgarden neighbors are.

I feel so bad for momsgarden. Roses can be expensive and to know yours are surely going to die because of your careless neighbor, I would be angry too! Just imagine all that money you spent and the care you have taken for all your beautiful roses and your just waiting for the death sentence you can see next door.

A few were reasonable. I realize they really don't understand what rose rosette is, even after being told. maybe They are in disbelief, after all they never heard of it before I brought it to their attention. I will do my best to protect my roses. The diseased roses will die, and that will be a learning experience for them. Maybe when more advanced signs start showing, some will wake up. For some, it is something in their yard, and I don't believe they even look at them. I have suggested they contact the cooperative extension to confirm. They didn't contact them, the cooperative agent is not impressed, but because there are no laws specifically stating rose rosette they can't do anything. If rose rosette bushes are being sold, that is when they take action.

What a horrible, heartbreaking story, Moms. So far I haven't seen any signs RRD in my area of MA and hope I never will. It seems that your HOA would be concerned about creating an eyesore. We don't live in a development so fortunately we don't have this kind of problem to deal with and the houses are are far apart and separated by woods. I'm the only person on our street with roses so I don't have to worry like you. But the developments that have HOA's have very strict rules- commercial vehicles have to be garaged, vinyl siding is not allowed plus other restrictions. They are all strictly enforced but it seems like your HOA doesn't seem to care too much. Do you pay dues? Maybe you could refuse to pay dues until the situation is remedied.

Kindness doesn't work with bullies. Reasoning doesn't either. Some people are just nasty, ugly bullies. My son was bullied all through school. We tried appealing to their better angels, cajoling, playdates, avoiding, nothing worked. Sadly the only thing that the bullies understood was a fist to the face, not that I'm advocating that you beat your neighbors up. But it did work for my son ;)

You may catch MORE flies with honey than vinegar but you still won't catch all of them. Some people are just extremely nasty. I wish that there was a simple solution to this heart breaking and frustrating problem. I hope it helps to know that at least you can find some compassionate friends on this forum and some shoulders to cry on.

Sharon

The HOA board member that stopped by did say she would address the fact they ignored all my communication. She was nice, we talked about plants holding up to the heat. I believe there will be more awareness in the area now, withe the letter to editor that was published yesterday, and the class at the library. I had hoped my neighborhood would have set an example, that could be referenced at the class, but, they let me down.

Would 2 am RU work???

That was my thought. I mean, how would they tell the difference?

Moms, Hire a hit man if you take the above advice, so you can have deniability.

Probably not, I'll bet she has a camera up by now.

I thought about the 2 am but everyone would know it was me, it would take several nights to do the whole neighborhood. Funny thing, I did cut 4 big garbage bags full from 2 bushes right to the property line. It was not noticed. If I took out the whole bush they would probably not notice. This was in broad daylight too. I took before and after photos. I would not be able to find them easily, because I have so many photos now. I did call the authorities first to make sure it was ok.

Another thought... replacing Knock-outs with more Knock-outs allows a continuation of the problem. Educational programs and materials should encourage casual gardeners, municipalities and gas stations to replace Knock-outs with Encore azaleas, butterfly bushes, perovskia, etc. Come up with a list of iron clad, low maintenance replacement options. Folks who were growing Knock-outs just want easy, summer long color and it doesn't need to be a rose. Is it heresy to encourage people to grow other plants?

cecily- I was thinking that too. I found a list somewhere but lost it. It had rose of sharon, holly, dwarf crape myrtle, and some more. Neil Sperry? I believe had a small list on facebook too. I wanted to make a suggestion like that, so people could be ready. I don't think it is a good idea to plant another rose, for a while. I didn't get all the roots up on one, and what came back was ugly. Neil SperryNeil Sperry

Today, going to town, there were 3 business that were noticed with rose rosette. The first place, I called, was very friendly and mentioned they would talk to their landscaper and definitely take care of the problem.

The second place was a motel, so I asked for the manager. He was the one who answered the phone and did not want to hear about it, I am not sure if he will talk to his landscaper or if he heard the words disease and rose rosette or not.He hung up on me. Maybe he thought it was a prank call? My daughter was reading the reviews of the hotel online, if truthful, I do not believe anything will be done.

The third place is an assisted living facility, the director was in a meeting, the secretary was on vacation, so I left a message for them to give me a call.

I believe landscapers should be more knowledgeable on plant diseases.

That's a thought..maybe landscapers would be receptive to information. Have you talked to people in the local rose clubs? The more people who are on your side, the better. I'm just thinking that you might not win the battle with your neighbors but you might win the war if you put your energy where it is most effective and reach the people who WILL listen. Those of us in RRD country can learn from this and think about what we can do in our communities. I know I have done nothing and it makes me think about lifting a finger. As I said, I'm not very confrontational but I could put in some effort where I think it might do some good. I tend to think it works to assume people will care until proven otherwise.

Actually I am putting my efforts elsewhere, I get better results outside my neighborhood. I am no expert, and don't have enough experience, I am learning. How should I approach landscapers? What kind of literature would be best to provide to them. I see one landscaper that is popular, and is popular, and I am trying to get their correct contact info. I know some landscaper have not heard of rose rosette. I am thinking to tell them the disease is newly known to the area? Something that will let them think they are leading the way and setting an example for others to follow?

Letting them lead the way sounds like a great idea, a stroke to their egos might work :)

I'd write up something short with a picture or two of RRD. Get addresses from the internet or phone book and mail them. Stress that knowing how to recognize RRD helps them serve customers better and slow the spread of it. Usually I have a fatalistic attitude about it, that there's nothing I can do outside my own yard, but maybe there are things that can be done. All these sick Knockouts really are as bad as multiflora. Many of those planting them are cities and businesses. They should care about not wasting money on plants that will have to be replaced, and they may care about not spreading the disease to home gardeners. Landscapers might not mind having to replace plants as that is more business for them. But there will be some that want to do the best thing. I just would try to stay unemotional if they don't at first respond to you. I'd give them the option of not caring, not taking you seriously, and not wanting to be bothered. Then try again later. It really is a good project and might make a difference. I can see how you'd be upset about neighbors as it affects your own garden.

I have had some RRD in my garden but not much considering the number of years passing and the number of plants I have. I don't know if it's luck or if getting rid of sick plants promptly has made the difference, plus care in sterilizing pruning tools and shovels. I also wonder whether spraying fungicides has made roses less appealing or even toxic to mites. ( I spray some of the time). The first RRD infected plant I had occured maybe 15 years ago. I have many old plants that have been fine all these years so I am not in a panic about RRD. I think it can be minimized or slowed. You know how many people blast the undersides of leaves with water to eliminate spider mites? I wonder if that might be helpful with RRD mites. Anyway when informing people about RRD I'd try to keep at the forefront the positive things that can be done. I'd emphasize solutions , not too much doom and gloom.

I am working on the landscaper handout, I wanted it to be informative without overwhelming. I am concerned about telling them where to go to get more information. When links are included, sometime, people do not want to be affiliated with a flyer if they did not approve it. At the same time, I don't want to present myself as the authority figure or expert.

Opinions? Tell me what you would change.

I think even uglier RRD pictures could help. I think the red obscures the disease to the uneducated.

That's a great idea, but agree that uglier photos are needed such as in this publication: Virginia Cooperative Extension-Rose Rosette Disease.

Feel free to cite them on your flyer; "Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, reprint, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University". See Web site https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-620/450-620.html

I think you did a great job!!! I agree you should make changes to the rose pictures, but you've done a splendid job!!! Good luck!!

Carol

I will work on the photos, and need to redo the part about miticide. I had an ugly picture, taken on the sidewalk but the sidewalk distracts a little. I also have another picture of some ugliness, but the beautiful blue sky also distracts. I will probably add the part about hairspray too. I appreciate the feedback. I am also working on getting it translated. I am not trying to offend, but there could be a possible language barrier between the owner and some employees. I am not sure if the person I ask will do it or not.

What about using the photos from the Virginia bulletin? They give permission, so that people like you can share the information. What you are doing is terrific. I hope you are able to find a translator.

I got to get the teens to swap out the pics for me. They sleep late on Sat. mornings. I emailed the translator, it may be next week before I hear from them. The google translator, is not always good.

Wow, Moms, you sure are determined!! What amazing stamina. Best of luck to you in getting the word out on how truly devastating and widespread this rose disease can be :)

If I put this under the bottom of the images does it look correct? Fixing to l share final copy it has 3 images. Those photos are all over the internet. Those final photos, I can't take credit for, they were suggested.

Images courtesy of Mary Ann Hansen, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org

image source

Oooh!!! Those are good pictures!! Well done!! You're an inspiration!!

Carol

What an excellent approach very well done. Not a bad idea for the rest of us either. We all live with landscaping businesses that are unaware.

It is just a simple condensed version, I did not want to overwhelm. I do not know where to post it for others to use. Should I remove the area and post it again? I would have used other handouts but they were more than one page, did not mention the hazmat suit.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil [or RRD] is that good men [or women!]do nothing."

I think you are to be commended for your efforts; not many would take the bit in their teeth this way. Good info on your flyer; it's a good short length and there is shock value in the photos. Hope it helps your neighborhood!

See: http://battlingroserosette.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-million-excuses-to-spread-rose-rosette.html

The photos from earlier, canes falling over, here is the bush now. Notice how the canes were removed yet the bush remains.

Yes, that is my blog Henry.

Here is an idea. If you see rose rosette in a public place, and can't stop, can't find an email etc. Send them literature through fax. There are free online fax services. I called the nursing home but my calls were never returned, so I sent a fax. I have a fax machine at home so it was easy. If they have an email, send an attachment. This way they can't forget, or ignore what you say. Hopefully they will pay attention. It bothers me to see it in public places, so I have made it a point to take a few minutes of my time to try and do something.