I was thinking just what Jerijen said, amazed that Knockout roses could be decimated by blackspot. MScaradine, are your Knockouts the original Knockout, or one of the varients bred from it? Second question is: You mentioned your tea roses doing well. Did you actually mean the old garden tea roses or hybrid teas? I have just heard so many people shorten hybrid tea to "tea" that I'm never sure. They are completely separate classes of roses. I wouldn't throw out the Knockouts without giving them a chance to recover, perhaps to next year. I had a Belinda's Dream rose that had significant blackspot when I bought it and for a few months afterwards, but after that it was highly resistant. Thanks, Rosetom, for your information about Banner Maxx. I did not know it is the same class as the tebuconazole. I used that before I ever started with the Bayer stuff, so I still have a supply of it. I have also used manzate occasionally, so I'll remember to give that a turn every so often. I don't much care for the filmy residue the Manzate leaves behind, but that's a minor annoyance and doesn't last long. Anyway, I have not been too diligent this year about spraying, but, knock on wood, so far the blackspot has been easily controlled, so the Bayer tebuconazole is still doing its job. Yea, Modern Miracle, indeed! I think Ingrid has a valid concern about the enivornmental impact. It is easier, though, to avoid blackspot in a drier climate. When you live in the Gulf South, blackspot is a major issue. There are certainly a handful of old garden roses highly resistant to it, but none are immune. Also, there are a lot of old garden roses that I see blackspot here as badly as modern roses. so you have to do your research carefully. I find (selfishly, perhaps) that certain colors and bloom form and size combinations are just simply not available in old garden rose varieties. I am encourage, however, with how much improvement we're seeing, in the overall disease resistance of some select modern varieties. My fingers are crossed that this trend will continue. In the meantime, if we're going to use chemicals in the garden, the labels that say CAUTION are supposed to be less dangerous than the ones that say either WARNING or DANGER. Bayer has a CAUTION label. Mike

Is your mint indoors? It looks a little etiolated as if it is lacking in light. Aphids love a stressed plant in an indoor environment where there are no predators and no adverse weather. If you can get the plants outside I think your mint will be a lot happier. Meantime hold the pot sideways under a running tap and swoosh the foliage with your fingers.

Where are you located? Depending on location, some turf grasses do go dormant in winter, producing that brown, dead look. And many times, homeowners with those sorts of lawns do overseed with another type of temporary grass to maintain color in winter. If in a completely different location, what you are illustrating with the photo could be another, more complicated lawn issue that would require an entirely different approach. Knowing where you are located is really critical to providing any meaningful advice Also, that photo is from too geat a distance to determine if weeds play a role at all in the brown appearance. Can you get a closer image of what exactly is growing there??

Not a thing can be done about the available space. I suspect such garage laundry rooms were thought of by architects that never do laundry. What I would do is raise the hanging rack as high as possible; the bar will still be about 10" lower than the top. Put a fold out laundry table with the top set at 30" to 36" above the floor. This is a Small Version. When lowered it's out of the way of hanging clothes, but you can lift it for folding towels, jeans, etc. You can buy or make one. When closed the support swings sideways against the wall and the top drops over the support. Larger versions might need two supports, and metal Folding Shelf Brackets can be purchased.