Question
I would like to give Knockout Roses a try but have yet to find out when the best time to plant them would be. I live in Atlanta and have  about 8 hours of full sun where I'd like to plant them. And are they fragrant? Do they attract hummingbirds, butterflies & bees (I hope!)? Thank you very much!

Answer
The "Roses are a Knockout" plug for these immensely popular shrubs was posted by University of Georgia Extension (http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/storypage.cfm?storyid=2973) and lists point by point just what it is about them that people love so much.

Lightly fragrant, free-flowering from spring to the late autumn frost, they are fast-growing, undemanding and easy to grow.  Their vivid colors make them perfect for summer bouquets.  They resist all the usual leaf diseases, as well.

Although there is an old book called ""Green Roses and Hummingbirds", the title refers only to the meaning of life, not the affinity of Hummingbirds to Roses in the garden.  Roses do not have the shape or nectar preferred by Hummingbirds - see the Hummingbird Society's menu of favorites posted at its website (http://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/hottopics/attracting.asp).  That said, you can always hang a Hummingbird Feeder under a tree outside and wait for one to fly by.  These are perfectly legitimate ways to attract these birds to your garden.  Just make sure you aren't spraying pesticides - they'll suffer from deformed eggs and offspring plus shortened lifespan.

Butterflies visit flowers for more than food sources - they lay their eggs so their larvae can dine on the leaves.  Keep that in mind next time you see a caterpillar wriggling along a stem.  If you really are a butterfly lover, you'll have to learn to identify the larvae, and put up with them.  The "Butterflies of Georgia" website (http://www.geocities.com/mikelchap/) of one expert hobbyist is filled with information.  The Georgia Dept of Agriculture website ((http://agr.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2086,38902732_0_41919462,00.html) posts a short, simple list of common Georgia butterflies and their favorite flowers.

Now, Roses are not listed in those Butterfly menus.  But I have to point out that many people spray their Roses for small insect damage; even this is dangerous to survival of casual butterfly visitors.  With Knockout Roses, you will be spraying less and your garden will be more butterfly-friendly even without their preferred menu.

Bees - well, ALL Roses are bee magnets.  Some people don't mind; some do.  Bees cannot see red; red Roses are said to draw fewer bees, while white Roses reflect UV light and are the prettiest.

Eight hours is not the most sun you can give a Rose, but it will be plenty for your undemanding Knockouts.  Make sure you give them deep, rich soil, fortified with plenty of Bone Meal and Humus, with great drainage and space for air circulation and growth.

Delighted to address a question from someone as clearly enthused as you are about the fringe benefits of gardening - butterflies, bees, birds.  Wouldn't be a garden without them!

Any further questions?