Temecula Valley Rose Society

President's Message

The ARS has divided the United States into various districts. Our Society is a member of the Pacific Southwest District. PSWD encompasses the area west of El Paso, Texas and as far north as Las Vegas, Nevada. Rose Shows and Schools for Consulting Rosarians and Judges are offered through Districts.

Our parent organization is the American Rose Society. Shreveport, Louisiana is headquarters for the ARS and the location of the nation's largest park dedicated to roses. America's Rose Garden consists of 118 acres, 65 individual rose gardens, and 20,000 rosebushes. A variety of companion plants, sculptures and fountains, including the beautiful Dudley Watkins Reflection Pool.

Long-Term Funding for Rose Haven

It's a challenge for ME, and it will no doubt be a challenge for YOU. We need to ensure the future of Rose Haven Heritage Garden. The years keep flying by and we should be making arrangements for the financial future of this special garden, the signature accomplishment of our rose lovers' group.

Seeing the need, I volunteered to chair the Long-Term Funding Committee. This involves planning our actions, to include contacting possible donors, consulting with a financial planner, contacting food donors for our Launch Party in April or May and planning the entertainment activities for the party. You may be asked to help, so please be ready, willing and able. It's going to be a long road ahead, so everyone's assistance and effort will be appreciated.

Rose Arrangement & Rose Photography Show

The Palm Desert Rose Society will be holding their Show on Saturday, November 10 at the Palm Desert Community Center (43900 San Pablo, Palm Desert, CA) from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. What a great outing for an autumn day!

Below are two photos taken at the ARS Convention on October 27. One photo is of multiple roses in a picture frame and the other is of an English Box (miniatures & minifloras).

Shows are a great places to be inspired with all the different ways roses can be displayed. Is there any wonder the rose is the Queen of Flowers?

Happy Go Lucky

There is no other rose, which has a better fitting name, than Happy Go Lucky™. Sunny yellow 6" blooms top a very happy, healthy tall grandiflora lush green plant. This carefree rose has blooms with an English form and tea fragrance, but unlike them, it sneers at disease. Its disease resistance is far superior to the English rose varieties.

The large plant has an upright, rounded habit, but it won't crowd out other plants. The color is pleasing and easy to pair with other roses, especially purples and lavenders. Happy Go Lucky™ also combines amazingly well with blue-purple perennials such as delphiniums, irises, salvias and veronicas. It is the ideal addition to any cottage or English garden. Happy Go LuckyT will put a smile on your face!

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

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

November Birthdays & New Members

Birthdays   Phyllis Bettelheim, Nov.1, Linda Freeman, Nov. 15, Ray Jacques, Nov.20, Victoria Cline, Nov. 24, Jim Moss, Nov.28, Kathy Turgeon, Nov. 30, Margaret Granlund, Nov. 30.

New Members   There are no new members this month.

Little Rose Show for October

Again, it wasn't much of a show. The hot dry weather is certainly affecting our gardens. Hoping for rain soon, along with cooler temperatures.

My six were the only blooms on the table. Class 4, Floribunda Spray: First Light, Showbiz, Honey Perfume and Little Darling. Class 1, Hybrid Tea: Antigua and Fairest One. Most of my roses are older varieties which aren't on the market any more.

Please make the effort to bring some blooms to the November meeting for all to share. We all love to enjoy the striking colors and the fragrance of our favorite flower.

Rose Haven Garden

Our garden is open every day dawn to dusk and numerous visitors can be seen almost every day of the week. We owe a great deal of thanks to Nardo Felipe for keeping the garden looking so beautiful. We are proud to provide such a lovely place for the community to enjoy. Soon we will start a "Rose Haven Friends" campaign to provide support and backing for the garden beyond our membership.

Our next garden committee meeting is Wednesday, November 28th 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 the meeting.

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

Families in the Garden: October

We met on September 20th for the October program. It was good to see so many smiling faces and awesome families. Starting out with a nature walk through the garden we discussed about how things change for winter, enjoying all the different animals along the way up to the Tree of Life.

The kids planted Savoy & Red cabbages, explored and did some light harvesting. Thank you to Ms. Barb and Mr. Ben for helping the children and donating their time. It is immensely appreciated.

We rounded out the event with a pumpkin decorating craft and snack. Thank you to Ms. Bonnie for volunteering her time and help. Ms. Fay was also on hand to man the magnifying glass station. The children (and parents) enjoy this station so much! I can always count on you to educate and amaze the families. Thank you! Of course, a BIG appreciation and thank you to Victoria. I could never do this program without her help. She does so much.

Families in the Garden is in need of volunteers. While we manage it, it has become increasingly difficult to provide the children the best learning experience with only three or four volunteers each month. We give community service hours to students and the opportunity to help instill the love of gardening in future generations. If interested contact Ms. Alicia at 951 234-2218.

Rose Care FUNdamentals

Roses benefit from a good rinsing to remove accumulated dust: be sure to keep moisture off the blossoms to prevent yet another fungal disease Botrytis, which will appear as rot of blossoms and will usually prevent them from opening. Last month I included an article about Chilli Thrips and pictures for identifying the problem they cause. Continue treatments for these micro-pests. They attack new growth, buds and blooms. Left untreated plants are stressed greatly, often shriveling the end buds or preventing bud formation. The life cycle of Chilli Thrips includes falling to ground and becoming a grub and reappearing when temperatures warm up next year.

If you completed the light mid-season pruning in September/October as suggested in an earlier article, you pruned out dead, crossing canes, and thinned the middle of the plant. This will improve air circulation through the bush and reduce possible fungal diseases. This mid-season pruning and fertilizing encourages a new blooming cycle. Feel free to cut some of early blooms now and take them inside for bouquets.

You may make a final application of fertilizer for the year before mid-November. Unless you plan to exhibit, I do not recommend fertilizing after mid-October. If you do this, use a fertilizer lower in Nitrogen (N) and higher in Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K); that is, if your fertilizer has an N-P-K number on it, the first digit will be lower than the other two. If it lacks an N-P-K, read the ingredients and/or ask your professional nursery person for guidance. To explain: Nitrogen encourages foliage growth-something we want to discourage as the plants go into their winter dormancy; Phosphate helps build root structure and resistance to stressful conditions (e.g., cold at this time of year); Potassium is a helper of Phosphate and aids in bloom quality. If you use an organic fertilizer it will be readily available when the soil warms, adding to the nutrients needed for that Spring growth spurt.

Remember to check your garden daily for any changes. Be sure to keep them hydrated for best results. The cooler temperatures can be misleading. Roses still need to be watered, perhaps not as often.

Some people think Southern California lacks distinct seasons, but we do have seasons: They are only discerned by those with a more sophisticated palette! So get out of the house and enjoy the subtle delights of the air, sun, and the rich aroma of our magically misty Fall. When you have a moment to spare, or feel the need to get away, or when the day cools down, take your favorite healthy beverage, a picnic basket, and visit Rose Haven Heritage Garden, 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula (cross street is Cabrillo Avenue). The early morning and late afternoon sunlight across the pass is magical this time of year—it even makes the freeway seem a little bit romantic! Other venues this time of year available for your interest check out the website www.pswdroses.org/calendar

Oh, one last thing—something to do when it gets just a bit too nippy out there: Start perusing rose catalogs (printed and online) for that next "gotta have" rose variety. (Come on—you deserve it! You work hard to have lovely roses, so let yourself go!) And we expect to see you enter that perfect bloom in the next rose show in April 2018!) Also, this time of year many nurseries and garden stores are liquidating their remaining inventory of potted roses—and you're in luck because November is an ideal time to purchase and plant! Make your list of new roses and go shopping, if you plan to replace an old tired plant prepare the area now for easier planting later.

Until next month, 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. Spread the joy of roses!