Temecula Valley Rose Society

An Affiliate of the American Rose Society

President's Message

Thanks to our Board members and the many volunteers, our society has grown so much in 2019. The membership numbers have increased by leaps and bounds, the programs and speakers have been intriguing choices, the luncheons are delicious and plentiful, plus we have had fun!

So what's next? Even more GROWTH. Fundraising is on our plate now and we have opened an investment account for the maintenance and the future of our Rose Haven Heritage Garden. Donations to 'Rose Haven Friends' will be deposited there. Our cyber media presence is becoming widespread. We're on our way to a successful and fulfilling future.

Little Rose Show

The results of the rose show held at our June meeting are as follows:

Rose of the Day won by Jane Chapman for 'Firefighter'. She also entered 'Chrysler Imperial'. Don Nordike entered 'Centennial Star', 'Houston', 'Bronze Star', 'Let Freedom Ring', 'Joshua Bradley' and 'Rose de Rescht'. Mary Degange, Judy Soderman and Patsy Thurman all entered 'unknowns', hoping that they could be identified. Kathy Trudeau entered 'Fragrant Cloud', 'All Dressed Up' and 'Pink Supreme'. I entered 'Uncle Joe', 'Brass Band', 'Margaret Merrill', 'Minnie Pearl' and 'Winsome'.

Entries totaled 19 by 7 of our members, winning 8 firsts, 9 seconds and 2 thirds. .

Our next show will be at the September meeting. We should have some beautiful new blooms by then, after a hot summer season. Even though it's a little effort, please try to bring at least one blossom. Six entries are allowed per person. Help fill up the table to give us a bountiful display.

Rose Haven Committee News

The Crape Myrtles in the garden are blooming beautifully along with a spattering of roses. After our July hiatus we have weeds requiring attention and we can begin deadheading again in order to promote a lovely fall bloom.

When the Rose Haven Committee walked the garden a couple of months ago we all agreed that the agave were in need of attention. Nardo is now beginning to clear out dead and dying leaves. There are some tall weeds needing to be relocated to the trash bin. If you have time on Wednesday mornings Nardo can always use an extra set of hands.

Our regularly scheduled volunteer days at the garden are Wednesdays and Saturdays morning time. Some like to arrive fairly early before the heat of the day, others a bit later.This time of year, deadheading and weeding are always necessary tasks. We have bigger tools (shovels, rakes, hoes) available in the Rose Haven Shed near the parking lot. Bring pruners if you plan on deadheading. Hats, sturdy shoes, gloves and water are essential.

The Fourth Saturday of each month (except July, November and December) is Rose Haven Community Volunteer Day. This is a new outreach to the community. We are inviting businesses, other nonprofits, and community members to join us at Rose Haven to learn about different aspects of gardening plus have some hands‑on experience in the garden. Plan on joining this outreach effort 9 to 11 am.

Remember the delightful concert that we had to postpone due to rain back in May? The WindSong Consort has rescheduled for Saturday, October 5 from 2 to 3 pm. Mark your calendar now.

The Last Rose of Summer Supper will be held in late September or October. Watch for details!

Next committee meeting: Wednesday, August 28 at 10 am at Rose Haven.

Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Temecula Valley Garden Club

Janine is a lifelong plant lover and gardener. She has her Bachelor's degree in Biology from UC Irvine and worked there for many years doing research. She took a break to stay home with her children until 2008, at which time she began volunteering at the UCR Botanic Gardens as a docent and various other areas, but mainly the rose gardens. She spearheaded the renovation of the rose gardens and holds rose pruning demonstrations every year. She is a Consulting Rosarian and Master Gardener and has her Qualified Applicator Certificate. She is a member of the Raincross Rose Society, the American Rose Society, and several other plant societies, and is currently the Curator at the UCR Botanic Gardens.

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

Birthdays and New Members

Rose Haven Garden

The garden still looks quite spectacular despite the 100‑degree weather recently. Morning and evening are the best times to visit as August is usually quite a hot month. The refreshing water of the pond offers a vision of coolness in the heat of the day.

Two roses that flourish in the raised beds at Rose Haven are "Mellow Yellow" and "Let Freedom Ring" shown in the photos. They were donated by Weeks Roses many years ago and are still going strong. Carol and Peter have been keeping the raised beds in tip‑top shape and they also maintain the Hall of Fame area. Thank you so much Carol and Peter. The roses surely appreciate your attention.

Volunteers can focus on deadheading, raking, and weed control until September when hopefully we all can enjoy some cooler days. By then the roses should perk up and produce a flush of new blooms. Work days are Wednesday and Saturday morning about 8 o'clock, however you can work on your own anytime convenient to you.

Let Freedom Ring

Mellow Yellow

Click here to see the map to Rose Haven Garden.

Visit us on Facebook

We have three Facebook pages! Ann Schryer and Linda Freeman did some research and found that we were able to utilize our original Facebook page as well as a new page that was created, so we have expanded our Facebook outreach with two Temecula Valley Rose Society pages. The Society also has the "Families in the Garden" page, which Alicia Cline is editing. You must be a Facebook member to access these pages. Visit us at:
Temecula Valley Rose Society

Temecula Valley RoseSociety (note that 'Rose Society' is run together as one word.)

Families in the Garden

Rose Care FUNdamentals

Summer is certainly upon us, and based on past experience, it's only going to get hotter before it gets cooler. (I didn't need to tell you that at the beginning of August, did I?)

Since high summer temperatures and less‑than‑ideal conditions for roses are inevitable for the next couple of months, let's get ready! If you've taken my advice, you are letting your roses continue their summer dormancy – this should last until about mid‑September. After all, why make them produce blooms when they're struggling to stay hydrated? Let your roses 'do whatever they do', that is, just remove and discard the withered petals and let the hips develop, keep the bed clean of debris, and DON'T fertilize. Two or three times a week, depending on the temperatures, give your HTs (Hybrid teas) and other roses of similar bulk, a deep, slow watering of 3 gallons of water each. Take an investigative stroll through your gardens in the morning, look for leaf wilt, drying or discoloring of leaves and the general leaf reflectance (surface luster). If it appears dull, investigate the plant for disease, drought or pests.

During you daily tour of your garden look for any changes. It doesn't take long for a rose to suffer once its irrigation supply fails. Examine the lower leaves. If they appear yellow or brown, have fine webbing and/or look dirty, there may be an infestation of spider mites. They thrive in hot weather. They're generally found on the undersides of those leaves. A quick check can be made by lightly running your fingers across the underside of the leaf. If it has a small grainy feel it most likely is the spider mite. A strong spray of water from below followed by an overhead shower should take care of the problem or, at least, hold it in check. Give the shower early in the day so the plant has time to dry before the sun becomes hot. Do this every 3 days for 10 to 14 days, inspecting regularly. It may be necessary to repeat after a few days if the infestation is heavy. Removing the bottom leaves approximately 8" from soil level can help in reducing or eliminating the spider mite problem. This should be done earlier, prior to an infestation.

The world is dangerous enough for plants, but we gardeners are also faced with risks. One recently came to my attention through a Dr. Gott. It's a dangerous fungus with the scientific name Sporothrix schenckii. It afflicts humans with the fungus infection sporotrichosis. It is often referred to as the Rose Thorn (or Rose Gardener's) Disease. The fungus resides on hay, sphagnum moss, the tips of rose thorns and in soil. It can cause infection, redness, swelling and open ulcers at the puncture site.

The fungus can also spread to the lymphatic system and move on to the joints and bones where it ends up attacking the central nervous system and lungs when the thorn or thorns are deeply embedded. A relatively uncommon condition, diagnosis can be complicated. Physicians often mistake it as Staph or Strep infection. If you suspect this condition, be sure to inform your physician that you are a gardener so appropriate diagnosis and treatment are rendered.

If you have been following my summer protocol for growing roses you should have rose hips and few blossoms left on the bushes. Otherwise a semi dormancy period. Soon you will want to "wake" the rose bush up again for a couple bloom cycles yet in the year. About mid‑September a small pruning should be done, do not remove more than a third of the current growth. Around first to mid September begin fertilizing again with one higher in phosphate, the P in NPK rating. Most organic fertilizers don't use this obvious rating. You will need to read the packaging information which will be in percentages. In either case look for something similar to 8‑10‑8.

We all enjoy the fragrance and beauty of roses and have often had our skin pierced by thorns ("prickles" is the correct anatomical name). Good protective measures include wearing appropriate clothing (gloves, long sleeves, or gauntlets) when working among roses and thoroughly cleansing even minor scratches and punctures with an anti‑bacterial soap. Rubbing alcohol – which you should already have handy to clean your pruners – can be applied as an immediate wash until you can use anti‑bacterial soap. Anything more than a minor puncture should be watched carefully for signs of infection; seek medical attention as soon as possible if you show any of the signs described above. Even the simple things in life have risks – take precautions so you can stop and smell the roses.

Last year I experienced Chilli Thrips which caused much damage to my roses and other plants as well. However, I haven't seen any sign of those thrips at this time. Signs are usually noticed on new young growth during, and more likely, when temperatures are high. The new tips will have signs of dead or dried young leaves eventually moving down the cane. Begin treatment with insecticide as soon as noticed.

For more ideas, visit TVRS' Rose Haven garden located at 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd., Temecula, 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!