It is still June, so not so bad, it is going to be much worse later. From the list of repeat blooming roses that I don't spray these are the winners so far. Knock out - healthy Darlow's Enigma - healthy Home Run -healthy Puerto Rico -15 % leaf loss Ducher -15% leaf loss Arethusa -10 % leaf loss Earth Song -15% leaf loss Quitness - 10% leaf loss New Dawn - less then 10% Awakening -less then 10% Lyda -20% Belinda's Dream -30% Perle d'Or -30% Cecille Brunner -30% Marie Pavie- 40% Illusion -10% Quadra - 5-10% White Cup- 15% Carefree Sunshine -less then 10% In my sister's no spray garden close to me Dublin Bay- 10% Dortmund -10-15% Knock out -healthy Colette -30% McCartney Rose - 20% I also have plenty of healthy once bloomers and species that I never spray, too many to list now. If anybody interested, I can always share with them. I do spray my Austins, Bourbons and moderns. They would be 100% bald by now w/o spray. I see it in my sisters organic garden. Good culture, plenty of sun and defoliated roses :( I am trying to get rid of roses that require spraying, but it is so difficult to part with some of them (Lady Hillingdon, Yolande de Aragon, Deuil de Dr Reynaud, Abraham Darby, etc). They all are huge and beautiful. I am givivng away more and more of these to good homes. Olga

Barbara, I will try to read or at least skim over that book (have difficulty concentrating for too long now) and next time I'm at the hardware store will get a respirator then, oh with glasses, goggles and that, it is not going to be easy. They are a little more helpful and knowledgeable generally than big box stores. I stuffed a bandanna into the masks, know from reading about other things small particulate especially liquid still can get through, but I'm old and if one thing doesn't get me it's going to be another, none pretty. I feel I'm ok for now, feel sorry for people who do that for a living. I know for fact the young guy who I FINALLY got to come in years ago and spray for cockroaches and fleas got some pneumonia-like affliction, and we both agreed it was probably from his work with chemicals. He used no protection other than pants and long shirt IIRC and did it all day, every day, inside and out, much of the year. I've always hated any sprays in my house for anything, one reason I like to stay independent because you have no choice in almost all community living situations. They spray on a regular basis; it's mandatory, and I'm not real confident they have but minimal concern for the occupants or people who do it, just so things "look" nice. Sometimes there is no other way. But it seems they spray routinely as a preventive. In spite of taking so many precautions and doing my homework as best I could w/new equipment and things I've never attempted before, I ran into several little problems. The spray itself once you get it going is easy enough, but anything can go wrong at any time. It's just faith that the dial actually delivers the correct dilution. I'll only mention a couple of things but there were more, that is nasty stuff to work with and hard to clean. I need some longer rubber gloves as found one unused pair left of surgical gloves, and by the time I was done, my hands felt slimy, could be from sweat, but I think some got in, washed several times with soap and water. The other thing was maybe stupid on my part but the way they tell you to clean the dial container. I could work at the faucet with that because there's bare ground, but you have to unscrew it while the spray part is still on the hose, rinse out as well as you can, on the other side of the two-way diverter I have there, and it takes several rinsings to get it out. NEVER unscrew the dial part from the hose connection until you've got it as clean as you can, why later. Then you screw it back on and clear out the spray part and uptake tube, says two short bursts (and even rinsed those other parts under running water, don't think instructions said. I did five bursts and maybe shouldn't have. But either way, when you finally think you are done, turn off the water, start to unscrew at the hose connection, the pressure left in the hose squirts water. And I noticed in spite of my care, there was still slight evidence of milky liquid in the container, much diluted but still there. Being alone, few people or pets ever come into my yard. I let the cat out for the night, he's back, hope he didn't walk through that area, it can take awhile to dry and for things to develop. So it's a good thing I quit when I did and not attempt anything in the front. Maybe from now on I'll just do those several specific plants I did and probably not as often as necessary because I procrastinate anyway. No way could I have suited up and done that if it had been hotter, so that's a future consideration. I don't know how other people deal with this stuff. It was quite the learning experience. If somebody locally could convince me that organics really work and show evidence of clean roses like I see so much here (this was mostly to save my cherry trees and a few other congregating plants that aren't blooming), it won't seem like as much trouble because spraying is trouble, too. Kelp I don't worry about any of it, practiced with that in my pump sprayer. Well, since I've done another one of my diatribes, I was thinking about writing a blog in our local paper about my experience with iminicloprid. The Bayer product for spraying that has evidently flown off the shelves. Here we are with no honeybees, and we want to keep our pretty blooms and kill bumblebees and other pollinators? At least I thought of them and took off the blooms or targeted things that aren't blooming now. Madness. But I think I'll hold off on that because I don't feel comfortable writing on one of those things, few read them anyway. My neighbor across the street says he has no JB's.

Sammy, It might just be me but my Sharifa Asma mildewed even when sprayed on a regular schedule. GC left my yard last week after 5 years bs disaster if not sprayed, balls if it gets wet. I've never seen cleaner roses than Kordes ADR roses, or Ping Lim roses, as no spray as roses could be. I've had a few problems in the first year but once thier root systems get going their fabulous. The only problem with Kordes their hard to find own root which is how I like my roses. Northland is starting to carry them,thats good. I have maybe ten different Kordes ADR. Its been raining for four days now not a spot on them. Their blooms hold up very well in hot sun as well. GC is being replaced with Lyons Rose or Kosmos. Kosmos is shorter than lyons but so packed with petals if you live in a high rain area I could see problems with them opening. Mine has some blooms on it thru this rain they haven't discolored or turned mushy. Love,love,love them. Haven't sprayed any of my Kordes or Ping Lim roses. Paloma Blanca has not balled for me but I don't know why? For light pink theirs no better garden rose than Quietness. If you ever had to move this rose you'll should see a root system that resembles a tree. Sorry, I know your looking for white. Any one looking for carefree roses where teas and chinas won't live you won't be disapointed. As a side note their very vigorous, this helps a lot when fighting midge.

Cyndita: I had good experience with DA bareroots before, and the price is definitely much better. For the cost of one from Heirloom I can get two from DA. Sheila: yes my plan is to plant the DA in morning sun but I am concerned if afternoon sun is enough for Kordes roses. They haven’t bloomed as much as Olivia in my current dappled light environment Diane: Thank you for the warning about Brother Cadfael. I am also thinking of getting Sharifa Asma. The height might work better with the Olivia I already have. Hopefully it blooms as much as Olivia too. our_md_garden: thanks you for sharing your experience with Savannah and DA. I am actually also considering St Swithun since I generally like larger blooms, but I read here that it takes a while to establish and also doesn’t bloom as often as other DA. I am in NY zone 7. It rained a lot here in late spring early summer around the first flush, then hot and humid in July/Aug. I hope the DA roses won’t shatter and ball easily.