Temecula Valley Rose Society

See 2015 Rose Show Pictures Here

Co-President's Message

Helping Hands at Rose Haven

On April 25 more than 50 volunteers with the annual Helping Hands Project gathered at Rose Haven for a much appreciated clean-up project.

In four hours the area was weeded and several tons of mulch was spread in the rose beds, work which would have taken the Garden Committee weeks to complete. This marks the second year that Helping Hands has chosen to work at Rose Haven and the garden is also on the list for 2016.

Rose Haven Garden

We're well into spring, the weather perfect, and the garden full of blooms. Striking color is everywhere. The Iris Garden, carefully tended by Carol Hudson, has beautiful flowers this time of year (see photo). Thank you, Carol, for all your hard work. Next is a photo of the elusive Matilija Poppy which is about 7 ft. tall with full white flowers and bright yellow centers. Kathy Katz and Laurie Moss have been determined to keep this one alive. Yes, they're supposed to grow anywhere in the southwest, but their experience has been only one out of three survived.

We want to thank Erin's Tree Service for removing two uninvited huge trees that were just taking up space and a nuisance in the garden. The service was no-charge and we always appreciate in-kind donations.

With water conservation issues in California, the Garden Committee will again discuss how we can implement more efficient irrigation methods to reduce our consumption of water. It's not only the cost, but being a good neighbor in our community. Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May 27th at 9:15. All interested are invited to attend.

The Iris Garden

Matilija Poppy

Old Garden Roses

The souvenir we have is a true Bourbon (what else?), with double pink blooms with a petal count of 75 on a three foot bush. In addition to having the typical Bourbon sweet fragrance she is said to be the most beautiful of the Bourbons. She uses her energy to produce more blooms rather than large plant size. SOUVENIER DE LA MALMAISON is disease resistant and can be difficult to establish. We are keeping an eye on her to nurse her through her first few years but so far seems to be doing well. She was bred in 1843 by Beluze of France from Mme. Desprez X tea rose and is rated at 8.7 by AARS. This rose can be seen in the OGR section to the west and just before Reine Des Violettes.

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Dear Members: I trust that you have made a determined effort to use Stater Bros. Scrip/Gift Cards for your everyday normal purchases. Even in these financially difficult times we all must eat. Purchasing a $100 Scrip Card will let you spend $100 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. Contact Ann Coakes to order Scrip Cards. Tel 951 693-5635.

Member Meeting Program

May Birthdays & New Members

Little Rose Show

Don Nordike's St. Patrick was Rose of the Day at our April meeting. We had twelve participants with many nice roses exhibited very well. There were five first place winners good enough to be considered for Rose of the Day. Almost everyone left their foliage intact as should be done. We had several new exhibitors which is a definite plus as our goal this year is to increase participation. Those entering should be sure to leave their tags on the table as that is how points are recorded after the meeting. There will be no Little Rose Show in May as we will be visiting member gardens. We look forward to our next show in June.

Families in the Garden

Earth Day was celebrated by Families in the Garden, April 18th, at Rose Haven Heritage Garden. Our volunteer group offered a variety of hands-on activities: worm exploration, crafts for bird's nests, water bottle fish, paper hats with flowers, advice from Jim Moss, and an introduction to the three R's of Earth Day: Reuse, Recycle, Reduce by Victoria. We enjoyed the shade of a beautiful tent, tables, and chairs which were graciously donated for this event.

The May program will feature bouquets from the garden on May 16th. This is one of our most popular programs. Activity times are from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM for the public. No programs are scheduled for June, July and August. Families in the Garden will begin again in September.

Advice from Jim	Earth Day
Hands on	Paper hat
Reusing water bottles	Paper hat with roses

Rose Care FUNdamentals

This month's column is still what to do in your garden to help bring your roses back into bloom production, no matter what condition your roses are in. When blooms fade it is best to remove them ("dead head") and to dispose of them completely–don't leave them in your garden or compost pile–make sure to put into your green waste barrel for professional composting. It's unlikely that all blooms are at the same stage of development. If there are multiple blooms just remove those that are faded. Continue shaping the bush for best production by pruning the cane to an outward facing bud. Each leaf axil has a bud. Knowing this makes it easy to discern an outward facing bud. If possible select a bud on a cane about the diameter size of a wooden pencil.

Continue fertilizing: hopefully you are ready for the fourth application–organic, I trust. As I always say, organics are much better for your soil and ultimately for your garden and the environment. The soil microbiology is complex and multi-tiered. A healthy garden soil system is teeming with beneficial microbes which create a sustainable soil "immune system." In fact, plants grown with organic fertilizers are themselves more resistant to pests and diseases. If organic fertilizers are used continually you will use less over time and save money as well as building a more viable sustaining healthy soil.

Many gardeners become discouraged when they first experiment with organic treatments while still using chemical fertilizers. It is difficult–in fact, almost impossible–to have it both ways. Chemical fertilizers negatively impact the soil food web by killing off entire portions of it. Chemical fertilizers are salts!

Salts absorb water and dehydrate the soil microbes which are the foundation of the soil nutrient system. Once you've used chemical fertilizers regularly you must keep adding more because the soil microbiology is weakened and unable to do its job of releasing naturally available nutrients to your plants.

Chemical fertilizers are artificial growth stimulants and they quickly leach through the soil (becoming unavailable to your plants) and enter the ground water. On the other hand, organic amendments (such as manure, compost, or mulch) stay where you put them, break down slowly, and don't contribute to ground water pollution (as long as you prevent run off into drains). In addition, they improve the soil food web, so in the long run you end up using less product. How about swearing off chemical fertilizers for the rest of the year and start using organics? Give it a year. See if your roses don't reward you!

For this month's application of fertilizer I recommend using one with higher percentage of phosphate. If the product has the NPK numbers on the packaging the middle number reflects phosphate. Phosphate helps to strengthen root systems and aids the plant to withstand stress from warmer temperatures and also assists in bloom production. CAUTION: Never fertilize a plant while it is water stressed. Always water the day before applying any fertilizer and then water it in.

I've noticed that powdery mildew is present this year in most gardens. While not too obvious, keep an eye for worsening condition. Treating is dependent on your level of acceptance. There are some organic formulas using neem oil, insecticidal soaps, baking soda, etc. Do not use a formula that treats everything. Use only a product specifically for the problem. Read the labels and use accordingly and use safety equipment to avoid exposure to contaminates if you choose chemical.

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. Spread the joy of roses!