Question
Do you recommend Roudnup for Roses? I am worried about it damaging (or killing) them. What about perennials? Is it safe for most perennials and which ones if not? I am growing about a dozen floribunds.  

Answer
There must be an advertising blitz on right now for RoundUp because everyone wants to know what they can use it for.

Roundup is POISON.  Think Skull And Bones.  It KILLS people in California.  The Scotts Company was SUED for lieing about how safe it is - it is NOT biodegradable, it is NOT safe, it is LETHAL and it will KILL you if you don't take precautions.

For weed control, use an all-American fabric barrier.  It lets water and nutrients in, blocks weed seeds from getting there, and won't let anything but your Roses and Perennials grow.  Get a thick beautiful wood chips mulch over it to secure in place and cover up.

Intelligent Gardening means NEVER having to say you're sorry for using carcinogenic chemicals.  It means NEVER turning your garden into a toxic waste site.

Of course, you need to understand a few things about soil structure and microorganisms that work down there making N-P-K and other vitamins and minerals available for your garden plants.

If you really want to do something now, stock up on Baking Soda and make sure your sprayer is working well.  As soon as the air warms up, get that Baking Soda out and spray spray spray for fungus and blackspot.  It works just as well as those fungus-killers you buy at the store, but without the side effects.  And what they don't tell you at the store is those fungus-killers cannot kill a fungus that's already in business - just the spores that have not started growing yet.  True story!

It's not their fault.  They don't know these things.

But you do!

Make a shopping list for yourself, check it twice, and let me know when you have more questions.  I'll be waiting.