I don't understand, you are in zone 6? Don't they get freezing temps in the winter and this should kill any rust in your garden? Does rust over winter where you are? I am in SW MO, zone 6 and I have never really taken any regard to rust as I did not think it could survive our winter temps here.

Wow, I can't believe I only just noticed this! Here's what happened. One of my new Southern plants ( Seashells and Lace from Tim Bell) came in with a rust infection. I, having never experienced rust before, living in 6a, didn't realize that it would spread to the whole garden. So, various people who live in Southern climates, asked me to monitor which plants succumbed to rust and which were resistant. This helps them make better choices when purchasing plants. I'm not particularly worried about rust, unless one of my new plants brought it in but now I will be much more ruthless about removing the plant at the first signs.