Hi, I've decided to take the plunge and plant roses. I found this newsgroup
about a week ago and am enjoying all the good information. Forgive me if this
is old hat, but I didn't find a FAQ for this group.
I live in zone 7a. Central Virginia. We have already had days in the 90's and
some nasty humidity and thunderstorms. I'm guessing it is too late to plant
roses until the fall if I go the container route, or next spring for bare root.

I try to garden in as organic a manner as possible. I really don't want to
spray if I don't have to. Two roses I've picked out are the Old Blush and
Duchesse de Brabant. Would these be good choices for my situation?
What is the best thing to do about Japanese beetles? I'm thinking milky spore
or is there something better? One of the reasons I don't like to spray is that
I have dogs and cats that are allowed run of the yard, so I'm a little hesitant
to use something like grubex.
Are own root roses better than the grafted types?
Is there any stand out website for ordering roses?

Thanks in advance!

Beth
Richmond Va zone 7a