Vol. 21, No. 02
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Temecula Valley Rose SocietyAn Affiliate of the American Rose Society
February 2010
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President's Messageby May Olson I
joined the TVRS in the summer of 2005 immediately after moving to Murrieta from Mission Viejo, never dreaming that I would one day become President of this wonderful organization. I might be a bit slow to catch on but rest assured that I will try my very best. I am driven by my love of roses and, most important, because we have such a terrific group of people on the Board who are always eager to help. We also have wonderful members who make our gatherings so much fun, aside from being rewarding and educational. We not only learn from our fabulous speakers but also from each other. Let's not forget our very own walking rose encyclopedia, Frank Brines, who brings so much expertice and knowledge to all of us. Please feel free to let me know what would be the one thing that you would most like to see come to fruition in 2010. I look forward to hearing from you and experiencing a year of continued enlightment and knowledge.
Benefits of Joining TVRSby Betty DixonIt's time to renew your membership and encourage new members to join us for our varied programs and rose activities. Even in hard economic times, membership is a bargain. For only $25 for an individual membership you get eleven meetings full of rose information, a monthly newsletter, a delightful lunch, hands-on workshops, opportunities to serve at our rose garden and rose show, and the company of great people who share your interest in gardening and roses. That's less than $2.50 a month! You can't grab a Burger King for that. Don't delay, renew today! Click here for a renewal form. Membership Renewalby Saundra Felker, Membership ChairIt's time again to renew your membership in the Rose Society. Renewal forms will be available at our February 18th Member Meeting. They are also available on our website under Membership. The cost is $25 per individual, or $30 per family. Mail the form with your check to TVRS, P.O. Box 890367, Temecula, CA 92589, or turn in your renewal at the meeting. We sincerely hope everyone enjoys our programs and our outstanding Rose Festival and Art Show. We strive to bring you entertaining and informative guest speakers and also provide a friendly meeting place to gather with other rose enthusiasts. Member Profile R
ebecca Weersing has been synonymous with our Rose Society since it's inception, and is one of the founding members. She has served in many positions–treasurer, newsletter editor and twice a past president–and is our current programs chair, plus she is particularly active in our youth gardening program. She is still active in the Temecula Valley Council of PTAs (Parent-Teacher Association), and was their 2007-2009 President even as her daughter Joann successfully went off to college in 2006. (Joann is now studying at Oxford, England, for a semester.)
Rebecca was raised in Maryland, outside of Washington D.C. She and her sister lived with her maternal grandmother on a farm. Her step-grandfather was stationed at nearby Andrews Air Force Base. The area she grew up in was still very rural, and had no electricity until 1954. Life was quite primitive; even after 1954 light was candles, kerosene and oil lamps when snow storms and thunderstorms downed the electric lines. Everyone was involved in growing tobacco for cash (a resiny and filthy plant, in her remembrance of chopping and drying it) and vegetables and fruit for food. Throughout her childhood she enjoyed the many dense mounds of very old fashioned roses and other lovely ornamentals at the neighboring farms. Elementary school field trips were to the Smithsonian Institution and the Washington Monument (where we kids all raced up those 1,000 stairs to the top–can't do that anymore!), and ate lunch on the Washington Mall with a view of both the Capitol and the Monument. As a teenager she, her best friend and sister, would spend Saturdays at the National Art Gallery. One of her fondest family outings was to the Botanical Gardens, located near the Capitol grounds. She came from a line of politically-active women who worked to obtain an education and the right to the vote. At a time when many women didn't drive, her Grandma did. She would pick up all the women who wanted to vote and deliver them to the polls, no matter their political party. Rebecca learned early about public service and womens role in changing society through education. Her role models were always learning, working and seeking justice. She was aware of segregation during her school years: her high school was integrated in her Senior year. By the time she was in high school she and her sister were living with her Mother. Her first year of college was at Frostburg State Teachers College in Western Maryland. The next year she was accepted to attend the University of Maryland–she was working and had her own place near the University. But when some friends decided to move to California, guess who decided to change her life and fortunes? Off she went. Can you imagine a 20 year old explaining that to her Mother? Landing a job with Flying Tigers Freight Airline (an exciting company in the 1960s), Rebecca worked swing shift and continued her education at El Camino Community College and California State University, Dominguez Hills, graduating with a Bachelor of Science, with a major in Business and Finance. She met her husband John at Flying Tigers; he was a computer Systems Analyst at the time and was very supportive of Rebecca's pursuit of her education. They gradually got into property management and have worked together since the early 1980's. John has always loved to travel and they have been able to travel the world, having some seriously great adventures (e.g. Antarctica, the Amazon River). John has taken wonderful photos everywhere they have gone. After Joann was born in 1988 they moved to Temecula. The Rose Society was formed in 1990. The rest is history. 
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Member Meeting ProgramDate: Thursday, February 18Time: 10:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Place: Temecula Library, Community Room (30600 Pauba Road) Speaker: Frank Brines Topic: Rose pruning Pruning, pruning and more pruning! Frank Brines will discuss pruning for the many types of roses we have in our gardens. In addition to the pruning discussion at our member meeting on Thursday, February 18th, Frank will give a hands-on demonstration at Rose Haven on Saturday, February 20th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Frank, an ARS Consulting Rosarian, is always very generous with both his time and his knowledge. Frank Brines' mini-biography: “ Frank grew up on a small farm in Wyoming. He was always interested in growing things, and throughout his childhood he helped tend the family's two-acre garden, which produced food and flowers. His passion for plants, and especially for roses has never diminished. He has over five decades of personal experience as an avid gardener, and has been trained and certified by the American Rose Society as a Consulting Rosarian and as a rose show judge (horticulture categories).” A light buffet luncheon will be served around noon. Guests are welcome. After lunch refreshments on February 18th, the Rose Show committee will meet from 1 to 2 p.m. All members are welcome to join in the planning for our Rose & Arts Festival on May 1 and 2. February Birthdays & New Members
Rose Haven Updateby Bonnie BellNeither rain, nor wind, nor cold could keep Rose Haven Garden from blowing completely away in January. We did have one catastrophe; the cupola and a section of the roof on the gazebo blew clean off and landed in the neighbor's yard. Phyllis has contacted Home Gardens and they have people who can repair the damage–thank goodness. Also, with the heavy rains, some erosion occured on the upper paths, so Kathy Katz and Rebecca Weersing were busy placing straw waddles to control any more water run-off. 
At our February 20th Third Saturday Workshop, Frank Brines will be teaching the fine art of pruning our beloved roses. You don't want to miss his class if you are a beginner or need to update your pruning skills. The January Third Saturday event was great. We planted miniature roses in the new Youth A-Z garden area. Volunteers are needed to help with pruning and maintenance on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, so we ask all interested to come out and participate. We can find a task for everyone. With your help the spring bloom will be spectacular. Thank you so much to everybody who has been volunteering their time. Large scale maintenance will be completed by garden contractors, as allowed in the budget. Our next Garden Committee meeting is Wednesday, February 24th at 9 a.m. We will review the entry arch design prepared by a landscape architect, and cost for the actual work. The address to the garden is 30500 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula. Youth GardeningIn addition to planting more of our ABC Mini-Roses at Rose Haven on the 3rd Saturday (February 20th), we will have a planting day at Temecula Luiseno Elementary School of tree roses and ground-cover roses on Friday, February 26th. If you are interested in either of these activities contact Rebecca at 951-595-7046 or email her at temroses@gmail.com. Several youth gardeners recently planted miniature roses in the ABC Garden. 
Computer Skills WantedMembers who have expertise in computers and can upload documents, maps, charts, graphs, drawings, etc. into existing on-line documents. Two or three hours of work a maximum of three or four times a year, largely for TVRS grant submissions. For more information contact Betty Dixon, 302-1850, or ddixon80769@roadrunner.com February Community OutreachThe current featured Artist at the Grace Mellman County Library is the Temecula technology based artist Rodney Johnson. Rodney is known as an early adopter, always seeking to expand his understanding of connecting technology with everyday life patterns. This has brought him to delve into his artistic expressions via mixed media, combining digital imagery, photography, drawing and graphic design. It is not unusual for Rodney to be pooling the resources and power engines of several computers simultaneously in rendering any given piece. Combining the resources of technology with his ever deepening appreciation for art has allowed Rodney a delightful distraction from his day job as a research and development food scientist. Artistically, Rodney is primarily self taught and inspired by curiosity in creating new images with the plethora of tools that are available. Rodney likes to think of each piece of work as a scene from anywhere in the midst of a book. He hopes that people viewing his art will create their own stories and ultimately see new aspects in themselves in the ever expanding awareness that he offers. His work will be at the Grace Mellman County Library from January 28th through March 5th. To see further work by Rodney please visit www.baretrees.net. |
Rose Care FUNdamentalsby Frank Brines, Consulting Rosarian H
ere it is: It's pruning time again in the Temecula Valley. And we don't have to follow the San Diego area schedule, since here we can get a later frost. We actually have until the end of February. The main reason we prune is to reset the plants' biological clock. A wake up call to begin a new life cycle–like restarting a factory.
First, let's get your tools ready. To do the job right, one usually needs to have a range of pruner sizes handy. Each size has a limit to the diameter thickness which it is most efficiently used; also, using too small a pruner on too large a cane can damage both. At minimum, have a pair of loppers and a standard-sized pair of hand pruners. All pruners should be kept clean, sharp, and in good repair. Rubbing alcohol is ideal for cleaning pruners, before and during the job. It also helps prevent transmitting diseases from plant to plant, and you can use it as first aid for punctures and scratches to your skin. Before starting the job, lubricate the moving parts with a little light oil (such as 3-in-1 or even WD-40), and make sure they operate without resistance. Sharpen each blade with a small diamond file (available at garden centers), trying as much as possible to match the original bevel of the blade. Every 100 cuts or so, swipe the file over the blade a few times to keep it sharp. If you notice that the pruners are crushing the stems and/or leaving a tail, it's past time to sharpen! Now, decide what style of pruning you feel comfortable with (Figure 1). I'm a moderate style pruner. I find this works well with the way buds are distributed along the cane. Buds are found in the "axel" where a leaf meets the cane; leaves spiral around the cane at about 1.5" intervals. This places outward-facing buds about 4" apart. If I prune moderately, and if frost damages the tender young growth, then I know I can still re-prune to the next bud down. In Southern California our rose bushes can grow quite large, so I start with some gross pruning to bring the project down to size. I use loppers to cut every bush down to about 3 feet high. This lets me examine the structure of the bush, and to use my hand pruners to more easily remove canes that are twiggy, dead, crossing other canes, or passing through the center of the plant. I also remove old leaves as I go along so I can see what I'm aiming at. After removing all that stuff from the interior of the bush you can do the final pruning. Attempt to leave a domed top to the degree possible so the plant will bush out in a pleasing, balanced manner. |
There are two kinds of cuts you will make. Some cuts remove the entire branch; these cuts are made flush with the surface of the parent cane. Other cuts simply shorten a cane. It is important to position your pruners so you minimize damage to the plant. Take a look at your pruners and notice that they have a sharp cutting blade (which slices through the cane), and a dull curved non-cutting blade (which holds the cane in place during the cut). Position your pruners so the non-cutting blade is in contact with the portion of the cane that will be removed, and the cutting blade is on the side of the cut that will remain on the plant. (See Figure 2.) This will make more sense when you are actually holding the pruners and getting ready to cut! Also, always prune above an outward facing bud with an angled cut. (See Figure 3). A word of caution when pruning: Look for the small nests of hummingbirds, as this is the nesting period for two varieties in our area. Also, if you discover praying mantis egg cases on any branches you remove, find a place to put them where they will be undisturbed and hatch out so you can benefit from the offspring! Be sure to dispose of all cut off material into your green waste bin and put it on the street. Clean the ground thoroughly of all rose debris. Apply a dormant spray to the plants and the soil surface to ward off diseases. I will be giving a free pruning demonstration at Rose haven Heritage Garden on February 20, 2010. Rose Haven is located at 30500 Jedediah Smith Road (the cross street is Cabrillo Avenue) in Temecula. Spread the word and spread the joy of roses! Be sure to visit Rose Haven, as well as our web site at www.TemeculaValleyRosesociety.org/index.shtml. 
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