Temecula Valley Rose Society

An Affiliate of the American Rose Society

President's Message

Rose Haven Heritage Garden Week

Thank you to the Temecula City Council for proclaiming May 13 to May 19, 2019 as "Rose Haven Heritage Garden Week". The City Council encourages the community to visit, volunteer, and support Rose Haven during National Public Gardens Week and throughout the year.

On each of the seven days of National Public Gardens Week we will offer a variety of activities. Daily activities will be listed on our website calendar and our Facebook pages.

Gardens are beautiful places for individuals to go walking/strolling, participating in yoga/meditation, appreciating nature and plants as well as being a sanctuary when dealing with the ebbs and flows of life.

Gardens are places where a wide range of people can volunteer in a nurturing environment to find relevancy, connect with others and make an impact.

Gardens are a deep social connector of families and friends - a place to meet up for a concert, walking and talking in the garden, experiencing generational activities, commemorating milestone events, taking a class, and picnicking.

Our mission at Rose Haven is to provide a peaceful setting for quiet enjoyment, active learning and building community connections through nature. Paraphrasing the playwright Richard Sheridan, "Please come into our garden, our roses would like to see you."

Preparing for the Little Rose Show

There should be plenty of blooms for our May 16th show, but there might be some reluctance to transport a box or bucket full of roses in water in vases, ready to be displayed. With a little effort, it can be done! Even just one lovely bloom would be welcome on the display table.

Cut the roses the evening before if you can, so you will have plenty of time to prepare them. Of course, place them in water. Overnight they should "open" to a desirable shape. You can even tease them a little with a Q-tip. Do make an attempt to clean dust from the leaves with a little water, as well as trimming off small imperfections, even on the flower itself.

We do follow American Rose Society standards for judging, but don't think you need absolute perfection. This isn't a formal rose show. It's for fun and a learning opportunity. We all like to see what others are growing. We love the fragrance – everyone reaches down for that. Color too can be fascinating, with all the blends and stripes that are available. Six entries per person are allowed.

A helpful hint is to use the return address labels that are sent to us in such large quantities. It's much easier than trying to scribble your name on your entry tag when you are stressed and in a hurry. Be sure you have the variety written down %ndash; it's easy to forget. The spelling is important, so get that correct. For example, "Veterans' Honor", not "Veteran's Honor". "Singin' the Blues" and "Spring's A Comin' " say it all. (I've seen entries disqualified in a formal show because of a spelling error.) Check in the Selecting Roses booklet published by ARS. It is available on the entry table.

A chairman is needed for this show. Please let me know if this is a task you would enjoy. It's fun and helpful to our group.

More Rose Society History Tidbits

The original water system at Rose Haven was donated by Temecula Valley Pipe. It was a "drip" system, an innovation in the world of irrigation, that conserves water usage.

An auger tool, operated by a tractor, was used to dig holes for planting in the hard decomposed granite soil. The very first ones were dug with a two-man auger, requiring lots of energy from young men employed by Bill Johnson. There were huge rocks that had to be moved so Lynn Lyon and Roy Boos brought their tractors for that effort. Edie O'Hair did the original design of the area.  

We often had work parties in the late afternoon, bringing our picnic dinners for happy hour. I can still hear Audrey Nelson calling out to quit working, as she was hungry and thirsty.

For our community outreach volunteer effort, we planted roses at three Habitat for Humanity homes near Old Town. It was quite a ceremony. There were photos in the local newspaper and my husband's white hat was easily identified. Now when I drive by these homes, the memories are keen. I know I enjoyed watching the home-building process. Amateurs worked so hard, but they were also learning skills at the same time.

Karen believed in "natural" fertilizing methods, so she concocted alfalfa tea to use at her own home garden. The recipe is around somewhere. Her twins, Katey and Jonathan, as 4-year-olds, had the task of spreading the alfalfa nuggets around the rose bushes at Rose Haven. Joann Weersing was a little young for that job, but we always enjoyed her company.

It must have been around 1993 when we decided that our garden needed a name, so we had members make suggestions. There were several entries and mine was chosen – Rose Haven. The Heritage Garden words were added later, during our expansion with Metropolitan Water District grant money.

The years of memories I have keep pouring back to me. More next month.

Temecula Valley Garden Club activities

The Temecula Valley Garden Club invites you to attend their monthly meetings held on the second Tuesday of each month, except July and August, and national holidays. We meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Temecula Community Recreation Center, 30875 Rancho Vista Road, Temecula. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 14 from 9:30a.m. to 12 noon. The May program is "Fire Resistant Landscaping Design and Preparedness".

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

This Month's Program:

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

After lunch you are invited to Rose Haven for a Flower Arrangement Workshop with Frank Brines — bring a container, oasis and cutting tools — we will select materials from Rose Haven for a small arrangement.

May Birthdays & New Members

Rose Haven Garden

The roses and spring perennials are blooming voraciously but alas so are the weeds. Volunteers have been working to pull, hoe, or dig out the offenders. In the photo is Ray Jacques with a wheelbarrow full of huge weeds on their way to the dumpster. Thank you Ray, Dan, Ann, Kathy and many others for your help in ridding the garden of these unsightly intruders.

A special event this month at Rose Haven will be participation in National Public Gardens Week May 13 to 19 with various activities each day culminating Sunday with the First Bloom Celebration. This will be an exciting adventure for our members and guests. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy the daily activities. There is a separate announcement in this newsletter.

The next garden committee meeting is Wednesday, May 22 at 10:00. The meeting will be at Rebecca's office, 31285 Temecula Parkway, Suite 255. We will discuss garden improvements, projects, etc., then go to the garden to complete the program. All interested members are welcome to attend.

Ray Jacques

Spring bloom

Rose Haven garden is located at 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd., Temecula, at the corner of Cabrillo Avenue and Jedediah Smith Rd.

Families in the Garden, May Newsletter

Our May Families in the Garden Event we will be held May 18, 2019. This month's program coincides with National Public Gardens Week. We will focus on celebrating the love of Rose Haven, Tree of Life, our own home gardens, gardening, planting and harvesting in general. The hardwork that goes into, along with the enjoyment recieved.

Our craft is assembling Tussie Mussies bouquets for Mother's Day. We'll also include a craft for our fathers on their appreciation day in June.

The program takes a hiatus in June, July and August over the summer break. We'll resume our monthly events in September with enthusiasm, happiness and new things to learn. :) Alicia R. Cline at 951-234-2218.

The Temecula Valley Rose Society

Rose Haven Heritage Garden Temecula grows happily in Temecula and is a private garden open to the public. The 3.4 acre garden is owned and maintained by the Temecula Valley Rose Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. We provide a peaceful setting for quiet enjoyment, active learning and building community connections through nature.

Join us May 13 to May 19 to celebrate National Public Gardens Week. We will be hosting one or more activities every day. Keep up to date on activities on our Facebook pages: Temecula Valley Rose Society, Families in the Garden, Temecula Valley Rose Society (TVRS) and www.temeculavalleyrosesociety.org for up-to-date information. We will be launching a series of fund-raising garden improvement initiatives — a Birds and Butterflies Garden, Best Roses of the World Garden, and Families in the Garden programs throughout 2019 and 2020. Join us for an enjoyable week of garden-related activities.

Rose Care FUNdamentals

I think that the HOT temperatures will come as summer arrives. I will give some things that you can do to get your next cycle of good blooms before it gets too hot. A minor pruning to remove old blooms will reset the cycle of blooming. For quicker re-bloom, prune back to the first outward facing five leaflet leaf. Most likely not all are at the same stage of development, so just prune back as blooms fade—don't leave them in your garden or put them in your compost pile—make sure to put them into your green waste barrel. Continue shaping the bush for best production by pruning the cane to an outward facing bud. Each leaf axis has a bud. Knowing this makes it easy to discern an outward facing bud. Attempt to keep canes that are larger than the diameter of a wooden pencil. Rebloom normally takes about six weeks with normal temperatures. That would make the next blooms appear around mid-June just prior to the summer heat. Knowing this can help you plan the preparation for hot summer in Temecula Valley.

Roses do like to eat and drink, so a constant supply of nutrients, including micro nutrients (copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, etc.) is mandatory. The soil microbiology is multi-tiered, abundant in beneficial microbes which create a sustainable soil diversity acting like an "immune system." Phosphate (N) and Potassium (K) help develop a strong root system and better blooms assisting in preventing stress during adverse conditions. In fact, plants grown with organic fertilizers are themselves more resistant to pests and diseases. A soil test kit for analyzing the soil needs could save one lots of money, energy and guesswork for a fulfilling garden.

Organic amendments such as manure, compost or mulch stay where you put them, break down slowly and don't contribute to ground water pollution (as long as you prevent run off into drains). In addition, they improve the soil food web, so in the long run you end up using less product while providing "food" for all the small creatures like earth worms who act like rototillers mixing them into the soil to lower depths. The best thing you can do for your garden is to add a generous layer of mulch that doesn't have wood chips.

You may have experienced more fungi (mildew or rust) so far this year. Keep an eye for worsening conditions. Treating is dependent on how heavy the disease is, as well as your level of acceptance. If control is lost it may be necessary to strip off all of the diseased leaves and prune back and basically start over. There are some organic formulas using neem oil, insecticidal soaps, baking soda, etc. Do not use a formula that treats everything. Use only a product especially for the specific problem. Read entire labels and use accordingly and use safety equipment to avoid exposure to contaminates. One must cover up your own bare body parts when applying chemical treatments for disease or pests. Use approved goggles for eye protection, respirator mask, long sleeve shirt, water/chemical resistant boots and gloves. When the treatment is completed, immediately remove clothing and wash. Take a good shower to remove any possible contamination.

Gardens are showing increased prevalence of Black Spot and a new pest called Chilli Thrip which is much smaller than the Western Thrip that we're accustomed to in our gardens and more devastating as they eat ALL varieties of vegetation. Control is quite difficult and treatments are being studied. There are a few products being used which are still in research. Any product containing Spinosad seems to help.

I have a repeat invasion of the Hoplia beetle this year. It is a native petal feeding insect that feeds on light colored petals of many plants, unfortunately including roses. It is in the family Scarabaeidae with famous cousins like the Japanese beetles which is among the worst pests in the East Coast. This pest is very hard to control as today's pesticides are short-lived especially the less toxic insecticides. Even if you use those, collateral damage to other (beneficial) insect species is just like those of regular insecticides and you would have to spray your light colored roses as recommended on the label. To avoid collateral damage to bees and other beneficial insects and birds, I just choose to physically remove the beetles from affected blooms and drop them into a container of soapy water. Each one you can capture can possibly prevent tens of offspring next year as now is also mating time and egg laying. They winter over in the ground as a grub.

I have grown many varieties of roses in my gardens. Most will grow well in the Temecula Valley. Heads up for something to prepare for in coming months. Don't expect to have great roses during July-September when temperatures are high 90s. Just keep the plants well hydrated as possible, let them enter a short period of dormancy or slowed growth not to produce blooms which will likely be of poor quality and stress the plant as well. To do this just remove petals from the bloom and discard into green waste bin. Leave the "hip" on the cane./p>

Some varieties I recommend; Mr. Lincoln. Outta the Blue, Easy Does It, Touch of Class, Double Delight, Joey, Gold Medal, Graham Thomas, Fragrant Cloud, Fragrant Plum, Sunsprite, Playboy, Sally Holmes, Ballerina, Tropical Lightening, Hey Jack, Neptune, Violet's Pride.

I am an ARS Certified Master Rose Consultant. If you would like personal answers to questions you can leave questions on the TVRS website or email me at roseguy2000@aol.com.

For more ideas, visit TVRS' Rose Haven garden located at 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd. at the corner of Cabrillo Avenue and Jedediah Smith Rd., Temecula, as well as our web site at TemeculaValleyRoseSociety.org. Spread the joy of roses!

Thank You to Our Friends

This newsletter is web-published monthly for members. TVRS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corpor­ation dedicated to the purpose of encouraging the appreci­ation, study, and culture of roses. Members are encouraged to join our affil­iate, the American Rose Society, at www.rose.org.

Our monthly Member meeting is held the 3rd Thursday of the month (excluding July and August) at 10:00 a.m. at the Ronald H. Roberts Public Library, Community Room B, 30600 Pauba Rd., Temecula.

Do not send any mail to Rose Haven Garden on Cabrillo Ave. There is no mail box there.

For more information about our sponsors go here.

For additional information please visit our web site at temeculavalleyrosesociety.org/