Temecula Valley Rose Society

Co-President's Message

Our Member Meeting programs will, this year, be all about innovation and interaction - the Board hopes that each of you will join in the creativity and fun. And we hope that you invite neighbors, friends and even strangers to our Member Meetings. This is a year for us to open our arms and hearts with bountiful rosy welcomes to our community.

The Rose Society has always been about sharing not only roses but friendship. With the passing of 2016 we sadly learned of the passing of Founder Karen Ortega. Karen moved with her family to Temecula from San Diego. Karen had been a member of the San Diego Rose Society and loved working in the Balboa Park Rose Garden. Living in Temecula she missed the fellowship of the San Diego Rose Society and the joy of visiting a community rose garden. So she set about finding those in Temecula who shared that joy of all things roses. With her leadership we founded a rose society and a rose garden. Thank you, Karen. You have made a tremendous difference to our community.

Happy New Year to us all. May it be a very rosy year.

Rose Pruning Demonstration/Hands-On Workshop

Saturday, January 14th, from 9 to 11 a.m., Rose Haven Heritage Garden, 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, corner of Cabrillo. Bring gloves, tools, and QUESTIONS.

In Memoriam: Karen Ortega

Karen Ortega, the founder of our TVRS Rose Society, has passed away after a lengthy illness. Her daughter Katie sent me a message with the sad news.

To reflect, it was May of 1990 when I answered a notice in The Californian newspaper inviting folks to attend a gathering to see if there were enough persons interested to form a rose study group. Karen had moved here from San Diego and wanted to get "roses" started in Temecula, convincing the City Council to adopt the rose as the City's flower. She worked tirelessly in her determination. The rose garden property became available to us, so we needed donations from the rose wholesalers. Roses were planted in the medians along Rancho California Road. Rancho Damacitas benefited also, and Sterling Assisted Living facility (now Atria) used her expertise to choose roses for their landscape. Her efforts are seen in many places.

The group continues today, after 26 years, and through those years hundreds of members have benefited from our varied programs, rose shows and social events. Plans are being made to honor Karen at Rose Haven.

Hospitality

We have discussed the future of hospitality and decided it should be alive and well and full of lunchtime feasts.

We plan to work more as a team, giving some relief for our very appreciated and wonderful Micha Grayson. Kathy Katz will store and transport the supplies, the set up and break down will be more for the group as a whole. Fay Devore is indispensable and is good at organizing everything.

A big change we hope for will be monthly phone calls to touch base with members. We will inquire into health and life changes, remind of food sign ups, and sometimes ask for a few minutes after the lunch to help clean-up. Many members don't know we pay for the meeting rooms, extra for the kitchen. The spaces must pass inspection for cleanliness after we finish. We bring our own supplies and coffee pots and serving dishes and everything, even water. Also, it is really fun to help out and the people who volunteer in the kitchen are talented.

If you would like to phone members or help out with our feasts, just call me. I really love to chat. Sign me Chatty Kathy

Book Review: Visions of Roses

The book showcases thirty-three gardens located primarily in the UK and United States with a few in France and Italy. These garden tours are highlighted with details of the history, evolution and structure of each garden accompanied by lovely photos. As there are endless numbers of gardens that might have been included, the authors decided to avoid famous gardens with extensive documentation and choose those they felt were unknown, under praised and deserving of more recognition. The gardens are blooming around smaller homes and grand historic estates with equal exuberance. The focus is on landscapes that predominately include roses rather than collections of roses.

The book begins with a chapter on the rose in the landscape and offers suggestions for choosing the right rose for specific needs. The remaining chapters are devoted to the gardens. Within the chapter for each garden there are two roses chosen for detailed discussion with a close-up photograph. Many of the roses featured are "classic" if not old garden roses and many climbers and ramblers are included. The photographs were taken at peak bloom and are a pleasure to view. The author and the photographer did not visit the gardens at the same time due to time constraints and I felt that this led to some disconnect between text and photos. To be fair, this may just be due to my lack of knowledge of many of the roses described and inability to see some of Mr. Beales' word pictures.

Overall, I enjoyed Visions of Roses. Peter Beales (1936-2013) was a well-known British rosarian who hybridized/created Modern Classic Roses and preserved many wild and classic roses. Peter Beales Roses is located in Norfolk, England and apparently still has a large collection of these roses. He wrote extensively and it is a pleasure to read both because of his humor and descriptive skill and because of his passion for his subject. To order a catalogue click here. The cost is £5 (about $6 US dollars).

Roses Past And Present -- X

Last month in a review of the increasing science of rose breeding it was mentioned that most of the breeders were natives of France. There are several possibilities for why this was the case: good soil, good climate, interested rosarians and a desire to produce new and better varieties. But it is also possible that the French breeders had a stalwart lover of roses to support them in the person of Empress Josephine, the wife (soon to be divorced) of Napoleon Bonaparte.

While her husband was a younger officer in the French Army, Josephine acquired a rundown estate called "Malmaison". She invested huge sums of money in restoring the estate, much to the dismay of Napoleon. But she persevered and created one of the finest estates in all of France. But the crowning jewel of her home was the garden. She had several hundred varieties of roses as well as other types of flowering plants, and a veritable zoo of exotic animals.

Malmaison became probably the most famous rose garden on earth and remains so to this day. Josephine began her project in 1799 and continued it until her death in 1814, so it is now over 200 years old and is still open to the public.

The above description of Josephine and Malmaison is included in this series to help explain why, early in the 19th century the worldwide admiration of roses simply exploded. Of course with this explosion, rose breeders soon realized that they were on to a good thing. There was money to be made in breeding and selling the results of their efforts. Regardless of the probable reasons that the French breeders came to lead the efforts to expand the appreciation of roses, their leadership cannot be disputed.

At Rose Haven Heritage Garden we have a section dedicated to Old Garden Roses, examples of the plants that have appeared in the rose gardens of Europe going back to the middle ages. In our OGR section we have twelve varieties of old roses. Of these, nine were bred by Frenchmen, one by an American who sold his creation to a French firm and two that the parentage is unknown, but probably have some connection to France.

Next month we will continue looking into the age of Old Garden Roses and possibly get members interested in growing a few in our personal gardens.

Member Meeting Program

She estimates having about 730 rosebushes on her property. "I put new ones in all the time," says Tiffany. "But now, one has to leave before another one comes in."

Tiffany, who lives in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego, is a rosarian, which means she has completed a course of study from the American Rose Society that qualifies her to advise others on growing roses. That's one of the reasons why she has so many.

"You need to grow them if you are going to talk to people about choosing roses," she says. "You need to know how they perform."

To read the rest of Tiffany's biography go here. Copywrite © 2016 San Diego Union-Tribune.

Hospitality

We all enjoy our potluck lunches at the monthly meetings. It is a great way to connect with our fellow members and enjoy a meal together. All we ask is that our members bring a dish to share, at least once or twice a year. If that doesn't happen, we will not be able to continue the lunches at our meetings. Please help us continue our tradition of offering lunch at all meetings.

We also will be asking members to sign up to help with the post-lunch clean up. If we get three extra helpers in the kitchen after the lunch, clean up can be finished in about ten minutes, rather than the half hour it takes if just a couple people do it all. Many hands make for light work.

January Birthdays & New Members

Birthdays Dot Crain, Jan. 2, Lenore Vogel, Jan. 6, and Micha Grayson, Jan. 14

New Members There are no new members this month.

Meet Your 2017 Board

Rose Haven Heritage Garden

Happy New Year everyone. Winter has arrived, southern California style, and we certainly welcome all the rain we've had recently.

At Rose Haven we start the year in high gear as once again it's rose pruning time. Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the scheduled work days and we hope many of you will join in. And, something special this month, Virginia Boos will be giving a pruning class Saturday, January 14th at 9:00. We invite everyone to attend as the class is open to the public as well as our members. This will be a hands-on demonstration for beginners and people wanting to refresh their skills. This event is an enjoyable way to share with rose lovers in the area.

There are many plants in the garden that pop into color in the winter. Just look at this native California Toyon with its bright red berries and the Gooseberry plant with red, green and yellow foliage.

The next garden committee meeting Wednesday, January 25th at 9:15. We are discussing projects for this year including completion of the Education Structure and selecting replacement roses are on the agenda. Members interested are always welcome to attend the meeting. Garden address is 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula.

If it rains the event may be canceled. Monitor your email to receive such a notice.

Toyon

Gooseberry

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Rose Care FUNdamentals

There is no specific timeline for Winter rose care, but there are general time frames. For our area, Spring pruning should be completed around mid-February. I will provide details on that in my February column. This will be a major pruning that removes canes and branches that are dead or diseased, are in contact with other branches, and/or that pass through the interior of the plant. It also brings the plant down to three to five major canes, each about 18" tall, (I prefer knee high, 24") and re-directs growth to new "basal" canes and outward-facing buds on strong existing canes. When done properly, this major pruning produces a strong, well-formed plant that optimizes flower production.

Many gardeners mistakenly think that doing their "spring" pruning in December or early January will give them a head start on flower production, but this is a delusion. First, consider that even if January brings us exceptionally warm air temperatures, the soil will still be quite cold, so the roots (and stems) will not be "revved up" for much active growth–your head start won't amount to much. And more importantly, if early pruning is followed by a hard frost you will probably lose the tender young growth and have to prune again. Will the remaining canes be long enough and have enough stored energy for vigorous spring growth? Will you have enough outward-facing buds? Probably not. Simply stated, pruning too early will set back stem growth and flower production, and can ruin your chances of strong, well-formed plants.

So before you pick up those pruners and launch out into the chilly January air, contemplate the odds of another frost or freeze. The frost dates for the Temecula Valley are mid-November through late March, but we can get damaging frost as late as April. Time your pruning more closely to when the soil begins to warm, temperatures moderate, and the threat of frost is likely past. Pruning in mid-January (at the earliest) to mid-February usually strikes a balance between potential frost damage and time to get two or three good bloom cycles in before the brutal summer. New growth will usually appear 2 to 3 weeks after your SPRING pruning, and new blooms 8 to 12 weeks from pruning–if a cold spell doesn't interrupt.

For now, just "chill". January and February are excellent months for planting new roses in the Temecula Valley and environs; let's be optimistic that the weather for the next few weeks will be relatively dry and warm so planting will be easier. Still, one can usually wait until March to plant and still expect the roots to form relationships with beneficial soil fungi and become showstoppers as early as May, well ahead of the heat of summer. Potted rose bushes will be optimal for late plantings.

For now, be thinking about adding one or two new roses to your garden in spring. Roses offered for sale are rated by quality. You want only #1 roses–they are the surest guarantee of success, with all horticultural methods employed to provide satisfaction–don't waste your time and money on anything lower. Higher quality plants have a higher chance of success, require less effort, and acclimate faster. Also, the cost of any rose is a very small fraction of what you will eventually invest in that plant over the years in water, fertilizer, pest control, and effort, so why not start with a first-quality plant?

Roses may come to you as "bare root," potted, or packaged. Bare root plants are just that, usually packed in wood chips to keep the roots damp and viable. They are the slowest to thrive and it is best to get them early and planted immediately so they have the maximum amount of time to become established. Potted roses make the quickest and most successful transition to the garden, but they also tend to be more expensive and not as plentiful in selection, but as I said, the initial cost will pale against what you put into the plant in the years to come.

There are many sources: local nurseries and reputable online retailers who specialize in roses. New stock will begin appearing in nurseries this month, and online suppliers usually ship in mid-January. (Does that tell you anything?) But be sure to shop early for the best selection–and if you have access to it, be sure to consult your American Rose Society Buyer's Guide (which you will receive with your annual ARS membership or renewal). I received my ARS 2016 Rose Annual 100th Anniversary edition a month or two ago, and in my opinion it is one of the best (if not the best) issues published. It is full of rose info and tips and new varieties one might desire to secure. One need to inquire at www.rose.org (American Rose Society website) to determine if the 2016 ARS Rose Annual is available for purchase.

I will provide more guidance on that all-important annual pruning in the February column. Also, at 9:00 a.m. Saturday January 14, Virginia Boos will give a hands-on pruning class at the TVRS Rose Haven Heritage Garden. Please bring clean, sharp, by-pass pruners in good working condition, and be prepared to learn and to lend a hand pruning under my direction; this will be a great opportunity to get your questions answered, hone your skills, and boost your confidence.

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!