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Temecula Valley Rose Society

An Affiliate of the American Rose Society

The Valley Rose

January 2013 Roses Vol. 24, No. 01



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President's Message

by Frank Brines

Frank BrinesI hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year. This time of year always brings thoughts of making changes in our lives, of replacing old with new. January makes us think of renewal in the garden, replacing poorly performing plants with new ones, pruning out the dead wood and cutting back the canes to renew the plant.

Just so in our club. Volunteering brings personal growth, and the TVRS provides many opportunities for this. Any of the committees will welcome your help in planning and enacting fresh programs. You will gain new knowledge and discover talents, feel the satisfaction of accomplishment, and make new friends: In short, personal renewal.

On those notes, you have several opportunities to bring together renewal in the garden and self: Please to attend one of the many pruning demonstrations and hands-on practice sessions we will conduct at Rose Haven Heritage Garden. It will involve just an hour or so of your time and you'll be adding to the health and beauty of the garden. Please plan to attend January 5, 12, or 19, starting at 9:30 a.m.



Read Kathy's Garden Chat

Kathy Katz December Garden Chat.

Rose Pruning Class

On January 5, 12, and 19 there will be Rose Pruning Classes at Rose Haven starting at 9 AM. These classes are open to the public as well as society members.


Grocery Cards Benefit TVRS

Dear Members: I trust that you have made a determined effort to use Stater Bros. Script/Gift Cards for your everyday normal purchases. Even in these financially difficult times we all must eat. Purchasing a $100.00 Script Card will let you spend $100.00 for groceries at Stater Bros. There is no extra expense or donation coming out of your pocket and the Rose Society will get a $6.00 donation for the upkeep of the Garden. Your support is greatly appreciated. See Ann Coakes to order Cards. Tel 951 693-5635.


Rose Haven Update

by Bonnie Bell

The beginning of a new year fills us with ideas and optimism for our garden. January brings the dauntless task of pruning and yet more pruning but the anticipation of spring with bursting buds keeps us motivated. The regular schedule of volunteer work remains Wednesday and Saturday mornings and we really would appreciate additional help at this busy time.

Many improvements are on the agenda this year which will be discussed at the January 23rd Rose Haven committee meeting. Enhancing the areas surrounding the hill gazebo and Hall of Fame gazebo are planned plus new plants in the Boos Courtyard, and additional plants at the main entry. The meeting is open to all members and we welcome those interested.

The garden is still a welcome sight even in winter. There are still several roses in bloom and many others are covered with large rose-hips. The tall grasses in near the pond and in the southwest area have turned a golden hue and add an extra dimension to the garden at this time. Come out and visit anytime.

Please see our web site for additional information and photos plus the "Garden Chat" articles by Kathy Katz on our web site at www.TemeculaValleyRosesociety.org/index.shtml . The address to the garden is 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd., Temecula.


Member Meeting Program

Date: Thursday, January 17
Time: 10:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Place: Temecula Library, Community Room (30600 Pauba Rd., Temecula)
Speaker: Christian Bedard
Topic: Weeks Roses, What's New For 2013

Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower is one of the largest commercial rose growers in the United States since 1938. Our top-quality bare root plants, container plants, dormant plantable pots and liners are sold to nurseries, garden centers, and select mail order outlets nationwide.

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



 

January Birthdays & New Members

Birthdays
John & Margaret Meyckne, Lenore Vogel
New Members
There are no new members this month.

2013 Rose Show News

Happy New Year! It's 2013 already and time to start thinking about the spring rose show. It's never too early to start planning. The rose show committee will have its' first meeting Tuesday, January 8th at 1:00 p.m. at Starbucks in the Target Center (corner of Ynez and Rancho California Rd, next to CVS Pharmacy). Come with your ideas and a willing heart and we'll plan a real nice show for the community. I will personally be inviting as many members as I can. If you would like to contact me, please call 951-694-8968.
See you there!
Linda Black, Rose Show Chairman


Youth Gardening in December

by Barb Purdy

The end of December we harvested the last of the tomatoes as the cold nights brought an end to our tomato plants. The kids got busy and took the tomato plants out and started to prepare the bed for our next crop which will be peas. The beds should be ready to plant by the third Saturday in January, so we will have the younger kids in our third Saturday program help plant. If you would like to stop by and help the children plant, the date is January 19th at 9:30. Everyone is welcome to help these little hands learn how to plant.

The winter vegetables like this cool weather and we now have small cauliflower growing inside the tall leaves of our plants (see picture). We also have beets, broccoli, carrots, rutabagas, kale, lettuce and garlic that are off to a good start.

The other project that the kids are working on in the garden is making small protective gardening boxes out of chicken wire and a sturdy lattice shell (see picture). We would like to offer one of these small boxes and the space inside to anyone in the Rose Society who would like to plant their own miniature garden in the Tree of Life. This is a great opportunity to plant your own vegetables, watch them grow and have the benefit of eating very fresh vegetables. We will provide the box and the space and you add the T.L.C. If you are interested, please contact Kathy Katz at (951) 693-2814 or e-mail her here.


Garden boxCauliflower

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Rose Care FUNdamentals

by Frank Brines, Consulting Rosarian

Frank BrinesH appy New Year! The mild temperatures of December and the modest rainfall have allowed many roses to continue growing and blooming, but this year is passing away and a new gardening season beckons us. Planning is essential for a successful outcome. Don't worry if you weren't able to prepare a planting space in November or December for new acquisitions you want to plant in January or February. There is still time. (For guidance, see the November 2012 Rose Care FUNdamentals column at http://temeculavalleyrosesociety.org/nl/NL201211.shtml.)

January and February are excellent months for planting roses in the Temecula Valley. Roses planted now have mild conditions and plenty of time to establish their root systems and form relationships with soil fungi so they can become real show stoppers in the garden as early as May. A wide selection of roses are available this month and next at home improvement centers and nurseries. Most nurseries and retail suppliers also have Web sites where you can order roses. (Mail order plants tend to be fresher, as they come from the source.)

Whatever their source, roses usually come to you in one of three forms: "bare root," potted, or packaged. Bare root plants are just that, usually packed in wood chips to keep the roots damp and viable. They are the slowest to thrive and it is best to get them early and planted immediately so they have the maximum amount of time to become established. Potted roses make the quickest and most successful transition to the garden, but they tend to be more expensive and not as varied in selection.

Where to plant those new roses? Well, if you did a great job caring for your roses in 2012, now is a good time to "shovel prune" (i.e., DIG UP!) those that didn't perform well even under your loving care. And rather than tossing that plant in the green waste barrel, consider giving it away. Some plants that do poorly for you may perform better for someone else. That doesn't mean that you're a failure; it's just that another garden may have just the right combination of environmental variables that the particular rose variety needs for success. If you don't have a friend or relative who wants your cast-off rose bush, why not pot it and give to the Temecula Valley Rose Society for their planned plant sale in May? If possible, please include the name of the rose.

Well, that will leave you with a vacant spot in your garden where you can plant a new rose! And you can do that without removing any more soil from the hole. However, because the previous rose did poorly, it's a good idea to assess the spot. Does it have good drainage? Many gardens in our area have a very dense layer of clay beneath the topsoil that can prevent drainage. Even with our recent rains, holes you dig in your rose garden should not show standing or pooling water. If they do, you've got a problem that isn't going to be solved by planting a new rose. You can try digging deeper to see if you can break through that layer in order for the water to percolate away. You can also apply a "soil buster" product available at local stores that specialize in soil conditioners. You may also apply some gypsum powder at the bottom of the hole, in hopes that it may help loosen the clay. (In any case, it can't hurt!)

Now, if you do dig the hole deeper to improve drainage, you've created new challenges: Loose soil reintroduced into the hole will tend to settle with each watering and if your soil is high in clay, packing down the soil can press out air pockets and make the soil less permeable to water and to roots. To avoid these problems, fill the hole with a good potting soil formulated for roses. Before you place the new plant into the hole, press the soil down firmly. The "bud union" or base of the plant should be 1-1/2 to 2 inches above the soil line (if the new rose is grafted, that is). Mix some organic fertilizer that is slightly higher in phosphate into the soil at this time of year when planting new plants. The long lasting, slow breakdown/release of the fertilizer will make nutrients available by the time the soil warms up in spring.

In the Temecula Valley January is a good time to plan your pruning schedule, but it may be a little too early to actually prune, depending on your microclimate. Pruning too early runs the risk of exposing tender new growth to killing frosts. I recommend holding off until at least mid January. A good rule of thumb is that new growth appears about three weeks after pruning, so the major annual pruning should be completed by the end of February if you want major blooms to appear 8 to 12 weeks later.

I will provide detailed guidance on this major pruning in my February column. Also, please tell every rose lover you know that I will be giving a free pruning demonstration at Rose Haven Heritage Garden on January 19, 2013. Spread the word and spread the joy of roses!

For more ideas, visit TVRS' Rose Haven garden at 30592 Jedediah Smith Rd.,
Temecula, as well as our web site at TemeculaValleyRosesociety.org/index.shtml.


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