Do your roses loose their leaves because of black spot? I used to have a terrible time with that too...until I started planting low growing leafy stuff UNDER the roses (sheer dumb luck...a bed of wild violets took root under some of the roses). I think the spores for black spot splash up from the dirt under the rose. If there's something leafy over the soil it catches the spores. Since I've been underplanting my roses, it's much better. I love how nice and neat everything looks in your garden....you'd have an attack if you saw mine *LOL*

Yes every year, my roses lose all their leaves. Some years when I pay them more attention and spray they do better, but even then I have never done a good job of keeping off the black spot. I was reluctant to plant anything near them because I thought it might reduce the circulation and retain moisture on the leaves thus making the black spot worse. Being I do mulch once or twice a year I was thinking that would help reduce the spores from being able to splash up on the roses. The dirt itself is seldom exposed. I have done a poor job of watering my roses this year, and they are in a bed that is on the highest driest side of my back yard, it always seems the hot dry summers weaken the roses. This year has been one of the best years for rain still they get pretty dry.