Temecula Valley Rose Society

Co-President's Message

Activity circles beyond weeding and pruning were suggested: (1) Do you enjoy knitting and crocheting (plus other fine arts)? We will have the opportunity to create Yarn Gardens. (2) Do you enjoy paintings? See the article about Temecula's Plein Air Invitational. Rose Haven has often been included as an "outdoor studio". Even if you do not pick up a brush, take the opportunity to support the artists in our community. (3) Are you a photographer? Ann Schryer will be offering classes this fall with photography tips and practice. (4) Is reading a passion? Jim Moss donated a most wonderful book "Chasing the Rose: An Adventure in the Venetian Countryside" by Andrea de Robilant to our library. This book would be a wonderful read for a Reading Circle. (5) Music in the garden is something we all enjoy. We hope to welcome Katherine Ortega to the garden for a Sunday afternoon concert in the coming months.

We have members who would be willing to give Garden Demonstrations of different skills (such as propagating). We have an upcoming garden project with Temecula Hotel in selecting roses that would have grown in Temecula in the late 1800/early 1900s. The City of Temecula has some garden renovation projects that they have asked us, along with other groups interested in gardening, to join them in accomplishing in the coming months.

Youth Gardening is a fun and rewarding part of our Society, consisting of several distinct parts. Families in the Garden (ages 12 and under) welcomes new committee members. Meetings are on the first Wednesday beginning in September and continuing until June. We will be collaborating with Vladia's Seeds of Life (mission - addressing childhood obesity) and with Temecula Valley Council of PTAs School Gardens. A dream yet to be realized is a Middle School Pollinator Garden. Barb Purdy does a terrific job working with High Schoolers interested in gardening.

We have wonderful resources and we should enjoy the sharing that comes with our common love of gardening. As the year winds down and we look forward to 2018, let us dedicate ourselves anew to promoting the appreciation of our favorite queen – The Rose.

Temecula Plein Air Invitational

Plein Air Artists are invited to participate in a week-long event that takes place in Southern California's premier Wine Country and quaint Old Town Temecula. Beginning Saturday, September 30, 2017, artists set up outdoor studios throughout Temecula to paint the beautiful scenery. A "Meet and Greet" reception and awards ceremony will be held on Friday, October 6, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater's Gallery at the Merc.
Saturday, September 30 thru Friday, October 6
Artist Reception: Friday, October 6

Roses Past And Present, Last

Dear Friends, This will probably be the final installment concerning the history of the rose culture which goes back thousands of years. It is my hope that you, the readers, and members of the TVRS have gained some insight regarding the past history of our favorite flowers. In past articles we have studied wild (species) roses, old garden roses and modern roses. I hope this historical journey through the discovery and cultivation of roses has been helpful. If not, the responsibility is entirely the fault of the author.

Now to a more personal note, Laurie and I have recently "obtained" a wild, or species rose from the local mountains and planted it on our property in southern Idaho. As of today, August 25, this rose is doing very well, but has yet to show blooms. However, I think that in a year or so we will have blossoms to appreciate. I'll keep you posted.

Finally, Laurie and I, and the rest of the family journeyed to Belgium and France this past June and had the opportunity to visit several famous gardens. Among these gardens were Malmaison, the estate of Empress Josephine, and the Palace of Versailles. Each of these locations boasted spectacular gardens. Needless to say, we were not impressed. At Malmaison, the supposedly spectacular gardens of "Old Garden Roses" appeared to be unkempt, weedy and in need of attention. We did, however, see numerous varieties of OGR's which we have at Rose Haven.

At Versailles, one of the most famous estates in France, it appeared that the gardens took a back seat to the Palace itself. They were in serious need of attention and looked dry and not well maintained.

However, it was a joy to visit France and Belgium, as the small towns and villages had unbelievable gardens located in private properties. The townsfolk in those countries are very much into flowers, and particularly roses. Of course, Belgium is noted for their Poppies.

I hope you have appreciated and enjoyed this trip through the history of roses. Please feel to contact me with any criticism.

August 17th Meeting — Friendship Tea

This was so successful that it may become our annual "get back together" meeting. A tea party was just perfect, with lots of goodies and a large variety of teas. Colorful tablecloths, fancy tea cups, decorated hats, and even some summer roses made the room so attractive.

As part of the planning, old membership rosters were perused and invitations were sent out. I was then fortunate in hearing from some former members, from as long ago as 25 years! Do you remember Emily Yavanian, Marian Stouvenal, Joan and Ron Henderson, Kusum Chaturvedi? They all came to the meeting. Alvina Candeleria, Marta Pilling, Rachel Hunter and Edie O'Hair phoned, giving their regrets. Familiar names? Also, we were honored to have some new faces show up: Joan Vail (my Curves friend), Mary Beihl (my neighbor) and Katherine Ortega (Karen's daughter).

Friendship was our theme. It's heartwarming to walk into a room and greet many friends, some of whom we've known for lots of years. We all love our roses, but we also gain the comfort of belonging to a special group. Let's get some enthusiasm going on a new rose season and the Little Rose Show competition.

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Member Meeting Program

Our September speaker is Penny Alverson from Armstrong's Nursery here in Temecula. She will share information about new roses that will be available this year. When we think about adding or switching out our roses in the late fall we will have a list in-hand of roses to choose. Also at this time of year we reflect on the bloom performance in our garden and we will begin to plan for improved blooming in the coming year.

A light buffet luncheon will be served at 11:30. Guests are welcome.

September Birthdays & New Members

Birthdays   Bridget Wyncott, Louis Noell, Marian Mauch, Nardo Felipe, Nikki Helm, Margaret Penn, Kathy Katz, Betty Dixon, and Ron Rumbold.

New Members   There are no new members, but several former members who attended our August Tea are planning to rejoin. Thank you, Virginia Boos, for inviting them.

Little Rose Show

Our Little Rose Show will resume at the September member meeting. Bring what you have and we'll enjoy your blooms even if they are not perfect. Our erratic weather has taken a toll. More heat will be coming.

Rose Haven Garden

In the Old Garden Rose area there is a hidden gem. Around a curve of huge red old garden roses there is a beautiful bench beneath a trellis of climbing roses shown in the photos. Come see for yourself and enjoy its relaxing atmosphere. In the Hall of Fame area is a gorgeous metal gazebo with a miniature climbing rose that is quite stunning. We often see couples sitting in these charming areas.

Our next garden committee meeting is Wednesday, September 27th at 9:30. The meeting location is at the garden, 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula. We review projects and improvements needed to maintain the garden. Members interested are always welcome to attend these meetings.

Gazebo & Bench

Old Garden Roses

Rose Haven garden is at 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd. in Temecula.

Youth Gardening: Tree of Life

Families in the Garden will resume for its first program of the season to explore the world of herbs and spices. Children and parents should gather and register at 9:30 AM underneath the newly built pavilion. Families will learn about spices and their many uses. After a short nature hike to the Tree of Life children will be given the opportunity to plant after the lesson. As a concluding activity, children will plant herbs in small cups, capable of growing in a windowsill, to take home.

Our next Families in the Garden Program is Saturday, September 16th from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at Rose Haven. Members are welcome. Please contact Alicia Cline at aliciacline1313@yahoo.com for more information.

Recently, after the first annual tomato tasting, I was fortunate enough to encounter a younger family with their daughter having family game night near the gazebo. They explained how much they loved the garden and how they have been bringing their daughter to the garden since she could walk, and how grateful they were that the garden is so well maintained and welcoming. I invited them to Families in the Garden and wished them a nice night. It's wonderful to see people using the garden to make such cherished memories.

1st Annual Tomato Tasting at Rose Haven

This past Saturday we held our 1st Annual Tomato Tasting at Rose Haven under the new pavilion. We had several types of tomatoes and Armenian cucumbers harvested from the Tree of Life. Members brought tomatoes from their own gardens and local farmers markets. Lemon water, cheese, crackers and fresh pears were also presented. The weather cooperated and gave us mind temps for this time of year. A light dinner and nice evening was had by all.

Yum!	Our Tasters: Victoria, Rebecca, Alicia, Phyllis & Kathy. Not shown: Barb P

Rose Care FUNdamentals

If you are participating in my prescribed practice of allowing a summer of rest for your roses, you still have several weeks to take it easy before a mid-season pruning. As a wise man once said, "Predicting things is difficult, especially in the future," but one can only assume it will look a little like the past, especially with the weather. So I'll give it a try: If a mid-season pruning is done after the second or third week of September, you can possibly have two more bloom cycles this year. If you would like roses for a special occasion, count back 6 to 7 weeks from that date; the date you land on will be when you need to have your pruning accomplished. Remember, a mid-season pruning is light, removing the many branchings (that is, any point where many stems of blooms came from near one location on a cane) back to the main cane to an outward facing bud (found at the base of a leaf where it joins the cane). Cut back to the first 5 leafed leaf will result in quicker repeat of blooming.

During periods of sustained high temperatures it is necessary to ensure plants receive adequate water to stay hydrated. It takes only a few days in these temperatures without sufficient water for a bush to succumb. Assess conditions every morning. Look for wilted or dry crisping foliage. Sometimes if you discover it soon enough dousing with plenty of water in addition to plenty of water to the ground, may save the plant. If you wait to inspect until the afternoon or evening it may be too late or you might not get a good assessment of the plant's condition: After a hot day, most plants can appear wilted while still receiving sufficient hydration. Also inspect your irrigation system to make sure it is delivering enough water, isn't clogged, and isn't over watering-all problems that come with age in drip irrigation systems. If an emitter is delivering much more or much less water than others on the line, it can change the system pressure and affect the other emitters. The simple solution: Replace it!

Plants in pots will require more frequent watering than those in the ground. As the soil dries it pulls away from the sides of the pots allowing water to run through the soil with out penetrating the soil. Sun shining on the pot (whether black plastic or clay) will steam the roots of the plant which also requires more water to maintain a cooler temperature of the soil. This being said, plastic is still preferred over clay as clay loses moisture through the porous nature of it. If possible, double potting would help maintain better control. This practice would at least have a curtain of cooling air between the pots, an insulation of some type would be more efficient. One more thing: The longer the soil is in a pot, the less porous space is available in the root zone, so repot every two years or so.

This time of year with hot temps also attracts spider mites. This topic was covered in a previous care column which you can find on TemeculaValleyRoseSociety.org newsletter; look for Care for September 2013. If you see signs of yellowing foliage you may have an infestation. Check the underside of the lower leaves for grainy feeling substance of tap onto a paper to see these very small critters. The easiest way to treat is to use fairly strong spray of water from below the give he plant a shower to rinse hem to the ground. If you see fine webbing you may need a stronger method.

I've also noticed that another problem as result of the weather has appeared this year. The high temps and humidity have increased instances of Black Spot (indicated by yellow leaves with usually round shaped black spots). With the humidity comes dewy nights which then tends to incubate powder mildew.

Now would be another good time to order composted mulch. Here is a formula you can use to determine the quantity you will need. An area 10 feet x 50 feet needs 4-5 cubic yards to cover the garden 3-4inches, which I recommend. This is the best product you can apply to protect your roses roots from heat and cold.

A valuable bi-monthly magazine which covers rose topics is the "American Rose" published by the American Rose Society (ARS). Go to www.rose.org for more information on obtaining it.

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 our local one-of-a-kind 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. Spread the joy of roses!