President's Message

And do it this month, because every new member paid by February 28 will receive a potted rose plant (valued at $20) at the orientation meeting in March. Every membership comes with these valuable benefits:
 • Discounts at participating merchants.
 • Ten luncheon buffets at our monthly members' meeting comparable to $8-$10 at any restaurant for an annual value of up to $100.
 • Dues provide honorariums to bring us interesting and informative speakers.
 • Monthly newsletter with tips on growing roses in our area, along with an events calendar.
 • Free advice from our ARS Consulting Rosarians to analyze and help solve your rose growing problems, news about new products and techniques, pruning and rose care demonstrations, and more.

Dues for first-year members are $35.00 which includes a one-time charge for a name badge; a first-year Family Membership costs $50.00 which includes a one-time charge for two name badges. Renewing individual dues are $25.00 per year, and $30.00 for families.

How do you join? Click here to print a membership form.

Mail your completed form or bring it to the next meeting (February 14); if you prefer, you can pick up a printed membership form at the door. In either case, please bring payment (check or cash).

If you didn't attend the January meeting you missed a lively discussion and informative presentation by Christian Bedard, the Weeks Roses grower representative. Don't miss February's meeting: The program is "Landscaping with cacti and succulents" presented by Ric Newcomer from the San Diego Cacti and Succulent Society.

You probably noticed a new room arrangement for our members' meeting. Committees now have information on the tables with attention-getting signage. Please take a stroll and add your name to one of these committees. Help us by contributing your ideas and organizing events and programs. Without committees and people to join, many projects just won't happen. Please join to help us grow and become a more vibrant, active, community organization.

Do you hear that? It's Rose Haven Heritage Garden asking YOU to come adopt and care for even just a tiny part of her! She'd like you to do a little pruning, a little raking—whatever you can to help her face the new year proudly looking her best for her many visitors! Wouldn't you like to help her out? Then come down to the garden any Wednesday or Saturday morning around 9 a.m. and chat with any of the volunteers to find the area that's right for you.

Have you gotten my message yet? To restate: Renew, join, volunteer! Add your cheer to the fun, excitement, beautiful garden and wonderful memories that we can create together at TVRS. Remember, "Many hands make light work."

Hall of Fame Update

January has been a busy month in the Hall of Fame area at Rose Haven. The following items have been completed:

The metal gazebo is installed. Six of the 7 miniature roses are planted around the perimeter of the gazebo and the irrigation system is installed and working.

Edging is installed around the base and a stone border has been placed around the gazebo. Additional stone borders have been placed around the individual rose beds. The entire area has been raked and cleaned up in preparation for pruning. A sign placed at the southwest entry to the Hall of Fame to discourage horseback riding through Rose Haven.

Work still pending:
Find and plant the remaining miniature rose for the gazebo.
Continue placing stone borders around the remaining rose beds.
Prune or trim all roses.
That's it for now. Jim

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Special Event Notice

The 16th annual Arrangement Workshop sponsored by the Fair Friends of Roses RS at the Ventura Co Fairgrounds Floriculture building Saturday March 16, 2013 10am-3pm.
Topic: Modern arrangements
Bring warm clothes, clippers, interesting low and high/tall containers. Flowers, line material, coffee, danish and lunch will be provided for a low $20!
Send fee by Mar 12 to Barbara Schneider 253 McKee St Ventura CA 93001 (805) 648-7322 to hold your space. Maximum of 40 participants. ARS arrangement judging credit will be given (4 credits) to current judges. Contact Lauren Toth, l.toth@cox.net, 623-533-5844

Member Meeting Program

Ric will be representing the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society. He has been collecting cactus and succulents since 1955. His collection consists of approximately 2,000 plants in two large greenhouses. He currently resides in Menifee on 1/3 acre.

Ric has traveled all over Mexico and Baja in search of new plants as well as obtaining plants from South America and Africa. Many of his plants are endangered in their natural habitat. He occasionally brings plants to various cactus clubs, including the Gates Cactus and Succulent Society in San Bernardino, and present a program.

This discussion will be on the plant's care, watering, soil mixture, correct pots and how to keep your cacti and succulents healthy. Ric will be bringing a variety of plants to the meeting and we look forward to meeting him at that time.

A light buffet luncheon will be served around noon. Guests are welcome.

February Birthdays & New Members

An Early Start On Gardening

But her mother Megan Gadelmawla laughs it off, hoping that the toddler will develop her green thumb sometime before she learns how to speak in sentences.

Every third Saturday the garden invites families to participate in planting vegetables or flowers, depending on the season, as a way to introduce early the art of gardening.

On Saturday a handful of families showed up to plant snap peas in the garden and in small containers to take home. Gadelmawla, of Murrieta, said she wants her daughter to learn to love the idea of planting.

"Someday she'll have her own garden," she added.

Seven-year-old Cassie Hreha caught the bug last year and often drags her mother out to the garden, not too far from their Temecula home, to watch her plants grow.

"We found out about this in a small article in the newspaper, and we try to come out often," said her mother Chris Hreha, chasing her curious 2-year-old Colin along a path. "I thought it would be fun for them to plant something and watch it grow. Turns out, she loves it."

The young girl meanwhile worked a shovel in the gravel nearby. She said eventually she'll have her own garden. "I just like getting dirty," she said.

Barb Purdy, youth gardening chairperson, said the organization developed the youth program to engage children in grades five and under in the world of gardening. The Rose Haven Heritage Garden has never had a shortage of high school students earning extra credit while toiling away at flower beds and planting.

"This is to expose the kids to gardening and getting their hands dirty working with plants," Purdy said. "We want them to learn about gardening early on."

The program is held monthly, with a holiday break in December and off in June, July, and August — "too hot," she said — and has been growing in popularity. On Saturday three children were there to work, with a few families trickling in later in the morning.

To learn more about the program visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gardening-for-Kids-in-Temecula/331298690293959 or call (951) 693-2814.

The Southwest Garden in January

  

Rose Haven Update

Rose pruning is underway at the garden. Many of the gardening angels have assigned areas but we all help each other to achieve a goal of finishing the pruning by the end of February. The regular schedule of volunteer work remains Wednesday and Saturday mornings and we really would appreciate additional help at this busy time.

A new fence was installed recently by a group of Eagle Scouts headed by Brady Hollingsworth. What a nice addition defining the garden along the driveway and Cabrillo. In the upper gazebo area, walkways are being built with large paver stepping stones by Frank and Wayne. What a project - whew. It will be great when finished. See the separate article by Jim Moss on the progress in the Hall of Fame area.

The large grasses in the Southwest area are swaying in the breeze and the succulents have provided much color during the winter months. Our next garden committee meeting is Wednesday, February 27th at 9:30. The Address is 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd., Temecula. All interested are invited to attend. Please see our website for additional information and photos at TemeculaValleyRoseSociety.org. Come out and visit the garden anytime. Egrets and a heron or two will greet you at the pond most days.

Youth Gardening in January

Planting peas in the garden:

Our third Saturday program this month was planting peas. The children planted a pea seedling in the Tree of Life vegetable garden (see picture) and then planted a seed in a small pot to take home. They will watch the seed sprout and then plant it in their own garden. The kids enjoyed getting their hands dirty and are learning that gardening can be fun. We encourage them to come back often to check on their plants and to enjoy the peas when they are ready for harvest.

Tree of Life:

In addition to the pea planting on the 3rd Saturday which the High School/Middle School students helped out with, the students have been busy in the garden this month. They finished taking out the tomato plants and prepared the bed for the pea planting, including putting up a trellis for the peas to climb on. On the 12th they harvested the sweet potatoes. They counted 54 sweet potatoes! (see picture). They were mostly small, but now we know we can grow potatoes and with a few adjustments we will get bigger potatoes next year. They were sweet and the students even enjoyed them raw right after harvest. What a great thing to have young people enjoy fresh food right out of the garden.

   

Thank you for asking!

At our 2012 Annual Meeting last December a bylaws change was presented and approved. If you remember, there was an email sent to the membership with the bylaw change: "Article VII - Officers Section 2. Election. The officers shall be nominated and elected by a majority of the Board at the meeting of the new Board elected at the annual member meeting in November and shall hold office for a period of one (1) year or until any such officer shall resign, be removed, or otherwise be disqualified to serve. In no event shall any person serve in a particular office for more than three successive years. Any person who has not held any office for at least one year shall again be eligible to occupy any office, subject to the restrictions contained in these Bylaws. Appointment to fill a vacancy does not count toward the year limit." The email ended with an invitation to contact me with any questions.

A query was received from Margaret Meyncke a week later: "Sorry to respond so late. I meant to ask what the thinking was on making the change. But I didn't want the business meeting to last longer..."

Rebecca responds: Always remember to ask a question about something like this because if you were thinking it, others were too. The annual meeting is the opportunity for the members to elect the Board and to receive information regarding the operations of the Society.

Why the Bylaws Committee proposed the change from a two year limit to a three year limit: We have many dedicated members in our Society serving on the Board, as officers and on committees. It takes a dedicated team to provide the leadership and organization to perform all of the many behind-the-scenes tasks needed. The field of candidates for the elected officers is always thin, not because people aren't capable but there can be personal obstacles to volunteering to serve on the Board, as an officer, or joining a committee.

With this Bylaws change we can begin to develop a defined succession plan, particularly for officers. The experience we have had over the years is that with a two year limit a person spends the first year learning the job and the second year you understand the job but now you are termed out. With three years, the first year in the position you are "in-training", the second year you understand the job, and the third year you can mentor the person interested in being elected to the position in the following year.

In our Society we need to ensure that we have members feeling comfortable joining committees, leading committees, serving on the Board and serving as an officer. The first step to accomplishing this to take a longer view of the leadership opportunities and preparation.

If you have other questions please email Rebecca at temroses@gmail.com or call (951) 595-7046. And thanks for asking!

Rose Care FUNdamentals

To do the job right, one needs to have a range of pruner sizes handy. Each size has a limit to the diameter thickness for which it is most efficiently used; using too small a pruner on too large a cane can damage both. At minimum, have a pair of loppers and a standard-sized pair of hand pruners. If you have some older plants with large canes that may need to be removed, a saw is a handy tool to have. All pruners should be kept clean, sharp, and in good repair. Rubbing alcohol is ideal for cleaning pruners, before and during the job. It also helps prevent transmitting diseases from plant to plant, and you can use it as first aid for punctures and scratches to your skin. A good pair of leather gloves are necessary with long sleeves or separate pair of sleeves to protect our arms.

Before starting the job, lubricate the moving parts with a little light oil (such as 3-in-1 or WD-40), and make sure they operate without resistance. Sharpen each blade with a small diamond file (available at garden centers), trying as much as possible to match the original bevel of the blade. Every 100 cuts or so, swipe the file over the blade a few times to keep it sharp. If you notice that the pruners are crushing the stems and/or leaving a tail, it's past time to sharpen!

Now, decide what style of pruning you feel comfortable with (Figure 1). I find this works well with the way buds are distributed along the cane. Buds are found in the "axel" where a leaf meets the cane; leaves spiral around the cane at about 1.5" intervals. This places outward-facing buds about 4" apart. If I prune lightly to moderately, and if frost damages the tender young growth, then I know I can still re-prune to the next bud down.

In Southern California our rose bushes can grow quite large, so I start with some gross pruning to bring the project down to size. I use loppers to cut every bush down to about 3 feet high. This lets me examine the structure of the bush, and to use my hand pruners to more easily remove canes that are twiggy, dead, crossing other canes, or passing through the center of the plant. I also remove old leaves as I go along so I can easily see the structure of the plant. After removing all that stuff from the interior of the bush you can do the final pruning. Attempt to leave a domed top to the degree possible so the plant will bush out in a pleasing, balanced manner.

There are two kinds of cuts you will make. Some cuts remove the entire branch; these cuts are made flush with the surface of the parent cane. Other cuts simply shorten a cane. It is important to position your pruners so you minimize damage to the plant. Take a look at your pruners and notice that they have a sharp cutting blade (which slices through the cane), and a dull curved non-cutting blade (which holds the cane in place during the cut). These are called bypass pruners, only type recommended. Position your pruners so the non-cutting blade is in contact with the portion of the cane that will be removed, and the cutting blade is on the side of the cut that will remain on the plant. (See Figure 2.) This will make more sense when you are actually holding the pruners and getting ready to cut! Also, always prune above an outward facing bud with an angled cut. (See Figure 3).

A word of caution when pruning: Look for the small nests of humming birds, as this is the nesting period for two varieties in our area. Also, if you discover praying mantis egg cases on any branches you remove, find a place to put them where they will be undisturbed and hatch out so you can benefit from the offspring!

Be sure to dispose of all cut off material into your green waste bin and put it on the street. Clean the ground thoroughly of all rose debris. Apply a dormant spray to the plants and the soil surface to ward off diseases. Then add 2"-4" of composted mulch to cover the entire garden area.

 

 

For more ideas, visit TVRS' Rose Haven garden at 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd.,
Temecula, as well as our web site at TemeculaValleyRoseSociety.org.