Yes, spraying water works, especially on aphids. A good resource to have when you find bugs chewing on your plants is the Texas Bug Book by Malcom Beck and Howard Garrett. It has some excellent photos of the insects and tells how to control the pests or if the insect is beneficial. Try releasing ladybugs on your roses. Do this in the evening and spray a little water on your rose first before releasing them. They are thirsty and this will keep most of them in the area where they will find your insect pest and eat them. Then, hopefully they will reproduce and their larvae will also devour anymore pests in your garden. Their larvae are little crawly black things with a red/orange strip across its back. You can find lots of information on organic pest control at the website below. There are a number of things you can use that will help control your pests. Start with the least lethal - water then work your way up because you don't want to kill any beneficials that are already there helping themselves to dinner.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dirt Doctor - Howard Garrett's website

If need be spinosad is fairly soft on beneficials and still knocks out most of the bad guys. I used it on thrips on my rose petals last spring. Took two sprays 7 days apart and not a problem after that. I think they must of come in from the grower. I still like to use the softest approach possible and knowing your bug is really important so you know what the options can be for that given pest. It is an organic bacteria but has some fairly broad spectrum kill range. There is a bait with it call Conserve that can be used for fire ants in the vegetable garden with a minimal to harvest time which is unusual for a fire ant bait.

I use insecticidal soap on my roses and on my vegetables. Totally non-toxic and works until it rains.

Yeah, I'm interested in releasing lady bugs, but where do I buy them? The bugs don't seem too bad right now on the garden veggies, but I fear they will get worse as it gets warmer. Thanks for the advice
Pete