Time to get past the colors. In my garden, I first see potential RRD from a distance. Remember how I said in your other post that roses are predictable? They are. If you see a mass of leaves within a huge rose, often it's just a birds nest. But occassionally it's witches broom, which happens when the back up leaf axil buds break, break again, and may break as many as 21 times. So that there's a cluster of new stems emerging from where there should be just one. Colors also draw us, especially when they are unexpected. And this is the hardest thing, because I wasn't used to seeing colors on the bushes...only on the blooms. That very deep reddish purple color comes with some roses.....it's always been there, we just haven't noticed it. But when it comes to Rose Rosette, we HAVE to look past the distant view. In my garden I have come to demand that there are three different symptoms before I say RRD (followed by expletives). Color is just one. And for color, I have asked on here (and will continue to ask) is anyone seeing that color on the same cultivar in my part of the country. Then I look at leaf symmetry, at leaflet symmetry, at the edges of the leaves, at the stipules (I place a lot of emphasis on stipules), on the spaces between leaves (internodal distances), on the buds themselves...some lack the hip part, some have too many rows of sepals and no stigmas...all sorts of things basic to the rose that go wrong. Aggierose, what you're going to have a real problem with is that your leaves are hitting serious summer heat too early. Those roses are putting out what are potentially good leaves (check the leaf edges), but the afternoon heat (I saw Dallas' temps yesterday and that was hot) is going to crisp up some leaves and stunt others. So you're going to get bushes with big healthy leaves from last month and early this month followed by skimpy leaves. (In my garden, the early spring leaves were small, followed by great honking big leaves from April when we had one great slow rainfall with 2" of rain and lots of N thanks to thunder storms, and now we are back to dry.) So we both are going to have to ignore leaf size and get to the up close look for the basics tield to the genetics of the rose. RRD messes up the rose morphology in ways that we can see, but we have to look closely. Sadly, this looking will continue as long as we grow roses. But knowledge means we can continue. We just learn more and share it.

Ask about Fellemberg, which has vibrant deep pink to pinkred blooms. I also think Nur Mahal would be charming. Nachidoches Noisette is also stunningly beautiful. And these three have had little 'curl up and die' syndrom after cold winters and the occassional colder spring.) But these won't give continuous bloom. (But then continous bloom tends to get taken for granted, KnockOut, cough, cough). Another to consider would be Ballerina, which reblooms well and whose small red orange hips would make for fall and winter interest as well.

YouÂre from Philly, I am (was) from across the river in Cherry Hill. IÂm relatively new to OGRs I have about 25 most are in their 1st season. Listed are oneÂs that IÂve had for at least 2 full seasons. Except as noted, none have any winter kill at all and look well with once per month spraying for BS: Archduke Charles  a nice little rose, little being the operative word. I donÂt know how people get them to be big. Souvenir de la Malmaison  healthy, vigorous. Sombreuil, Climber  itÂs big. GetÂs BS (or what looks like it to me) but looks ok. ItÂs thorny, not for the faint-hearted. Louis XIV  short, a good little guy. Cramoisi Superieur  hasnÂt done well for me, I keep hoping. Frau Karl Druschki  has many good qualities, but good rebloom isnÂt one of them. Field of the Woods  ItÂs done well for me, itÂs still hard to see behind James Galway but soon it will be big enough. Austins I have a lot more experience. Currently I have The Squire  up until recently an excellent shrub. ItÂs only drawback is it get more BS than I would like. ItÂs not done well the last 2 yrs, I canÂt figure out why. The Dark Lady  spÂed this year, too much BS and in summer the red turns magenta. But it is a good bloomer. James Galway  never any disease, minor winter kill, THORNLESS. The only negative (and that is subjective) is itÂs not a good rebloomer. It has a great spring display, this one is more OGR than modern. Heritage  probably my favorite Austin and is thornless. Crocus Rose  Most years gets BS but grows fast enough for it not to show. This year it didnÂt get any despite less spraying. Maybe itÂs the Daconil I havenÂt used it for awhile. Abe Darby  getÂs more BS than I would like but I really like the peach color so I put up with it. Winchester Catherdral and Mary Rose  I havenÂt grown them for awhile so I donÂt remember exactly much about them, but I kind of miss them, esp WC, so I guess they did OK for me. Gone and to be forgotten: Golden Celebration  didnÂt like anything about it. Lillian Austin  nice except it got too much BS. Traviata is listed as a HT but really has the habit of a good Austin. ItÂs a really good shrub, gets big, and so does itÂs thorns. IÂm hoping my branching into OGRs works better than when I tried HTÂs. I still have a few, and I really like and want to keep most of the ones left, but there are so many dogs out there IÂm not sure I would do it over again. Good luck with yours

A few that do well in a fairly shady situation like you describe, are slow growing and fairly small, and are all quite different from each other, include the following (look them up and see if you like any): Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' - round fan shaped yellow/green leaves. Acer palmatum 'Tsuma gaki' - the light green leaves have persimmon-red fingernails in spring. Acer p. 'Shigitatsu sawa' - Green and cream reticulated leaf. Acer p. 'Filigree' - A delicately colored dissected leaf cultivar. As it is for a pet cemetary you might also want to consider the 'Ghost' series from Buchholz & Buchholz, 'First Ghost' and 'Sister Ghost' are said to look good in shade. To be honest most of the green cultivars would do OK in the situation described, it is just the red/purple leaved forms which should be avoided as they color poorly in a shady situation.