Temecula Valley Rose Society

Co-President's Message

The 'Last Rose of Summer' event is just one way we all help develop and maintain Rose Haven, a unique public garden that sets TVRS apart from nearly every other rose society in the United States. Rose Haven provides our members, friends, and relatives with many opportunities for relaxation and refreshment-but it also gives us many volunteer opportunities…in fact, the opportunities now out number the volunteers! You may be pleasantly surprised at just how much your few hours at Rose Haven can contribute to the garden, TVRS, and to your own life! For example, when you join a work group on Wednesday or Saturday morning, you get out in the peaceful morning air, you improve the garden, and you might even hone your rose care skills.

Of course, we have other volunteer opportunities. TVRS members have formed many committees; join one or two, contribute your ideas, and join in the planning and implementation of new programs. You can find a link to the list of current committees on our web site (http://www.temeculavalleyrosesociety.org/index.shtml/). There are a lot of other very useful features on the web site, including rose care tips and gardening links. You can really help the society by simply sharing our URL with family, friends, and acquaintances, and neighbors. Who knows where that exposure will lead? It can bring new members and sponsors.

I talk a lot about what you can do here and now to benefit the society and the community, but we also need to plan for the long-term: That means finding reliable sources of funding for the society and for Rose Haven. One way we do that is by submitting applications for grants. That's why in the near future we will begin a program to log all volunteer hours; this information will give us an edge when competing for grants because it will show funders that we have broad, active community support for our programs. We are also developing a plan for an on-going Garden Endowment designed to help Rose Haven flourish well into the future. If we can build a strong financial foundation the results will be a wonderful testimony to our society's vision and a gift to future generations in our valley. Watch this newsletter for information on these and other opportunities to contribute to this vision.

Co-President's Message

Thank you, every one, so much for coming to 'The Last Rose of Summer' event. It was so much fun and I just loved the band. When I was a girl there were always live bands, it seemed. I never dreamed that a real live band would become such a rare thing nowadays. Many in my family were musicians and we wouldn't dream of equating a recording to the "real thing," especially a big band like we had. It is quite glamorous. I thought all life was going to be like a never-ending Glenn Miller song.

Thanks once again to the Coakes and all the band members for the lovely music they provided that evening. Ann, that was amazing: all that work you did paid off. I know many other people pitched in to help, thanks again. Bernice Wendt seemed to sweep through selling tickets, and that was quite an accomplishment. It seems she has been practicing for years, doing that job for other groups. Talent lurks in many places.

I think we can grow this event. I hope everyone will contact me with suggestions and comments for next year. While the weather was better than last year, perhaps if the event started an hour later, and thus offered more shade and seating options in different areas, it would even things out for comfort. I know I would love to have danced, but I need a couple of glasses of wine to hit the floor (or the parking lot, in this case) to get started! Once again, contact me for comments and suggestions. We will coordinate our efforts and see if we can get the community more involved. Again thanks, Kathy.

New Members

Rose Haven Update

What a delight the "Last Rose of Summer" event was. It was thrilling to see so many of our members and friends join together to walk through the garden, devour some light refreshments, and enjoy the big band sound of the "Valley Winds Swing Band." Please see more photos of the event on our website in a new category "Last Rose of Summer" here. There is also a "Wish List" of Rose Haven items and improvements that we hope to secure through grants, and your donations and contributions.

A big THANK YOU to Ann Coakes for coordinating the event and working so hard to "make it happen." You may have read that your contribution for the event is for the maintenance of the garden, and it is sincerely appreciated. As an added bonus it may be deductible from your incomes taxes; contact for your tax receipt.

At our September Development Meeting the topic was methods of raising funds for our Wish List. Photos of the items will be on our website soon for your perusal. Also discussed was keeping the garden maintenance under control. All of our members are invited to participate in the monthly meeting held the 4th Wednesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. Our next meeting is October 22nd. The address is 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula 92592.

With the beginning of fall, work at the garden will be reduced. Just light deadheading, some raking, and a little weed spray should keep the garden tidy for the next several months. Wednesday and Saturday mornings are still volunteer days, so if you have some extra time come out and join us. The garden would like to see you, too.

Member Meeting Program

Leon belongs to various iris society's, and is the immediate past president of the San Diego Iris Society. His iris's have won many awards, including "Best of Show" for the past two years from the San Diego Iris Society, and the Temecula Valley Garden Club. He is also a well known iris hybridizer, and enjoys sharing his vast knowledge with all.

This month Leon will be demonstrating how to divide an iris clump, and explain how to properly plant them. He will be explaining the difference between bulbs, tubers, and roots. Bring your iris questions and problems to the meeting for expert advice.

Please be sure to attend this interesting, and informative meeting, and bring your friends to share in this wealth of knowledge.

A light buffet luncheon will be served around noon. Guests are welcome.

A Little Iris History

Iris blooms have been traced back in stories as early as 5 A.D.

In the early 1920's Irisarian, W. R. Dykes started keeping historical facts of iris events, characteristics and growing habits, blooming traits and other cultural facts.

By hybridizing, the flower has been improved so that today we have larger blooms, stronger bloom stalks, re-bloomers, more blooms on each stalk, and plants which are disease resistant.

It is the only flower that I know of where hybridizers go out in early morning, with coffee in hand, to see the new blooms that have opened during the night. It is like a new child. No one has ever seen this new bloom – mostly the new color, but other features like a horn or a flounce from the beard.

Even local Irisarians go out the same each morning to see the first bloom of their purchases the previous fall. It is very exciting. I have a couple of blossoms that I have to go out more than once to have a look. It's just hard to get enough of that gorgeous bloom.

The iris was the inspiration for the artist who drew the fleur-de-leis – the flower used on French currency for many years.

Birthdays This Month

Little Rose Show Competition

At the monthly meetings from April through November 2008 we will conduct six Little Rose Shows. These will be fun opportunities to learn and polish your skills in exhibiting roses. Each month, you will receive points for any specimen that is awarded first, second, or third place. In addition, you will receive a prize if your rose is judged Rose of the Day. And at the Holiday Meeting, a grand prize will be awarded to the exhibitor who accumulated the highest number of points during all the preceding Little Rose Shows.

Rose shows are organized into "classes." We will be using these six classes:

Class 1: One hybrid tea or grandiflora shown without side buds.
Class 2: One floribunda without side buds.
Class 3: One miniature without side buds.
Class 4: One floribunda spray.
Class 5: One miniature spray.
Class 6: One stem of any other type or unknown.

• First Place: 5 points.
• Second Place: 3 points.
• Third Place: 1 point.

The first place winners in each section will be judged against each other to determine the Rose of the Day. That entry will be awarded an additional 3 points and displayed separately.

Here are the rules that we will follow:

• All roses must be properly named and entered in the appropriate section. (Don't worry, Rebecca and Frank will do their best to help you identify your nameless varieties!)
• Exhibitors must supply their own containers. (You already have these. 12 oz beverage bottles are ideal for large roses; 4-6oz beverage containers work well for miniature roses.)
• Each exhibitor is limited to six entries per show. You may concentrate your entries in one section or distribute them over all the sections.
• The club will supply entry tags; only the top section needs to be filled out. (We'll show you how.)
• Your specimens will be judged based on the ARS guidelines. (This is a great opportunity to learn by doing!)
• Exhibitors are asked to remove all specimens at the end of the meeting.

Community Outreach

My thanks again to May Olson, Terry Hawkins, Ann Coakes, and Peggy Whitney for volunteering this year. Regards, Simonne.

As usual, start by removing dead canes, those that cross other canes, and candelabras (a single cane with several off-shoots at the tip). Also remove "blind shoots," that is, stems that no longer have a growing tip. Prune back the remaining stems to the point where they are at least as thick as a pencil; this help ensure that the plant will produce and support good-sized stems and blooms. (This last point does not apply to miniature roses, of course, which seldom produce stems that thick!)

Make each cut at an outward facing bud, so the resulting stem will grow away from the center of the plant. The cut should be about 1/4" above the bud eye. As the saying goes, "As above, so below," the above-ground parts of the bush are equal to the size of the root system below ground.

Be sure to clear away all cuttings, dead leaves, weeds, and other debris when you're done pruning and put them out in your curbside green waste. Don't compost them: Most people's compost never gets hot enough to destroy the many disease organisms and pests that rose debris can harbor, and these can overwinter in your compost.

If your composted mulch has worn away or been assimilated into the soil, refresh it with another inch or two of fresh material. Pruning stimulates tender new growth, so keep an eye on your roses' water needs. Even though the weather will get cooler from here on out, we get periods of intense heat and drying winds all year around, and those are unkind to new growth.

You should still be feeding your roses. From now until the end of November, use fertilizers that are higher in potassium (the "K" in the "NPK" printed on the bag). The potassium will work with the phosphate you applied earlier in the year to make the root system stronger and more vigorous so it can withstand whatever hot or cold conditions come its way. Remember, never feed a dry or water-stressed plant: Thoroughly water the plant 24 hours before any fertilizer application.