Temecula Valley Rose Society

President's Message

Your donation may be (1) mailed to our P. O. Box 890367, Temecula 92589, (2) given to our treasurer Bonnie Bell or (3) placed in the Rose Haven donation box the next time you are there visiting or working in our lovely garden. (Checks please, no cash.)

Thank you for the many ways you support TVRS. Happy Holidays!!!

Rose Haven Friends

We are making some progress in the long-term funding effort that we need to maintain our special garden well into the future. Several donations have been received so far, with more to come. The Board is planning to join the Chamber of Commerce to give us more visibility in the community. Our presence needs to be noticed and acknowledged. There are lots of visitors to Rose Haven, but we still aren't very well known in our City.

In addition to business support, our own members might want to contribute a tax-wise donation. Please consider this aspect of supporting our rose society in this project. I feel we can be successful in this venture. Anything is possible!

Families in the Garden

We had a small event in November for Families in the Garden. Most children were already out of school and on holiday. A lovely time was had by all. The children planted onion and garlic bulbs in the Tree of Life with assistance from Ms. Barb. They were all excited at the digging and ability to use dirt.

We demonstrated and educated on proper bulb planting and care. As take home craft we planted an assortment of tulips and lilies in peat cups to use in home gardens. We concluded with cutie oranges and waters.

There us no program in December due to Holiday season. We will resume on the 3rd Saturday of January 2019 with an event of bugs! A big THANK YOU to our new members, Ms. Judy and Ms. Kathy for coming out and lending a hand. It was much appreciated. We hope to see you, again :)

Chi-Ching

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

December Birthdays & New Members

Birthdays   Frank Brines, Dec. 8; Don Nordike, Dec. 18; Roger Bell, Dec. 19; Laurie Moss, Dec. 23; May Olson, Dec.30.

New Members   There are no new members this month.

Little Rose Show

Once again, we had a disappointing show, due to our recent very windy, dry weather. Ellen Noell and I were the only exhibitors. Ellen took Rose of the Day with "Veterans' Honor", another 1st with "Paradise Found" and a 2nd with "Moonstone".

My 6 entries were for "Rock & Roll", "Chrysler Imperial", "Fabulous!", "Starina", "Eutin", and "Swan". Something I added was a small bouquet of orange-colored rose hips from "Honey Perfume". Our speaker, Rob Lundquist, mentioned working with the seeds from hips, so I broke open some of them to pass around.

Most rose lovers don't develop hips as they keep up with the deadheading. The hip develops from a shattered bloom. Mr. Lundquist explained that rose plants can be grown from these seeds, but they each have a genetic history due to the hybridizing process, so you never know what you will get from a planting. Several members mentioned that it might be a fun project to try this.

Awards for 2018 will be presented at the December meeting. Next show will be for our Spring blooms in 2019.

Rose Haven Garden

This month the photos show our excellent stairs leading up to the gazebo. We owe this wonderful addition to the garden to our own members, Frank and Wayne. They worked countless days, and numerous hours, cementing every stone in place for the retaining wall and the steps. Whew! What a job. Thank you again for all your time and effort.

Starting Saturday, January 5th we will begin pruning the roses along the driveway. Every Wednesday and Saturday will be dedicated to rose pruning starting at 9:00 a.m. An hour or two of your time will be greatly appreciated. On January 26th Frank Brines will conduct a rose pruning demonstration for our members and the public. More details about the class will be in the next newsletter.

The Society always appreciates your cash donations to help keep the garden attractive. Several rose shrubs have perished and need to be replaced. December is the perfect time to contribute and receive a tax deductible receipt for 2018 as we are a Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Corporation.

We will skip our garden committee meeting this month and will resume with the meetings on Wednesday, January 23rd at 9:30 a.m. where we will discuss projects for 2019.

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

Rose Care FUNdamentals

But believe it or not, your roses need a four- to six-week rest or "dormancy" period during the winter months. During dormancy, the plants go through natural hormonal changes that prepare them for the next growing season. Dormancy is triggered by a variety of factors. Cold temperatures (including frost) slow the plant's metabolism while cold rains chill the soil further slowing growth rate. The current mild temperatures will likely delay setting dormancy this year.

You can help promote dormancy by not deadheading or pruning this month. Allow the rose "hips" to set and mature so they can send signals to the plant that it's time to rest and marshal it's energy for a vigorous growth spurt in the spring. Just the same, be sure to monitor your plants when daytime temperatures are warm: They still need to be kept hydrated! Also, do NOT fertilize until after your major pruning in January or February, and then only after a couple inches of new growth.

On the topic of pruning: Some gardeners in the Temecula Valley are anxious to prune their roses in December. That's understandable because we haven't had a hard frost yet even though the average date for first frost in our area is November 17. Pruning now not only prevents dormancy, but also produces tender new shoots that will most likely be killed by the next hard frost. So, bottom line: Please wait four to six weeks after the first frost to do your major "spring" pruning. In the event that there is no frost or freeze it is typical to Spring prune by mid-February. Watch the TVRS website or local newspapers for the dates for free spring pruning workshops. I will be presenting a one-day/one-time pruning demonstration on January 26, 10 AM at Rose Haven Heritage Garden, 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd, Temecula, CA. Come prepared to learn and to participate in this hands-on workshop.

I mentioned last month that the Asian "chili thrip" is spreading rapidly in the Southwest and is becoming a global threat. This pest is extremely successful and particularly resistant to conventional control methods. The chili thrip is even smaller than the thrips we're familiar with. It works in similar ways, only more devastating and more difficult to control. It doesn't seem to have any preferences except new growth of almost any plant and blossoms. Gardeners with whom I've spoken use several different products to gain some control, but a regular program is necessary with applications weekly at least. Its damage resembles the effects of Roundup over-spray or rose virus: severely stunted and very narrow leaves, stems, and buds.

There is still time to order that new rose you have been dreaming about. Garden stores may still be adding to their list of orders, or go to your favorite online nursery and make your order. There are many fine new roses that you simply must have. Many are more disease resistant than in the past. Most nurseries or wholesalers no longer print catalogs, so for a list of current roses available from each you will have to go online.

A few new varieties I find of interest are: At Last (floribunda, good apricot color, fragrance, disease-resistant); Bordeaux (floribunda/WineRed, large blooms, heat tolerant, disease resistant); Easy Spirit (floribunda/White, Hybrid-T form, fragrance, hybridizer Tom Carruth, disease resistant, lasting form); Frida Kahlo (floribunda/Scarlet Redstriped gold, small clusters, mild fragrance, disease resistant, compact, hybridizers Christian Bedard & Tom Carruth); Gaye Hammond (Bright Yellow with touches of orange, slight fragrance, disease resistant, bloom making machine); Parade Day (Grandiflora/Fuchsia Pink Striped White, strong fragrance, hybridizer Christian Bedard, holds color); Flowerland (Shrubby, Pink, low (1.5') growing habit, 60-65 petals, fragrant; it would be great for small spaces or enmass); Golden Iceberg (mild spicy fragrance).

Early last year I acquired Easy Spirit, Frida Kahlo, Parade Day, Fired Up, Rosie the Riveter. All did well for first season plantings.

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!