What Shrubs Can Replace My Diseased Roses?

Q: I saw your Facebook post about watching for rose rosette disease in spring. Once I have dug and destroyed mine, what can I replace them with?

A: There are several good substitutes for a shrub rose. Dwarf abelia (‘Rose Creek’, ‘Kaleidoscope’, ‘Radience’, etc) works very well. Small gardenia (‘Jubilation’, ‘Radicans’, ‘Frost proof’, etc) are evergreen and scented. The Encore series of azaleas give a wide variety of flower color and bloom times. Small shrubs that lose their leaves in winter include weigela, dwarf butterfly bush, and dwarf crapemyrtle.