I'm afraid I have no experience with rot, so I cannot advise. It has been a relatively dry winter here (which is not good for the upcoming summer).
My earliest blooms are Mum's Indestructible Purple NOID, which started flowering in the last few days of July (remember, winter is June-August here). Unfortunately they get smashed about with the wind and rain that we get during this part of the year. I will probably keep a few and maybe use it in future for breeding (since it's so hardy), but will need to have it in a protected spot in my next garden.
