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Temecula Valley Rose Society

An Affiliate of the American Rose Society

The Valley Rose

March 2010   Roses   Vol. 21, No. 03



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President's Message

by May Olson

May OlsonW hat a great attendance we had during our last meeting with many visiting guests and six new members. Way to go! I would like our new members to know that when you join a local society and you are not yet a member of the ARS (American Rose Society) you can receive a 4-month free trial membership, which adds to a $86.00 value. I assure you that you will love the monthly magazines that you receive filled with beautiful pictures and all kinds of information on rose care.

Thank you to Denise Vaccaro for filling in with "Membership" at our last meeting.

Frank Brines did a terrific job in showing us how to prune a "Mini" and giving us great tips on how to care for our beloved roses, as well as answering all our questions. Thanks to our relentless Ann Coakes for the many plants she supplied for our raffle, as well as, all the time and effort she continously gives.

We are still in need for some more volunteers for our various committees and our upcoming Rose Show in May. Do not hesitate to ask Frank Brines or Roberta Costa on how you can help with the Rose Show. When we participate in all of these various tasks is when we get to appreciate, know and fully understand how special our Rose Society and our members are. With everyone's help we can make this our best Rose Show ever.

Thanks to Ron Rumbold for filling in as President during the month of March. I will see you in April, and remember that every rose garden is a bit of heaven on earth.




Thanks to our volunteers

by Kathy Katz

Awards: Our wonderful hospitality is one of our groups hallmarks. Thanks again to Joann Summers for heading the comittee and sitting on the board. Beryl Murray and Ann Coakes are on the committee, Carol Hudson and Kathy Katz always come early and stay late to help. The warmth of our meetings are due to the lovely effort, and there are some members who almost always bring a contribution.


Other Rose Happenings

Pacific Southwest District, CR School/Seminar
Saturday, March 27, 2010, Riverside, CA
Contact: Ruth Tiffany 619-548-6950
ruthsgarden@msn.com

Member Profile: Bonnie Bell

by Kathy Katz

Bonnie Bell

When Bonnie first came to Temecula it was 105 degrees and her potted plants from Orange County began to wither and die immediately. She had not been a rose grower, but she noticed that roses were doing great for her neighbors. She bought some, noticed a pruning clinic at Rose Haven in the paper, came out, and loved the garden. Virginia and Roy Boos kept chopping her practice rose after she had worked on it for about 45 minutes. She was horrified, did not think it would live, but of course it did and bloomed "like crazy." She has enjoyed volunteering with the Rose Society ever since "Really, such nice people."

Bonnie was raised in and around Santa Monica, spent lots of time at the beach, earned a degree in Accounting from Santa Monica College. She married and had two girls, later spent most of her time working and raising her family, not involved in the yard. She feels fortunate that she got a job with Xerox in the 70's. "They were very progressive and huge on education." Flexible hours made it possible for her to take classes at Fullerton and have satisfying work after her first marriage ended.

She and Roger Bell met at work, married in 1985 and lived in Mission Viejo with their now blended family, before moving here. Four grown children and three grandchildren, a 1941 Ford Super Coupe and membership in an Antique Ford Club keep their life satisfying.

Bonnie makes keeping our club finances seem easy and logical, so the board seldom panics when she is around. She is so matter-of-fact and competent explaining Rose Haven to new comers it never occurs to them that she feels like a newcomer herself sometimes. She is one of our most dedicated garden workers.

Bonnie and Roger Bell will celebrate their 25th anniversary this year with a trip to France. They love to travel, too.


New Member Orientation Meeting, March 27

by Xochitl (Sochie) Rumbold, Membership Chair

All new members who joined in December 2009 thru February 2010, are requested to attend an orientation meeting on March 27. The meeting will be held at Rose Haven at 10:00 a.m. Committee chairs are requested to attend in order to brief the new members on their individual committee activities. A brief history of the origin of the Temecula Valley Rose Society and Rose Haven will also be given.

All new members in attendance will be presented with a lovely 5 gallon rose bush. This is your opportunity to learn more about the Temecula Valley Rose Society, and beautiful Rose Haven.


Member Meeting Program

Date: Thursday, March 18
Time: 10:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Place: Temecula Library, Community Room (30600 Pauba Road)
Speaker: Bob Martin
Topic: Weird rose science

Our speaker this month is Bob Martin who will be giving a program titled "Weird Rose Science." Weird Rose Science is a program that examines the science of roses and rabbits from a different angle, from the ancient teachings of Euclid of Alexandria, the art of Leonardo da Vinci, the mathematics of Fibonacci, the observations of Albertus Magnus, through more recent developments in genetic research, hormones, and environmentally acceptable additions to the armamentarium of pest control measures.

Bob Martin has been growing roses for 38 years. He and his wife Dona moved in 2008 from Gilbert, Arizona to Escondido, California, where they are developing a new rose garden that now has over 200 roses.

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



March Birthdays & New Members

Birthdays
Myra Gonsalves
New Members
Dori Beshears, Radha Trivedi, Jean Ardigo, Susan Baldridge, Janet Gordon.

Rose Haven Update

by Bonnie Bell

Did you see the daffodils? We were so excited when they popped up and are now in full bloom along Cabrillo Ave. Also, there is a nice grouping at the south end of the pond, and another cluster near the trees on the hillside. What a delight. The planting was our 3rd Saturday Workshop in December, and although it involved work we all had a good time.


  

Spring is just around the corner and we can already see new leaves bursting out on the roses. Our volunteers spent a considerable amount of time pruning, raking, shovel pruning, and spraying for weeds this past month, and all the good deeds are coming to fruition. The garden is in good shape. Thank you so much everyone, the regulars plus Joann Summers and new member Jim Moss, for their participation.

We hired professionals to trim the trees and cut back the hillside roses (they used a chainsaw) and clean up all debris, thanks to donations received from members. The team of Denise Vaccaro, Rebecca Weersing and Frank Brines are planning improvements for the Hall of Fame area. Frank has already planted many new roses as a first phase, with more to come later.

In March, volunteers will concentrate on fertilizing and removing those pesky weeds between the shrubs. The 3rd Saturday Workshop on March 20th will feature fertilizer formulas and application. Class begins at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome. If needed bring a water bottle, snack, hat and sweater.

Garden contractors are submitting their bids for the Entry Area and soon we hope to break ground and get the project going. August is the completion deadline, as required by the Roripaugh Foundation grant.

Our next Garden Committee meeting is Wednesday, March 24th at 9 a.m. We will review the Entry Area progress and set a pro-active agenda for the contractor to complete the work. Address to the garden is 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula. We welcome you anytime.


Membership Renewal

by Xochitl (Sochie) Rumbold, Membership Chair

This is a friendly reminder that renewal of your Rose Society membership is due by the end of February. If you did not pick up a renewal form during our February meeting, you may print one from the Rose Society website listed under Membership. Mail the form together with your check to TVRS, P.O. Box 890367, Temecula CA 92589. Thank you for your support of the Temecula Valley Rose Society.


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Rose Care FUNdamentals

by Frank Brines, Consulting Rosarian

Frank Brines

Having pruned your roses last month (you did prune your roses, right?), you should see new coppery-red foliage that is about two to three inches long. Whether or not your roses have sprouted, you might want to apply lime sulfur dormant spray in order to prevent disease fungi on surface debris from spreading to new growth. Follow the directions on the label. In a new rose garden, or with newly pruned roses that haven't sprouted, you will thoroughly wet all canes and the surrounding soil. For roses that have sprouted, you have to be more careful in your application, so be sure to follow the "growing season instructions" on the label.

Now's the time to begin a feeding regimen. To give roots a boost at the start of the season, sprinkle superphosphate (available at home stores and nurseries) on the soil surface at a rate of 1 lb for every 10 square feet. Lightly water it into the soil. Also sprinkle 1/2 cup to 1 cup of Epson Salts around the base of each plant. (Use half as much for minis and mini-floras.)

Given that your roses are about as bare as they're going to be for the rest of the year, you might take time to inspect and repair your irrigation system. Drip systems are the most thrifty, and they avoid the problems of above-ground sprayers and sprinklers which waste water and can foster mold. Make sure your irrigation system is in good working order; for example, make sure all the emitters are delivering the expected amount of water and that there are no leaks.

Top your rose bed off with a 2" to 4" layer of organic composted mulch. If you've read this column for more than a month or so, you know that I'm a big believer in composted mulch! It's best covering the entire rose bed. It will help supply nutrients for beneficial soil organism that transport these nutrient deeper into the soil and even into the plant. While naturally adding nutrients through leaching it will also insulate the upper 8" to 12" where most rose roots feed, keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Mulch also helps prevent water loss and evens out the soil moisture.

For your regular feeding program, I recommend that you avoid products that describe themselves as "systemic." These contain insecticide and/or fungicide (mold killer) that enter the plant through the leaves and roots, and circulate within it. I avoid such products for two reasons. First, because much of the product ends up washing into the soil, you are laying waste to a wide range of soil organisms, including beneficial ones, thus making your soil less diverse and dynamic—this can only be bad in the long run for your plants. Secondly, because these poisons circulate within the plant, there's a chance that the bad bugs will feed on the poison and be eaten by beneficial insects, such as the praying mantis and lady bug; because these predators are further up the food chain, they concentrate the poisons and can be killed by them too.

Also, I recommend organic fertilizers, as vs. inorganic or "chemical" ones, because organics are less concentrated (thus less likely to burn), and their nutrients are released more slowly. This fosters better soil development, making for a richer, livelier, and more viable soil that is able to break the elements into an easily absorbed form and releases them slowly to the plants. As your soil develops, you'll be able to use less and less product and save money in the process.

Our area has had good rains, so fertilizing now is opportune. If you can't feed now, while the soil is moist and the plants are well hydrated, be sure to water them the day before you do begin fertilizing. (Never feed a dry plant!) A typical feeding program involves applying products every two to four weeks. You can decide what works best for you, your soil, and your roses. Alternate using dry and liquid foods. For example, for the first application, use any good non-systemic organic brand of fertilizer; for the next application (two to four weeks later), apply diluted fish emulsion to help boost the micro-nutrients necessary for good plant health and disease resistance.

Be sure to visit the Rose haven Heritage Garden located at 30500 Jedediah Smith Road (the cross street is Cabrillo Avenue) in Temecula. Spread the word and spread the joy of roses! Also, visit our web site at www.TemeculaValleyRosesociety.org/index.shtml regularly for great information and events!


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