Jana ...
Roses are weeds if you get the right roses.
There are the roses that need a lot of TLC because they are weak plants to begin with and no matter what you do, they will never be good plants and you will always struggle and think it is your fault that they don't grow well. Of course, the marketing of those roses indicate that they should do very well for you.
There are roses that simply will never grow well in Texas, but roses are regional and these roses just are not suited to your climate. They are wonderful in some areas and complete dawgs in your climate, but they are marketed as if they will grow well in all climates. That's just not true.
There are some roses that grow well own root while others have to be budded because they really need the extra vigor provided by budding.
Most of the instructions I've seen on many of the nursery sites set the new rose grower up for failure because they don't take into consideration what it takes to bring a baby rose into maturity. There is so much misinformation out there. They make it seem like a lot of work is involve and really all it takes is a lot of patience.
No one knows all of the answers, note even the experts, but keep asking lots and lots of questions. Some times, you will find we even disagree on the best approach or the best rose and that's because each of us brings different experiences from our rose lives to the rose forums to share with you.
A perfect example is Porkpal's love of old garden roses. They would never succeed in my climate. Oh, well. They work very well in PP's climate. That's roses.
If a rose doesn't make you happy, don't be afraid to get rid of it and get a new rose. There is always another rose that might do better for you.
There is a lot to learn, but for your first lesson, it's easier to start with a healthy plant. Most big box store plants have had their roots butchered. You might start your rose adventure by getting your rose from a reputable nursery.
