Temecula Valley Rose Society

President's Message

I encourage you to at least visit another rose society's show. You will gain a broader perspective of rose shows and societies, meet other rose lovers, and maybe get a little more excited about roses. Maybe you will even decide to submit at least one horticulture specimen: Don't be shy! You've learned enough from our own rose show and our monthly Little Rose Shows to get ready.

For example, the Palm Desert show November 8 is only an hour and a half drive. It'll make a pleasant day trip and give you the opportunity to lunch in Palm Desert or its environs. I will be judging at the Mesa show on November 15. Want to be adventurous? Then meet me there! It's a lovely time to visit Arizona. You can get full information on each event listed above on the PSWD website.

Thank you to all who participated in the fund raiser at Richie's Diner. By my count it was another big success-details to follow.

Our rose society, like all organizations, operates better and more effectively when all committees have in-depth coverage and participation. Please join a committee and assist in making TVRS a more successful organization.

SAVE THE ROSES!

The CCRS 14th Save the Roses! Auction of Rare and Unusual Rose Plants aims to save rose varieties that are no longer commercially available and in danger of disappearing. The event will take place on Saturday November 15th and Sunday November 16th at Carlsbad by the Sea Resort in Carlsbad CA. Appoximately 300 plants will be offered for sale. Saturday's schedule includes afternoon and early evening presentations showcasing all of the plants offered in the auction which begins at 1:30pm on Sunday. Payment is by cash or check. For details on this exciting event, please visit the website at CCRSAuction.com. Help SAVE THE ROSES! by making room for 1 or 2 of them in your garden. (Posted by Joel Ross MD, ARS-CR and Auction Co-Chair for the Auction Executive Committee and the CCRS, edited for newsletter by Frank Brines.)

Tree of Life, Beginning of Fall

Our tomatoes did not do well with the heat and the tomato worms in September so we took out those that didn't make it (most of them) and started preparing the bed for our winter vegetable planting. We did not get the students we expected to get this year with the start of school. We have two students this year. Shannon, who is a high school student and is very dedicated to the garden and loves coming and helping out, and Alexis who graduated from high school last year. The same can be said about Alexis despite the fact that she also has a part time job and is going to college part time. The three of us will do what we can this year in the garden, but the garden will be scaled back a lot due to lack of volunteers.

Our pumpkins have grown and spread and there are many that will be ready to harvest soon. The warm weather has encouraged the plant to continue to produce flowers and small pumpkins that are just starting to grow. We will keep our fingers crossed that these will make it to full size before the first frost.

We had 5 beautiful butternut squash last month and someone harvested 3 of them. There is no indication that it was critters, so we believe we have someone helping themselves. We do have two left which we will harvest soon. This plant has also continued to spread and produce new growth.

If you are interested in helping out in the vegetable garden on Saturday mornings or know a student who would like to help and needs community service hours, please contact me. We would like to keep the garden full of all of the wonderful winter vegetables that are so healthy for you, but we need help to make it happen.

Jack Be Little pumpkins	Jack Be Little pumpkins

Shannon & Alexis preparing for winter planting	Butternut Squash

Rose Haven Update

The garden is popping with color, not only the roses but succulents too. With refreshing cooler days and nights, we have begun tending plants once again. Yes, deadheading trimming and all that stuff.

The steps and hand rails are in place and make the walk up the hill much safer and easier. Also, a new quilt garden display has been installed near the miniature rose garden. Our "Living Quilt" is listed on the City of Temecula "Autumnfest" flyer so we expect many visitors. Come out and see for yourself.

The next garden committee meeting is Wednesday, October 22nd at 9:15. There are several action items for volunteers, plus Eagle Scout projects to be discussed. The meeting with a grant writer was successful but the scope of our projects and securing appropriate grants is quite a challenge. The projects are: large shelter in the educational area, appropriate pathway surfaces, fencing for vegetable garden. Look for photos on our website under garden "Wish List" at http://temeculavalleyrosesociety.org/projects.shtml

Steps and hand rails	Living quilt

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Member Meeting Program

Keep your garden off drugs! Use biocontrols and integrated pest management techniques instead of pesticides. Find out how to recognize the "good guys" from the pests, and how to encourage them to make your garden their home. Learn that the "good guys" sometimes need a little time to catch up with the pesky types, and get some easy tips to help deal with the invasion in the meantime.

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

October Birthdays & New Members

The September L.R.S. brought out only 13 roses. However, more and better ones are expected in October and November. We are still suffering under the really hot days of this summer. There was one nice interruption of rain which was refreshing. Virginia Boos won the "Rose of the Day" with her beautiful "White Licorice". Other participants were Simmone Arnuld, Ellen Noell, Lenore Vogel and Bonnie Bell.

Our Fabulous Bat Program Families in the Garden

Under a white tent awning 'Families in the Garden' participants gathered to learn all about bats. Cindy Myers, 'The Bat Lady', arrived with her bat ambassadors, Davey and Delilah. She brought many teaching aids: a bat costume to demonstrate bat anatomy, bat house, bat food, and bat rings for the kids. Cindy captivated our audience with facts on bat anatomy, their habits, and how important they are to agriculture and why we should protect them. She cautioned children and adults alike never to handle a bat with bare hands--they are wild animals and not to be treated as pets.

Our audience had a chance to get a close up look at Davey, a rescued bat who has been with Cindy for several years. Davey appears to be blind and doesn't behave in a fearful way in the daylight. He was very comfortable in his windowed box showing off his stretching and hanging moves. Delilah can not be released into the wild because she has several broken 'fingers' which could not be fixed and therefore she can't fly to get insects.

Our program ended with children making bat masks, parents and kids exploring, and getting questions answered about the garden. Cindy Myers is a volunteer educator with Wildlife Rescue in San Diego.

Cindy Myers

	Barb, JoAnn, Rebecca, Cindy Myers 'Bat Lady', Karen, Mi-ae

Hello Rose Judges

I have just received a note from Gerry Mahoney that Diana Kilmer's Father has passed away. I know that many of you have met Diana's father at different Rose Shows. He was truly a wonderful person. Please pray for him and his family. Please send a card to our dear friend Diana to let her know we are thinking of her and her family. Sincerely, Akiko Strathmann

ARS Trial Membership

The FREE 4-month trial membership is for all NEW local society members. Submit your new members information to Laura Seabaugh monthly, and she will see that they receive this great gift! Send their name, address, phone number, and, most importantly, email address.

$5 4-month trial membership program for all EXISTING local society members AND anyone who fills out a form at a local society event. This means that if Joe Smith attends a pruning demonstration and fills out a trial member application, even without joining your society, he can still take advantage of the 4-month trial membership for just $5.

$10 4-month trial membership is available for the general public. This is on the website and people can sign up online or by calling us.

Rose Care FUNdamentals

If you have been participating in my prescribed practice of allowing your roses to have a summer rest, it is now time to do a minor pruning. This should be done now to expect two more bloom cycles (as long as cold temps hold off until after Christmas). Remember that this is a light pruning: Remove the many small branching cane ends back to the main cane, pruning down to an outward facing bud (found at the base of a leaf where it joins the cane).

To give you an idea of what I mean by a "light" pruning, see the photo accompanying this article. On the left is a cane that shows evidence of several bloom cycles, small cane on small cane. (Also notice if you can the very dead 3/4" black stub in the center of the spray-that poorly made cut is what allowed the side buds to shoot out.) On the right you see the same spray pruned as I am suggesting above. Notice that it's been reduced to three generally equal canes; each cane is thick enough to support additional blooming shoots. Also notice that I've left plenty of nodes with buds on each branch.

Light pruning example

After you've done this pruning, you'll find it easier to apply the needed fertilizer-but remember to run an irrigation cycle before applying fertilizer. I suggest applying a fertilizer high in Nitrogen and Phosphate (that is, the first two numbers on the fertilizer label). A good balance would be 8-8-4 or something similar. (This is not brain surgery, so don't worry!) I recommend an organic type. Organics are usually slower acting when the weather (and soil) is cool. You're in luck this time of year because warm soil activates the breakdown of the fertilizer into readily available nutrients. Organics don't usually use the NPK number so you may have to read about the label to determine the balance of nutrients, or rely on the company employee if you go to a specialty store. If you use a fertilizer that is first dissolved in water, apply it right over the bush from top to bottom. A hybrid tea would need about two gallons of solution and should be watered in after a couple of days. If you use a dry granular product, be sure to scratch it into the soil surface around the base of the plant, and then water it in. Apply in the concentration recommended on label; if growing in pots, use half the recommended amount, but apply it more frequently. Repeat your applications every two weeks. Check your irrigation system to make sure all plants are receiving sufficient water. When you have a moment to spare, or feel the need to get away, or when the day cools down, take your favorite beverage, a picnic basket, and visit Rose Haven Heritage Garden, 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula (cross street is Cabrillo Avenue). 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! Jump to page top.