simple as that

Even when we sprayed religiously, DD found a way to mildew. It is long-gone, but I do recall the blooms with some fondness. (Not, however, enough fondness to attempt again to grow it)

Jeri

This is my compromise between spraying every 2 weeks all season long (as some recommend) and abolishing DD from my garden so that I don't have to spray at all. With my method, I try to get a lot of mileage out of a few spring and fall spraying and then can get by with no spray the rest of the time.

Of course you have to quit spraying in order to find out how resistant your rose is and when it is most likely going to be susceptible to BS so you can come up with a minimal schedule that fits your garden.

Fortunately, most of my roses are very good on disease-resistance, so there are only a few like DD that I have to keep an eye on. But I'd rather do that than not grow it at all. I think DD is a wonderful rose in most respects.

Kate

In my hot dry climate, DD has no disease issues - no BS, no PM, no nothing. It is a tad light on foliage, but not remarkable. Ingrid Bergman on the other hand looks like a big, heavy, everngreen bush - the foliage is so thick and healthy. And IB's blooms are outrageous and last forever both on the bush or in a vase. I've had blooms last 4 weeks on the bush. And also not a spot of disease. Visually it is one of my best bushes.

I think you got it, buford. My DD seems to thrive in hotter weather--can be kind of muddled looking earlier in spring. Seems to need that sun or heat to straighten out its color scheme.

Don't know for sure about Seattle, but is it a cooler and wetter region? If you want to grow DD, perhaps you need to pick the hottest spot in the garden, one with 8-10 hours of sun a day. That may be what it is missing.

Here's mine--not the best pic, but it shows off the dramatic coloring.

Kate

Here is a DD bloom that did not get any sun...

Here is one that got a lot of sun...

Here is one that is just right....