Temecula Valley Rose Society

President's Message

Wishing you a season bright with beauty, warm with memories, and rich with the joys of the holidays.

As my term as president comes to an end, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the many members who have contributed to the progress TVRS has made in the past year. And to wish you all the best of the season.

Old Garden Roses

This month I will introduce you to HERMOSA, a pink China which you will see at the garden to the left as you enter the curved pathway to the Memorial Bench. The petals of HERMOSA, 30 to 35 in number, neither darken or fade with age, but retain their original medium pink color. This rose has a moderate but pleasant fragrance. Growing to 4' high by 3' wide it is ideal for a large hedge. She has very few prickles so should border a walkway very nicely. HERMOSA will tolerate some shade but prefers full sun and requires almost no maintenance. AARS rates this rose at 8.1 (American Rose Society national average garden performance rating.) She was bred prior to 1837 by Marchesseau in France by crossing a China with a Bourbon.

Families in the Garden program:

It's amazing what adventures 'Families in the Garden' can pack into one hour! Kids planted tulips, roamed the garden, dug holes with little red shovels, and learned what's inside a tulip bulb. Rebecca Weersing led the children in learning about tulip bulbs. The tulips were carefully planted around our quilt garden. Watch for tulip blooms in the spring. The most popular activity of the morning was hole digging. Our visiting children loved the little red shovels and eagerly dug and refilled holes in the sandy wash. Last they were given a bulb to take home with a coloring sheet about the parts of a bulb. It was another great Saturday morning in the garden.

Our next 'Families in the Garden' event will be January 17th, 2015.

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Dear Members: I trust that you have made a determined effort to use Stater Bros. Script/Gift Cards for your everyday normal purchases. Even in these financially difficult times we all must eat. Purchasing a $100.00 Script Card will let you spend $100.00 for groceries at Stater Bros. There is no extra expense or donation coming out of your pocket and the Rose Society will get a $6.00 donation for the upkeep of the Garden. Your support is greatly appreciated. See Ann Coakes to order Cards. Tel 951 693-5635.

Member Meeting Program

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

December Birthdays & New Members

Rose Haven Update

December has arrived amid a wave of beautiful weather and we are so lucky to enjoy a visit to the garden year-round. The waterwise area is remarkable just now. Pictured below in brilliant yellow is "Tagates" Mexican marigold, and the "Gingko" trees in soft yellow just before the leaves fall.

A hearty "Thank You" to all who have given their time and energy this year in the planning and, yes, sweat the garden demands. Phyllis, Jim & Laurie, Dan, Carol, Ray, Betty, Ron, Kathy & Howard, Barb, JoAnn, Frank, Wayne, Jeanne, Lyse, Rebecca, Denise, and Nardo. I probably missed a few and apologize for the oversight.

January begins pruning season. Wednesday and Saturday are the regular work days – around 9:00 AM. The next garden committee meeting will be in January 2015; also Frank will conduct a pruning class in January so watch for the date and details in next months' newsletter.

Wishing Happy Holidays to all and a Happy New Year. Check out our website for other info at the Rosehaven page.

Gingko	Tagates

Rose Care FUNdamentals

One wouldn't think that the current weather would be leading into a dormant period for our roses. Roses are loving these warm days and cool humid nights. In fact, some are peaking (or soon will be) producing some of the best blooms since June. If you pruned lightly in September and fertilized it is likely that you are enjoying a showy bloom cycle. Bouquets of roses may have been on your Thanksgiving table (or at least somewhere in your house). I had three in my house. Providing the current weather pattern continues, you may have some blooms for Christmas/holidays.

After this hot dry Indian Summer and recent humid nights, your rose bushes will enjoy a refreshing shower. Be sure to keep moisture off the blooms to prevent the fungal disease Botrytis. You won't be wasting water, as the plants absorb moisture through their leaves and other plant structures. The benefit is that the leaf pores will be cleaned and cleared for better transpiration (that is, evaporation from the interior of the leaf) and the shower will help wash away fungal spores and the dust they thrive in. Besides, the water will fall along the drip line of the plant and absorb into the root zone.

Be sure to monitor your plants as the daytime temperatures have been warm. They still need to be kept hydrated. You want to prepare your roses for a short Winter's nap (dormancy) so DO NOT fertilize until after your major pruning in January or February. (I'll cover that next month.)

So, until then, Happy Roses to you!

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!