Your 'Angel Face' is lovely, Estelle!

I have little experience with roses, but from your photo I would say that you could try putting some distance between your roses and other plants. I believe good air circulation is crucial in preventing black spot and other diseases.

PattiOh

Love that Angel Face! It can take a bit of time to get going in your zone but it's worth the wait. But I'm somewhat biased as floribundas are my favs. : )

Black spot is caused by a fungus, diplocarpon rosae. It survives in fallen leaves, not the soil, so rake those leaves up around your roses in the fall and winter. The spores also live in infected canes so cut those out - they'll appear as purplish-black areas on the canes. High humidity is BS's best friend so try not to water from overhead. If this can't be avoided, be sure to water in the morning which will give the plants time to dry (warmer day temps as opposed to cooler night temps). But the very best way to avoid BS is to buy BS resistant roses for your zone.

Good luck and I hope you have less of a problem this coming year.

Diana, looking forward to spring, too. :)

Angel Face is one of my favorites but always the first to show BS. I grow my roses in the wet PNW so spraying is a must for me. Last year I used Doconol every two weeks at the first sign of new growth. Kept it at bay until June. I stopped spraying in June and had a pretty good summer. If I saw any signs I would shoot it again.

Here is a link that might be useful: My roses

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the advice since I'm very new to growing roses. I had this vision in my mind of thousands of roses in front...haha. I had a dark pink hybrid tea at the other house that was actually pretty hardy. This year I bought a peace rose, the Angel Face, and a blushing pink knockout shrub. The peace rose got black spot about 10 minutes after I planted it, I think. It was so difficult to keep at bay. The Angel Face was fine until I put the peace rose in. the shrub rose is on the other side of the stairs and hasn't given me any problems and bloomed until October. This year I'll try something stronger or plant the peace rose by itself someplace.

I did pick up the leaves, but haven't cut the canes back. I'll inspect them again. Should I cut those in the springtime?

hello, i have 2 climbing angel face that i've had for a few yrs now and one of them has done absalutley (sp) nothing. and the other is not that great either. I had 2 blue roses , blue girl and they both went back to root stock. as well as my gertrude jecyll. i was not a happy gardener. I've got about 40-45 roses and these are the only ones with issues. I have ordered Ebb Tide and hope it will do well. I love purple roses. I love roses. every year i say i am not buying any more as I am running out of room. hubby fenced in my garden as not to take over our acre and a half. boo hoo!

Such a pretty delicate flower.

Great advise from Diana. I'm heading out now to look for infected canes.

Before I forget, I went to the nursury yesterday with Xuan. The new roses are beginning to come in *yahoo!*

Edna

Lavendrfem ~ Your Angel Face is beautiful! I had one of those many years ago and besides the wonderful color, I loved it's fabulous scent. I have had Blue Girl now for several years and am enjoying her blooms and scent.

Edna ~ How neat that you and Xuan got to go a nursery together! Did you get any new roses?

FlowerLady

Not yet, Flowerlady. Althought it was soooo hard. Holding out until next weekend. Xuan picked up a darling African violet and we both bought lots of seeds.

Edna

flowerchild5 - I know how hard it is to control yourself. I keep wanting to expand every season too. I've heard that purple roses are difficult to grow. But being in love with the color purple and roses in general, I just had to try. I guess even if we get a few blooms it's worth it, but when I buy roses, I always picture tons and tons of blooms like an english garden.

Edna and Diana - I did go out yesterday and saw some black canes so I cut them down to the black part. Thanks for that advice!

Flowerlady - is there such a thing as zone envy? :) hehe

Estelle

Edna ~ What roses are you thinking of getting? I will be looking forward to hearing what all you get. Notice I didn't say which rose you get, but what 'all' you get. ;-) Roses are very addicting. Have you ever tried getting cuttings of some of your roses to root? That is fun when you have success. It is how I have more roses than I started out with. I've got flower and herb seeds to plant. Have been working on a new potting garden area so haven't gotten to planting seeds in my mini greenhouse yet. I better do it soon, or our nice weather will be over.

Estelle ~ Oh yes, there is such a thing as zone envy. I envy you northern gardeners, even just up the middle of our state, because of all that you can grow and I cannot. But I know that the northerners also wish they could grow what I can. This year I want to be more content with what I 'can' grow here and just enjoy seeing wonderful pictures of what other gardeners can grow in their zones.

Happy Gardening to all.

FlowerLady