I am on the coast and years ago tried some of the Bourbons but got lots of rust on them. I used to try spraying with all kinds of chemicals, but now have no interest in doing so. My garden has been organic, no-spray for 20+ years.

I am so glad to hear that the Bourbons do well for you. They are some of the most beautiful roses - to my eye, anyway, and I was so sad not to be able to grow them successfully.

From reading this forum, I now know some ways to keep diseases at bay so I am going to try some of these beauties again. Good to know that they can take some shade, too.

Thanks for this info, kittymoonbeam.

Old leaves will rust and also if the plants get too dry. I try to keep the soil covered with a good layer of mulch. Anything helps even gathering leaves and twigs. I try to water early in the morning. A plant that will rust easily planted nearby will bother all the rest. I try and put those on their own away from the others and give it good air circulation and even thin it. Sometimes you can prevent a favorite plant from constant rust by increasing water, feed more to grow new leaves and remove the oldest ones. Rust spreads quickly and sometimes if you spray when you first see it then you stop it early. I am always looking for it at the end of summer.