I'm so sorry to hear about your losing your roses, lsst. Thank you for letting us know about the widespread damage of RRD. I checked on RRD's method of spreading and found this info: "The disease is known to be transmitted by the eriophyid mite Phyllocoptes fructiphylus or by grafting. The wild multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) is very susceptible to the disease and is a common source of inoculum. Cultivated roses planted downwind of infected multiflora rose are especially at risk because the mite vector travels on wind currents from infected to healthy plants. Some growers have observed symptoms on previously healthy plants within four weeks of being planted downwind from diseased multiflora rose. The causal agent of rose rosette disease is not soil-borne, so it is possible to successfully plant healthy roses in beds where diseased plants have been removed; however, the pathogen may persist in old root pieces that remain in the soil from previous diseased roses. If plants regrow from these old root pieces, as multiflora rose is apt to do, they can serve as an inoculum source for healthy plants. Therefore, it is important to remove old plants thoroughly and ensure that infected plants are not allowed to regrow from old, infected root pieces." It's amazing how invasive species like Multiflora can grow back again from a tiny root piece! Lsst, I notice that you live in South Carolina - but I would recommend Burlington Nursery in CA since their shipping cost is so low with band-size. Burlington is own-root, band-size and has many OGRs' at $10.95 each, and mini-roses for $7.50. She has many thornless roses, and Kim Rupert's creations. I ordered 12 roses from Burlington to my Chicagoland and the price came out $133 (includes $25 shipping charge). I ordered from both Chamblee in Texas and Roses Unlimited and the shipping cost is around $20 for 3 roses. Roses Unlimited charges $1 more each rose for my zone vs. your zone. You'll be surprised how low shipping cost is for band-size. Burlington has all positive reviews with the Garden Watchdog. You can request for her 2 files of 160 mini-roses, and over 380 big roses by emailing her at BurlingtonRoses@aol.com

While I applaud the development of Knock-Out for what it means in bringing people to roses, I'm appalled that it severely limited the availability of other varieties at my neighborhood stores this year. This is the time, people, to support not the box stores, but our local gardening centers, who might, just might, be willing to take a chance on selling Charles De Mills, Variegata de Bologna, or Golden Celebration. Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings

When several of my roses (but NOT my two Double Knock Outs) came down with RRD, I waited until the following early spring to replant in the same spots, but only because I was ordering bareroots which are sent in late March/early April. Whether that 6-9 month wait was needed, I have no idea. The several cases of RRD did NOT spread to any adjacent roses. In fact, each case happened in a different year and to a rose nearly on the opposite side of the garden. I think we still do not know enough about this disease to make very many safe generalizations about it. Kate

We took early possession (because we had to be out of our house) and we moved in on Thursday (the 11th of August). We were living in a 1925 Colonial Revival with more than 2,500 square feet and that did not include the full basement (which was a nice space) and a full attic (with its permanent staircase off the upstairs hallway). In other words, it was a massive house, and we had it stuffed to the gills. Moving into our 2,100 square foot brick ranch required some downsizing - which made me happy, happy, happy. We gave away several pieces of furniture, which also made me happy, happy, happy. And I made at least 10 trips to Goodwill with my car stuffed with boxes and bags of donations. My husband owns 90% of the stuff and furniture in our house, and it's just way too much. When I met him, I was a starving writer and I owned two bookcases, one bed (no dresser), one couch and a computer. (I lived a simple life.) So this was an opportunity to shed some of this stuff. I'm so tired of stuff. I really hate stuff. Our new house is on a crawl space (no basement) and the only storage is a small attic area over the garage (only accessible via a rickety pull-down staircase), and a shed in the back. Here are some more photos! :) The new fence went in today! Teddy is a free dog again! She cried like a baby when she was tethered in the back yard. Such a wuss. I told her repeatedly that some dogs live their LIFE on a tether, but she only cried all the more. The yard was fenced on both sides, but we needed to add a piece of connecting fence from the house to the sides. This is the privacy fence, and it was the small piece of fence. We needed about 60' of fence on the other side. More views of the back yard: Here is a link that might be useful: More pictures