If you live in an area where blackspot is a big problem, as so many easterners seem to do, then you probably will need either to be selective about your roses or tolerant of the disease, or both. I suggest that you think of spraying as your last recourse, not your first. Instead, try this: Look for roses that are suited to your conditions. Plant them in a sunny position. Dig them nice big holes and amend the soil well, then keep a good nourishing organic mulch on them. Water them when they need it the first year, not often but deeply, once a week. In other words, give your roses the good basic care they need to get big and healthy, and THEN determine whether they need to be sprayed. I don't spray mine. Admittedly I live in rose heaven, but even here we have droughts, aphids, beetles, and mildew, and I find that the roses are sturdy and can deal with them quite well. Mine are mostly old or older varieties and are tough and frugal sorts. Cecily's right, squirt the aphids with the hose or squish them. Have fun when you get your new roses! Can you tell us your climate zone? Type of soil? Melissa

Northern NJ is (now) zone 7, I think. We generally get down to 0 at least once or twice a winter and spend a couple months with at least part of the day below freezing. I don't think Bay would survive outside here. Parts of Long Island are a little milder, I guess. Cherry Laurel does OK here, I think. Although it's not real common. Laurel is one of those old names that get applied to just about anything with evergreen leaves - I just looked in Hortus out of curiosity and 'Laurel' is part of the common name of something like 35 different plants. WW

Samantha, I don't know why your post hasn't gotten any answers. Resin usually checks this forum out regularly and should be able to give you answers, but he seems to have missed this thread so far. I think your guesses are good ones, but some of the ID specialists should be able to narrow it down to particular species. Another one of your posts, in the regular Trees Forum, received some unwanted responses, but that's not really typical of that forum. If you are still wanting answers, maybe post this thread over on the regular forum. I'll bet you will receive answers pretty quickly. You could also try the Name That Plant Forum, if you haven't already.

Yes, I meant 90% high efficiency furnaces not btu. oops, big difference. The OP states she lives in Northern Virginia, as do I. I checked the final versions and Virginia falls in the 80% recommended AFUE efficiency for both heat and air conditioning. Check page 60 on link below, look at small ** which lists southern states. It's only 2012, so 80% efficiency is ok now, and I guess I'm reading in VA will be for a bit. Wonder what the price difference is between weatherized HVAC units (typically fit for weather or outdoors) and non-weatherized units (like most have inside their house/garage/crawl. Still, my question is: don't 90% efficient furnaces require PVC direct to outside? How is every homeowner possibly going to be able to comply with that (northern states are listed on page 60 as *)? And who says an 80% two stage system is less efficient than a 90% single stage anyway? OP-please let me know if you'd like names of the local HVAC companies I have used. Here is a link that might be useful: final version dept of energy new HVAC regs