Temecula Valley Rose Society

President's Message

Our society is setting goals at a 3-year plan, 5-year plan, in addition to the coming year 2015. I invite and any and all to attend our August 21st meeting to learn, share, and discuss. Perhaps you have a great idea to add to the discussion. New minds have a tendency to shock old thinking to look outside the box. Hope to see you there, and to indicate your interest in our society continuing into a great future.

Old Garden Roses At Rose Haven

In the fourth article describing Old Garden Roses at Rose Haven we will introduce our CELINE FORESTIER, a climbing rose, she is the centermost of our three climbers along the rear perimeter of the OGR section. CELINE is a Noisette rose and can grow to 15 feet high, with clusters of yellow blooms with pink centers, with up to 4 blooms per cluster. The petal count is 50 to 60 and she has a spicy sweet fragrance and she is seldom without masses of blooms. CELINE can be kept to an admirable shape by occasional trimming, training her to her support apparatus and can even be grown in pots if proper supports are provided. Even though she starts slow this rose will become vigorous when established. She prefers full sun and will tolerate poor soil. The stems show an average number of thorns. CELINE FORESTIER was bred in France in 1842 by Trouillard and introduced by Leroy in 1858, with the parentage being in dispute. AARS rates this rose at 8.7.

CELINE FORESTIER is a Noisette rose as is our "Champney's Pink Cluster". This classification of roses are all climbers and repeat flowering. They originated in France after an American breeder named Phillipe Noisette created the breed and moved to France where he sold the rights to French breeders. Noisette was originally from Charleston, South Carolina. More on these roses when we introduce "Champney's Pink Cluster".

Communications Committee Needs Your Ideas!

This committee was formed to help TVRS utilize and learn about ways to promote our organization and Rose Haven in our community and beyond.

We are exploring and learning about the various ways to promote our club and garden. One challenge we face is how to effectively use social media and high tech options to advertise our programs. Fortunately, we already have in place our own e-newsletter; www.temeculavalleyrosesociety.org. thanks to John Weersing. Another challenge is to make good use of our local newspaper, news publications, and printed fliers.

If you are interested in sharing expertise, have ideas that would help promote our garden and club, or want to learn about the current technology of communication please join us for this fascinating journey. Our meetings are scheduled to follow the general TVRS meeting on the third Thursdays in the library on Pauba Road in Temecula.

Please contact JoAnn Summers, jcsummers60@yahoo.com or phone, 951-699-6855 for more information.

Families in the Garden

If you enjoy the delight of children discovering the garden and nature we would love to have you join our committee. Our 'Families in the Garden' committee plans and carries out programs for the public every third Saturday from 9:30-10:30 AM at Rose Haven Heritage Garden. Our planning meetings fall on the first Wednesday of the the month and are from 10-12 in the morning.

Our first program in September will be the fantastic Bat Lady, Cindy Myers, from Project Wildlife Rescue in San Diego. This is a wonderful presentation you will not want to miss.

Other activities we will be doing are: discovery hikes, poppy seed balls, fairy gardens, bouquets, planting vegetables in the Tree of Life Garden, and learning tool care and use.

For further information please contact JoAnn Summers at jcsummers60@yahoo.com phone 951-699-6855.

Rose Haven Update

In the August heat it's unbelievable the roses are still blooming and visitors still keep coming. Actually, we have noticed quite an increase in visitors from just a year ago. Many walk the paths up and down, or enjoy the pond, gazebo, or sitting in our new "Oak Shadow" picnic area. Three wooden benches have been donated by Phyllis and Rebecca for everyone to enjoy. Thank you so much ladies. We sure find relaxing under the oaks very tranquil and I'll be the visitors do too.

The Summer Solstice event on June 21st was a spectacular evening. The garden was gorgeous, the city of Temecula provided everything, and cleaned up afterward. We estimate there were about 500 guests. Woohoo! Hope we can participate in this event again next year.

There have been two small groups of challenged young adults that have been raking and cleaning up the Oak Shadow and Pepper Tree picnic areas. We are very appreciative of the work and their organizations tell us how much these young people enjoy the garden.

Our Next garden committee meeting is Wednesday, August 27th at 9:30. Several items are on the agenda and all interested are invited to attend.

Oak Shadow Picnic Area	Summer Soltice Event

Last Chance To Buy TVRS "Macy's Shop For A Cause Coupons"

I will have coupons to sell on Thursday, August 14th and Thursday, August 21. There will be prizes given for members who have sold the most tickets.

The date for the Macy's Giant Sale is Saturday, August 23! I will also be collecting the outstanding monies for tickets taken in May and June. Don't miss out on this one! It's a terrific opportunity to buy something on sale and support Rose Haven Heritage Garden. We need your help. Kathy & Pierre Turgeon.

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Member Meeting Program

August Birthdays & New Members

June Little Rose Show

There were 6 participants in the June 19th Little Rose Show (LRS). These 6 members brought 17 specimens. Virginia Boos won Rose of the Day with her minni, Jeanne Kennelly.

Our next show will be in September, none for the August meeting. By then we should be getting less heat and a new crop of blooms hopefully.

Tree of Life: Summer 2014 in the Garden

Summer should bring an abundance of tomatoes, especially when you plant 12 varieties, but for the most part we are still waiting. Tomatoes have been one of our biggest challenges. We have tried many different ways to trellis and protect them, but each year our results have not matched our efforts. This year the trellis and protection seem to be working, but the tomatoes do not seem healthy. While the tomatoes in my garden are so prolific that I can't give them away fast enough, those in the Tree of Life are still trying to produce fruit. We have been working on issues with the water, and hope with the corrections we have made we will soon have plenty of tomatoes.

This summer, with limited student help, we have planted pumpkins, watermelon and squash. This has been a challenge as most of our first crop did not make it and we had to start again. One thing we have learned in the Tree of Life is that you just keep trying until you find what works. Our watermelon and pumpkins (see picture) are behind schedule, but should make it if we have a mild fall. We have covered them with row covers to protect the young plants (which is what you are primarily seeing in the picture). Also notice all the protective barriers we have put up. Many thanks to the students for all of their hard work in getting these built. We do have a large zucchini plant that is producing and two butternut squash (see picture) that are thriving and should produce soon.

A big thank you also to Nardo Felipe (see picture) who is covering all the beds that are not being used with cardboard and mulch to keep the weeds out. I would also like to thank the Guy family who provide us with the manure from their alpacas which we use to fertilize the garden.

Nardo Felipe	Watermelon & Pumpkin Sprouts

Butternut Squash, Zucchini, Swiss Chard

Summer Tomatoes Natural Fertilizer!

TVRS Quilt Garden Project

Last year our Society was invited to participate in a new adventure. The Temecula Old Town Quilt Show celebrated its 15th year displaying quilts in many locations throughout Old Town. Looking to expand and extend the enjoyment of quilts, Melody Brunsting (who helps organize this and other Old Town events) had heard of "quilt gardens" and wanted to know if the Rose Society would be interested in creating some quilt gardens to display. Being willing to try something at least once, we agreed to participate.

However, in the Midwest where quilt gardens are an integral part of the growing season, very large patches of ground and thousands of plants are needed. No way was that going to happen!

Seeking advice from our member Melissa Naraoli, she volunteered the services of her family's business (McCabe's Nursery) to help us with both design and plant material. Melissa designed three lovely gardens that were installed the morning of the quilt show. John and Helen McCabe spent the afternoon with me greeting visitors and talking about quilt gardens. The day was over and the gardens were uninstalled.

What had we learned? This was another of those "just-once" experiences – a great community outreach event but the amount of effort to make it happen for just one day was not sustainable. So back to the drawing board. I met with the Quilt Show Committee of the Valley of the Mist Quilters and they were very generous with the history and patterns of quilt blocks they felt could easily be translated into a quilt garden. Would it be possible to create a quilt garden on a small scale, say a 2 ft. x 2 ft. scale? Well, the answer, at least for now, turned out to be no. Something on this scale needs a lot of attention, much like bonsai. Again, a bit more effort than was sustainable.

Unwilling to give up on the concept, Melody sent me an email with two ideas to explore: (1) for 2014, we create the quilt garden display at Rose Haven and (2) for 2015, in addition to quilt gardens at Rose Haven, we invite people in the community to create quilt gardens in their front gardens with a map so people could drive around to view (similar to the holiday lights tour). The advantage of both of these ideas is that the gardens would actually be planted and have a nice growing season, allowing for viewing over a longer period of time.

With some additional research I found an article "The Sunplace Special Quilt Garden". This group of Master Gardeners had the brilliant idea (at least to me) of planting the quilt inside a bed frame. The bed frame creates a manageable space. Using annual plants enables the quilt to have a season-long bloom at an even height. Each year the bed frame can be replanted with a different quilt design. This is an approach that could be both manageable and sustainable!

Would you be interested in joining the committee planning this project? Timeline: August/September planning, planting & tending. Saturday, October 4 would be the opening day for our Rose Haven Quilt Garden with the community invited to visit the entire month of October. Email Rebecca at temroses@gmail.com with ideas or suggestions. P.S. Do you have an old bed frame to donate???

Rose Care FUNdamentals

Some local gardens had a nice show of blooms into July due to short HOT periods. I've had some reports of plant and blossom sunburn. This is the result of the plant being unable to hydrate at the same rate as it's evaporation. As I have been advocating for the past four years, after the June/July bloom cycle, let your roses 'do whatever they do', that is, let the hips develop, just remove the petals and discard, keep the bed clean of debris while keeping your rose bushes well hydrated and DON'T fertilize.

Take a daily tour of your garden to look for any changes. It doesn't take long for a rose to suffer if it's irrigation supply fails. Examine the lower leaves. If they appear yellow or brown, have fine webbing and/or look dirty, there may be an infestation of spider mites. They thrive in hot weather. They're generally found on the undersides of those leaves. A strong spray of water from below followed by an overhead shower should take care of the problem or, at least, hold it in check. Give the shower early in the day so the plant has time to dry before the sun becomes hot. It may be necessary to repeat after a few days if the infestation is heavy.

Gardeners are always faced with risks. One recently came to my attention through a Dr. Gott. It's a dangerous fungus with the scientific name Sporothrix schenckii. This fungus is the source of the fungus infection sporotrichosis. It is often referred to as the Rose Thorn (or Rose Gardener's) Disease.

The fungus resides on hay, sphagnum moss, the tips of rose thorns and in soil. It can cause infection, redness, swelling and open ulcers at the puncture site. The fungus can also spread to the lymphatic system and move on to the joints and bones where it ends up attacking the central nervous system and lungs when the thorn or thorns are deeply imbedded. A relatively uncommon condition, diagnosis can be complicated. Physicians often mistake it as staph or strep infection. If you suspect this condition, be sure to inform your physician that you are a gardener so appropriate diagnosis and treatment are rendered.

We all enjoy the fragrance and beauty of roses, and have often had our skin pierced by thorns ("prickles" is the correct anatomical name). Good protective measures include wearing appropriate clothing (gloves, long sleeves, or gauntlets) when working among roses and thoroughly cleansing even minor scratches and punctures with an anti-bacterial soap. Rubbing alcohol—which you should already have handy to clean your pruners—can be applied as an immediate wash until you can use anti-bacterial soap. Anything more than a minor puncture should be watched carefully for signs of infection; seek medical attention as soon as possible if you show any of the signs described above. Even the simple things in life have risks—take precautions so you can stop and smell the roses.

For more ideas, visit TVRS' Rose Haven garden at 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd.,
Temecula, as well as our web site at TemeculaValleyRoseSociety.org/index.shtml. You might also want to visit our section at Meetup.com to find events of interest to you. Spread the joy of roses!