Originally published Wednesday, May 31, 2006 (SF Chronicle) King of The Roses. By Rayford Reddell. Special to The Chronicle

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1 Our National Floral Emblem Award winning newletter! National ARS Silver Medal 2004, Honorable Mention 2005 Rose Lore Mesa-East Valley Rose Society Affiliated with the American Rose Society Dona L. Martin, Editor Thursday July 13th, 7:00 p.m. Monthly meeting, Elsner Library Community Room Composition In Photography We are so excited about this month s program, being presented by Nancy Sams, Mesa resident and nationally recognized, award winning photographer. A retired Art History teacher and College Dean, her current focus is teaching and working with Photoshop. She has accumulated over 300 medals in photo exhibitions and numerous other awards, as well as volunteering for the Photographic Society of America. Your friends and family are always welcome. Refreshments will be served. Bring your rose questions and concerns. See you there! What s inside this issue... Tom Carruth - King Of The Roses By Rayford Reddell President s Message - Dona Martin 2 Rose Care For July / Seattle Pictures 3 Consulting Rosarians Corner - Messenger Note In The Garden With...The Martins-M. Sanchez 6-8 Rose of the Month: Marchesa Boccella - Suzanne Horn Tucson CR Seminar/More Seattle Pictures! 10 National Conventions/ messages 10 Membership/Officers/Consulting Rosarians 11 9 Originally published Wednesday, May 31, 2006 (SF Chronicle) King of The Roses By Rayford Reddell Special to The Chronicle When Tom Carruth was 10 years old, he announced to his parents that he wanted to pursue a career in flowers -- news not particularly well received in the small Panhandle town of Pampa, Texas, where Carruth spent the first 15 years of his life. "My dad thought that meant I'd be a florist," Carruth says, "but it didn't matter -- the flower bug had already bit hard." It bit so hard that when he agreed to sell seeds for Burpee on commission one summer to earn spending money, he became enraptured with one of the nursery catalogs sent to him as a Burpee representative. It was from Interstate Nursery, a nationwide mail-order establishment. The back cover showed eight unnamed roses in various colors with what proved to be an irresistible sales pitch: If the entire collection was ordered, it would come with a bonus of 'Peace,' then the most famous rose in Tom Carruth has created more All-America roses than any other living hybridizer, logging nine in 10 years the world. Carruth went for the lot. These days, Carruth himself is a hot commodity in the world of hybridizers. Thursday the All-America Roses for 2007 will be announced, and Carruth has won his ninth award in 10 years -- a record no living rose hybridizer can challenge -- with 'Strike It Rich,' a Grandiflora with golden yellow blossoms handsomely shaded orange-pink. As we've come to expect from his other introductions, it's fragrant. For Carruth, there was no doubt where his career path would lead. He remembers as a boy seeing his first rose: a bloom of the deeply fragrant mauve Hybrid Tea 'Sterling Silver,' which he says he gawked at and sniffed in wonder. He remembers his grandmother's neighbor, who grew the ubiquitous climbing rose 'Blaze' that stunned him with its cascading red blossoms. Although roses were his favorites, he admired other flowers, too, especially Darwin tulips that grew in a neighbor's garden. "I'd sit on the ground and stare at them," he recalls. When Carruth was 16, he moved with his parents to Irving, Texas, near Dallas. Although he resented (Continued on page 4) July 2006 Rose Lore Page 1

2 MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS The following nurseries will give MEVRS members a 10% discount (unless otherwise indicated) on any rose-related purchase when you show your membership card. In some stores you must pay by cash or check only to receive the discount. Be sure to get your annual Membership Card from the Membership Chairman. A & P Nurseries All three East Valley locations (15% off all products, except Advertised Specials.) Pine needle much now in stock 2601 E. Baseline Rd Baker s Nursery 3414 N. 40th St., Phx Berridge Nursery 4647 E. Camelback Rd., Phx Potted roses always in stock! Gardener s World 3401 E. Baseline Rd., Phx Harper s Nursery Three locations: Mesa, Scottsdale and Phx (Mesa) Summer Winds Nursery 3160 S. Country Club Dr., Mesa Treeland Nursery 2900 S. Country Club Dr., Mesa When you patronize these businesses, please remember to thank the manager for supporting the MEVRS! President s Message By Dona Martin I found it interesting that the Phoenix Republic finally announced that June was a record hot month. We KNEW that! So was May, of course, though not quite as bad. Now it has cooled off a bit and the monsoons are starting early. Don t despair if you have dry edges on blooms and leaves. Just follow the directions and we will all get through this and on to a great Fall bloom! We thought, when heading to Seattle for the ARS Spring Convention, we would get to enjoy some really cool weather. Nope. Hot there, too. But the roses didn t know that yet, so we saw wonderful huge and colorful blooms on the show tables and in the gardens. In attendance were the Bells, Gannons and McClures, along with Marylou Coffman and Helen Baird, Bill and Sharon Carls from Phoenix. Bob, Larry Bell, Helen and Marylou enjoyed judging the show and most of us were on the tour. Enjoy a few shots of the gardens we visited on these two pages and on page 10. Member dues are coming in more quickly this year, along with new members who have joined, which is especially exciting. As our club continues to grow, please take time to look around at meetings, greet someone you haven t spoken to previously and make a new friend. And if you haven t paid your dues yet, it isn t too late and we look forward to hearing from you at the meeting, in the garden or by mail. Linda Ahlborn has volunteered to help me with the newsletter and will be contacting members for our new In The Garden With articles. We would like to feature a member or members and their garden each month, so we can get to know each other better. Sharing pictures of your garden will make it that much more interesting. These can be prints that I can scan in to the computer or digital photos that can be ed. So plan ahead! Speaking of planning ahead, we received the sad announcement that Edmunds Roses is closing their nursery, due to the reduction in business. The Edmunds family has contributed so much to roses, the American Rose Society and to our MCC garden of the years and we will miss their beautiful catalogs and great products. They were a special source for Weeks Roses, hybridized by Tom Carruth, featured in our front page article, and were generally available a year ahead of general distribution. We wish them the best and understand that Phil Edmunds will still be working in the industry. See you next Thursday! Bob Martin, Chairman of Natl. Exhibitors Committee, presents the ARS Blake Hedrick Award to Jean and Harold Baker of Florida at the Seattle Convention. The Bakers exemplify rosarians who have given of their time, talents and energies for decades, serving the society and working to educate rose enthusiasts of all levels, to help them grow and show better roses. They are wonderful people and very deserving of this prestigious award. July 2006 Rose Lore Page 2

3 Rose Care for July 2006 by Dona Martin, ARS Consulting Rosarian One month down, two to go!! Well okay, closer to three months. By now, beds and pots should have been mulched with 3-4 of forest mulch or pine needles. We keep emphasizing this practice because it is one of the most valuable contributions you can make to the health of your garden. It will keep the ground cooler, assist in moisture retention and discourage weeds. Pine needles, available from A & P Nursery, are about 1/3 the cost of mulch, last much longer and when they break down, help neutralize our alkaline soil. The pine needle mulch, or pine straw as it is called, is now being bagged, making it easier to handle, especially for those without a truck bed to toss them into. Be sure to call ahead for availability. IRRIGATION - If you flood irrigate, water deeply three times a week. If you drip irrigate, water 4-5 times per week, a minimum of 5 gallons each time. (With one 2 gallon per hour drip head, that means about 2 1/2 hours. Much better: put two or three emitters for more even coverage.) Notice how long it takes for the wells around the roses to drain. If water sits for too long, you may need to add a soil sulfur product such as Dispersul or Tiger Brand Soil Sulfur, which helps open up the soil structure. Another aid for promoting water penetration is to water a second time in the same day. This allows the water to move lower and wider, washing the salts in the soil further away from the root system. A buildup of salt will burn the roots. If you grow roses in pots, please water daily because of more rapid transpiration and lower capacity. It is also good to hose off your roses at least once per week. Use a water wand with an adjustable jet nozzle on the end. Spray the tops and undersides of the leaves. This will increase the humidity around the bushes, clean off the leaves and knock off any lingering spider mites you might have. (If spider mites continue to be destructive, there are a number of good miticides on the market. These include Avid, Hexygon and Floramite. Use as labeled.) FERTILIZING Fertilize at half rate every 6 weeks during the summer. Use a good organic fertilizer like Groganic. Alfalfa pellets are also good every 6-8 weeks. Apply ½ cup rose food and ½ cup alfalfa pellets on, for example, July 15 th and September 1 st. Spread products inside drip line. Do not forget to water deeply both before and after fertilizing; these are very important steps to prevent fertilizer damage to tender roots. An alternative is a good balanced granular time-release fertilizer, like Osmokote, again used at half rate. Roses and other plants still need to be fed during the summer so that they will be healthy enough to start growing again when the weather becomes more hospitable. DEADHEADING It is important during this time to remove spent blooms on a regular basis. We have found that deadheading conservatively results in healthier plants. First, more leaves are present to provide better protection of the canes from the sun. Second, there are more leaves providing nutrition to the plant. This is especially important if spider mites hit, causing the loss of leaves on the lower half of the bush. With this in mind, cut spent blooms at a shorter distance down the stem, leaving as many leaves as possible. An even easier and quicker alternative, is to pop the spent bloom head off with your hand. Final note: It is almost impossible to overwater roses, especially in this heat, if you have good drainage! The most common problem we address as Consulting Rosarians in the summer is insufficient watering. We hope to start getting some of those great monsoon storms to help with the watering. When at least the nights start to cool off, our roses will enjoy the break. And when you take a break, visit us at: Judy McClure, left, and Evelyn Gannon, right, enjoy the deep green of the evergreens, and the fabulous view of the lake from one of the homes on the Seattle garden tour. Photos by Dona Martin, both pages. July 2006 Rose Lore Page 3

4 (Continued from page 1) Tom Carruth being uprooted in the middle of high school, his spirits rose when he took biology. When his teacher lectured on genetics and mentioned plant breeders, Carruth says, "I knew I was on my way." He yearned to go to a college noted for horticulture, but the best ones were in the East (the closest was in Colorado). Out-of-state tuition was too expensive, so he enrolled at North Texas State in Denton and lived at home. He took a full load of classes and worked 40 hours a week as a stocker in a pharmacy. During that time, he visited a cousin in Oklahoma who installed carpeting. Carruth watched him do it and thought he could, too, and that it could be his ticket to Texas A&M and a degree. He enrolled as a junior and supported himself with carpeting jobs. More important, he arrived there at the same time as J.C. Raulston, a professor in horticulture who would later become famous. Like Carruth, Raulston loved plants -- although his affection didn't extend to roses, which he deemed too much trouble. He encouraged Carruth to aim for an advanced degree. With Raulston's help, Carruth got a scholarship as a teaching assistant, and in 1 1/2 years graduated with a master's degree in plant breeding. Shortly before graduation, Carruth sent his resume and a letter to William Warriner, at the time the world's most famous rose hybridizer. He landed an interview -- and soon afterward a job offer in California -- from the mighty Jackson & Perkins. Although he wasn't permitted to hybridize, Carruth assisted Warriner for more than three years at the J&P research department in Tustin (Orange County). For a rose show in San Diego where J&P was to display its new rose varieties, Warriner asked Carruth to go in his stead. At the show, Carruth met Herb Swim, a retired successful rose hybridizer who became a mentor to Carruth. "He was an extremely kind and encouraging man," Carruth recalls. Shortly after their first meeting, Swim recommended Carruth to a nursery looking to expand into the cut-rose (greenhouse) business. While hybridizing for new greenhouse roses wasn't what Carruth had in mind, it was in the right direction, especially because he got to work with Jack Christensen, an up-and-coming hybridizer of garden roses -- the ones for which Carruth lusted. It proved to be a healthy relationship, but after seven years the company was sold to Moet, and Carruth resigned. He spent the next few months consulting for private rose gardens, including one for Bette Midler. In 1986, Carruth was offered a position with Weeks Roses in Upland (San Bernardino County) with potential for his lifelong dream -- to head a research team for new garden roses. But first the company wanted him to become a sales representative for two years. While Carruth realized this was a step beneath his goal, he also recognized the value of getting to know firsthand what the buying public wanted. Tom s greenhouse on convention tour. He took the job, soaked up buyers' wishes, and says he's thankful for the experience. In 1989, he was promoted to the position of a full-time breeder of garden roses and was off and running. Carruth won his first All-America Rose Selections award in 1997 with 'Scentimental,' a madly striped Floribunda rose. In 1999, he won with two roses -- 'Betty Boop,' another Floribunda, and 'Fourth of July,' an explosively colored red and white climbing rose. It had been 23 years since a climber copped an All-America award. After a four-year pause, Carruth won again with 'Hot Cocoa,' a sassy Floribunda in colors hybridizers had been seeking for years -- hazy shades of brown with rust and chocolate overtones. The next year, Carruth won his first award for a Hybrid Tea rose with 'Memorial Day,' a heavily petaled, orchid pink rose with a strongly scented blossom. Taking to heart advice given by his early mentor Christensen to introduce as soon as possible his recently hybridized roses into his hybridizing platform, Carruth began using 'Hot Cocoa' as a parent. In 2005, he won his sixth All-America award for the gold and bronze 'About Face,' for which 'Hot Cocoa' served as the father when it was only 2 years old. This year, Carruth won All- America Rose Selections for two of his new hybrids: 'Julia Child,' a smashing butter-yellow Floribunda that is not only adamantly resistive to disease but fragrant to boot, and 'Wild Blue Yonder,' a Grandiflora with deeply fragrant, ruffled, redpurple blossoms with a lavender eye. A lavender-toned rose hadn't won an AARS award in more than 20 years. It was a long road, but Carruth has attained his lifelong goal. Considering that he's barely 54 and as determined a Photo by LeRoy Brady (Continued on page 5) July 2006 Rose Lore Page 4

5 (Continued from page 4) Tom Carruth breeder as ever, I believe we can safely assume he's nowhere near done. Note: It takes 9 to 11 years to create a newly hybridized rose. For a step-by-step slide show of the process, visit Click on "research," then on the "creating a new variety" link at the bottom of the page. All-America Rose Selections winners: 'Scentimental.' No two blooms are exactly alike, with petals randomly splashed with burgundy, red, cream, and white. Blossoms are fragrant as all get-out. 'Betty Boop.' Single-petaled and bicolored Floribunda with shades of red and white. 'Fourth of July.' Red and white climbing rose. 'Hot Cocoa.' Blossoms are notably fragrant, foliage is glossy green and plants are resistant to common rose ailments. 'Memorial Day.' Heavily petaled Hybrid Tea rose with strongly scented blossoms. An undisputed hit in areas with hotter-than-normal summers. 'About Face.' Gold and bronze, for which Hot Cocoa served as the parent. 'Julia Child.' Butter-yellow and fragrant Floribunda. 'Wild Blue Yonder.' Deeply fragrant Grandiflora with red-purple blossoms. All-America 2007 winners: All-America Rose Selections Inc. has announced three winners for They include: 'Rainbow Knock Out,' a Shrub rose that's a direct descendant of the famous 'Knock Out,' noted for its adamant resistance to disease, particularly blackspot. The offspring, hybridized by amateur Bill Radler who also bred 'Knock Out,' is more pleasantly colored than its ancestor and perhaps even more floriferous. The small, single blossoms are an ever-changing display of coral, yellow, pink and cream. It's a medium to low compact grower. 'Moondance,' a Floribunda rose, was hybridized by Keith Zary of Jackson & Perkins. Tall, upright plants produce sprays of pure white blossoms with a light fragrance. Petal count is between 25 and 30 per blossom. 'Strike It Rich,' yet another star in the crown for Weeks Roses' ace hybridizer Tom Carruth, is a Grandiflora rose of considerable beauty and proudly displays sprays of large, double, informal blossoms of deep golden yellow with orange-pink overlays. Blossoms are sweetly fruity and occur regularly. Although bushes are more medium than tall, they sport abundant dark green diseaseresistant foliage. Petalage around 30 per bloom. Another good choice for the Bay Area. -- Rayford Reddell Consulting Rosarian Corner Messenger by Eden Bioscience Here are the notes taken on the use and effectiveness of Messenger by Harold Baker, top national exhibitor and winner of the Blake Hedrick Award, from a talk by the representative from Eden Bioscience at the ARS National Convention in Seattle: 1. They have modified the product so that it is now satisfactory to mix with city (chlorinated) water. 2. Do not use with Indicate You can mix with most spray chemicals but they do not recommend this as they consider it a waste of product to spray Messenger to the bottom of the leaves. Messenger is only effective when sprayed on the tops of the leaves and the stems. 4. You do not have to cover every leaf. At least 80% coverage of the leaves is considered satisfactory. 5. Messenger needs to be on the leaf at least 20 to 30 minutes prior to rain. 6. Ideally, you would apply every 3 weeks anytime that the plant is not dormant. 7. Don't get spray on weeds as it will turn them into "super weeds". 8. There are two sizes of packets. A small packet that will make 1 gallon of spray that they claim will cover 1,000 sq ft or 50 rose bushes. I suspect those must be small bushes. The larger size packet will make 3 gallons of spray and cover sq ft. This is the more economical size. If you do not use the entire packet, the opened packet will still be good 3 weeks later. 9. This is the best part. They say that you need absolutely no protective equipment when you spray with Messenger. I asked if I could spray while wearing shorts and a tee shirt and they said sure. Then they suggested that they would wash their hands before eating. July 2006 Rose Lore Page 5

6 NEW THIS MONTH! We will be featuring members and their gardens each month. This article originated with the LA Rose Society, so is in their format. Anyone who would like to volunteer is welcome to, of course, or be prepared to be contacted! -DM In The Garden With Bob and Dona Martin By Marcia Sanchez-Walsh Los Angeles Rose Society Bulletin, June 2006 Bob and Dona Martin are two of the busiest, dedicated, and knowledgeable Rosarians that you will ever have the good fortune to know. They also both have a wonderful talent for writing, which allows them to share their passion and wisdom of roses. We were very fortunate to catch them, momentarily, to answer our In the Garden With questions. What city do you live in? Gilbert, Arizona When did you first start growing roses? Bob: 1971 Dona: 1995 What was the first rose you acquired that you knew and cared about the name of? Bob: Garden Party Dona: First Prize How many roses do you presently have? 413 How many are in the ground, and how many in containers? In ground: 355 In containers: 58 Polys L to R: Paquerette, China Doll, Lullaby What types of roses do you grow, roughly how many of each type? Total Varieties Hybrid Teas/Grandifloras Floribundas Miniatures/Mini-Floras Polyanthas Shrubs/Climbers Old Garden Roses Did you grow up with roses; were members of your family into gardening? Bob: No Dona: Yes. My grandparents always had roses, but more importantly, a love of gardening. This included many types of annuals, bulbs and vines, along with the roses, as well as a huge vegetable garden and citrus. My grandfather was a large commercial watermelon grower until he was 85, the best in the state. I believe he passed along his love of working hard to grow great plants to me. He was also very competitive, coaching for 47 years, so I got that, too! Who were your Rosarian mentors? Bob: Victor Cowley asked me to come to a meeting of the Pasadena Rose Society and thereafter encouraged me to become a rose exhibitor. Jeff Stage gave me valuable advice and encouragement as an exhibitor. Luis Desamero asked me to write what turned out to be my first article on roses. Dr Tommy Cairns has also set a standard of rose excellence that inspires me. Dona brought me a love of shrubs and the joy of gardening roses together. Dona: Barbara Schoenberg (Higley AZ) first encouraged me to add roses to a newly landscaped yard. Buddy Deal helped me learn to prune and invited me to a show, as well as a Scottsdale Rose Society meeting. (Hmmm What s a rose show??) That caught my attention. I was greatly encouraged by Marylou Coffman, Larry Bell and Mike Jepsen, all of the Mesa-East Valley Rose Society, both in society activity and expanding my exhibiting and rose education. Can you share one secret to growing great roses? Bob: Water Dona: And more water! For our area, great roses also grow best on fortuniana rootstock. What was the best advice anyone has ever given you about roses? Bob: Jeff Stage told me I knew how to grow roses, but I had to do it regularly and faithfully to grow great roses. Dona: Buy the best roses you can find, not the cheapest. Do you have any advice to someone just buying their first rose, and reading this newsletter for the first time? Bob: Pick a sunny spot for your rose without competition from other plants and give it room. Water and feed it regularly and attend to any health issues as if it were a pet. It will reward you in multiples of any effort put into it. Dona: Learn from those in your immediate area who have great roses about what varieties do best and the best place to buy them. Do you have any advice to someone thinking about exhibiting roses for the first time? Bob: Read my book, Showing Good Roses. Dona: Look at winning roses, noting which varieties they are and what they are supposed to look like. What rose society or similar offices have you held and what honors have you received? (Continued on page 7) July 2006 Rose Lore Page 6

7 (Continued from page 6) (for Dec 2006 publication) Bob: Hyrid Tea bed with Red Velvet National Offices/Committees: District Director, Pacific Southwest District (2003-present) Member, ARS Executive Committee (2004-present) Chairman, ARS National Horticultural Exhibitors Committee (2000-present) Editor, ARS Rose Exhibitors Forum (1997-present) Member, ARS Registration Committee (2003-present) Member, ARS National Prizes & Awards Committee ( ) Member, the American Rose Editorial Advisory Committee ( ) Member, ARS On-Line Committee ( ) Member, ARS Local Society Affairs Comm. ( ) District Offices: Chairman, PSWD Consulting Rosarians ( ) PSWD Membership Chairman ( ) Show Chairman, PSWD District Show, Tinseltown RS (2000); Mesa-East Valley RS (2003) Local Offices: First V.P./Show Chair, Los Angeles RS ( ) Director, Los Angeles Rose Society ( ) President, Pasadena Rose Society ( ; 1996) Director, Pasadena Rose Society ( ) Other Offices: Regional Director, Rose Hybridizers Assn (2003-present) Southwest Regional Editor, Horizon Roses (1995-present) ARS Accreditations/Awards: ARS Horticultural Judge (1997) ARS Arrangements Judge (1999) ARS Consulting Rosarian (1989) ARS Silver Medal (Pacific Southwest District 2001) ARS Bronze Medals (Pasadena Rose Society 1995) (Los Angeles Rose Society 2000) Recipient of 37 ARS Awards of Merit for local/district society newsletter Articles ( present) Editor, The Pasadena Rose (Pasadena Rose Society) ( , 1996) (Awards: 1994 ARS Honorable Mention; 1993 ARS Silver Medal; 1992 ARS Bronze Medal; 1989 ARS Bronze Medal). Co-editor with Dona, 2006 ARS American Rose Annual Dona: National Offices/Committees: Member, ARS National Horticultural Exhibitors Committee ( present) Member, ARS GIYP Committee ( ) Chairman-elect, ARS Prizes and Awards Committee (Fall 2006) District Offices: PSWD Membership Chairman (2003 to present) Editor, PSW District Newsletter, Thorn Scratchings, Summer 2005 to present Chairman, PSWD Annual Convention (2003) Chairman, PSWD Roses In Review ( ) Local Offices: President, Mesa-East Valley RS (May ) Vice President, MEVRS ( ) Director, MEVRS ( , ) Webmaster, MEVRS (from inception, 1998, to present) ARS Accreditations/Awards ARS Bronze Medal (Mesa-East Valley RS 2000) Recipient of ARS Award of Merit for local/district society newsletter articles Editor, Rose Lore (Mesa-East Valley RS 2002-present) (Awarded 2004 ARS Silver Medal and 2005 Honorable Mention For Society Newsletters) Co-editor with Bob, 2006 ARS American Rose Annual (for Dec 2006 publication) What exhibitor s trophy have you won that means the most to you? Bob: The 2006 District J. Horace McFarland Trophy,because it eluded me for many years. Dona: The 2000 ARS National Dorothy C. Stemler Memorial Trophy because of my love of old garden roses. Locally, I love winning the Best Horticulture Trophies because to me they show the most Bob s nursery table for seedlings overall nurturing. What exhibitor s trophy, or other rose related accomplishment, still eludes you? Bob: The ARS National Nicholson Bowl and J. Horace McFarland Trophy Dona: A second Stemler If you couldn t grow roses, which other type of plant(s) would you enjoy growing? (Continued on page 8) July 2006 Rose Lore Page 7

8 (Continued from page 7) In The Garden With... Bob: Camellias Dona: LOTS of clematis, as well as dahlias and other tubers and bulbs, and if cold enough, peonies If you were stranded on a deserted island (with the perfect climate for roses) and could only have three roses with you, which three would you choose? Bob: Fairhope, Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Sexy Rexy, because with these three, I could breed many interesting roses to go with them. Dona: Francis Dubreuil for fragrance, Golden Celebration, my favorite shrub, and Cardinal de Richelieu for its dark purple color. Then we could REALLY hybridize! Bob Martin s web site: From top clockwise: Fl Sexy Rexy, Sh Tess of the d Ubervilles, Fl Gruss an Achen with striped mini-climber Roller Coaster, polyantha Elizabeth Navarro hybridized by Bob Martin, Bob working in front yard polyantha bed. Photos by Dona Martin July 2006 Rose Lore Page 8

9 July 2006 Rose of the Month: Marchesa Boccella By Suzanne Horn Our rose of the month for July is a luscious, light pink confection with an ARS Rating of 8.9 known as Marchesa Boccella. Classified by the American Rose Society as a Hybrid Perpetual (HP), Marchesa Boccella was introduced in 1842 by Jean Desprez of Angiers. Of interest, many believe this beautiful heritage rose to be the same rose as Jacques Cartier, a 1868 Moreau & Robert introduction named after a French explorer. On the other hand, some research speculates that they are two separate roses, with differing growth habits. However, my friend and expert rosarian Bob Martin has opined as follows: I have seen no conflict in the description of growth habits not otherwise explained by climate and cultivation so if I needed to place a bet at the Old Rose window, I d vote that they are one and the same rose and always have been. In any case, you may find that this rose is also known and sold under the names of Jacques Cartier, Marquise Boccell, Marquise Boccella, Marquise Bocella, and Marquise de Boccella. However, for those readers who are exhibitors, take note that this rose must be exhibited under the name of Marchesa Boccella in American Rose Society shows. You will find it to be very successful in competition for the much sought-after Dowager Queen trophy. Categorized by the American Rose Society as a light pink (lp), Marchesa Boccella presents delicate pink pompon flowers that blush with a deeper rose at their centers. Its blossoms are fluffy three-inch rosettes with densely overlapping petals and a charming button eye in the middle. The foliage on this rose is light green and grows right up to the blushing pink blooms with no unsightly long peduncles. It has been said that the blooms sit right on top of the foliage, like plates balancing on poles. Although the stem length is relatively short, averaging somewhere around ten inches, those stems lend excellent balance and proportion to the blooms, and the foliage frames each rose perfectly. By way of growth habit, Marchesa Boccella is upright, compact and hardy. The bush itself is a tidy and well-shaped plant, and it will gradually grow to be about three or four feet high and wide. Its small, manageable size makes Marchesa Boccella a wonderful option for smaller gardens as well as a superb choice as a container plant as long as you utilize a 15-gallon pot or larger. This rose also has better than average disease resistance, which is a big plus for most gardeners. However, if the rest of your roses are taken over by powdery mildew, Marchesa will eventually go right along with them. In most cases, though, early morning showering of the foliage will keep this rose disease free. Another advantage is that this plant is somewhat shade tolerant, even though it will do its best in full sun. In addition, its rebloom is very good unlike many other Old Garden Roses; and it reliably produces many flushes of lovely pink blooms throughout our lengthy growing season. What s more, let us not forget the intoxicating aspect of fragrance. Like many Old Garden Roses still in commerce today, Marchesa Boccella offers a rich, classic rose scent, providing a sweet fragrance for both the home and garden. Marchesa Boccella has a delicate beauty and wonderful perfume you will seldom find in modern hybrid tea roses. Furthermore, this rose is rich in history like so many old roses, which makes it a very romantic addition to the garden. For those readers who enjoy exhibiting Old Garden Roses, Marchesa Boccella is one of the best. American Rose Society Vice President, Steve Jones, conducted a survey of the top Old Garden Roses in At that time, Marchesa Boccella was voted favorite Hybrid Perpetual and came in as Number 9 of overall favorite old garden roses. Roseshow.com, the website that has become the last word in rose show statistics thanks to the many talents of exhibitor extraordinaire, Bob Martin, reports that in 2004, Marchesa Boccella was rated Number 1 in contention for the coveted Dowager Queen trophy, and it continued to tie for fourth place overall in Need I say more? In conclusion, as you plan your garden, I highly suggest you consider including the nostalgic style and lavish fragrance of this lovely hybrid perpetual. It is easy to grow, trouble free, well behaved, and is one of the most dependable of the Old Garden Roses. This makes Marchesa Boccella (or Jacques Cartier ~ a rose by any other name ) an excellent choice for the beginning gardener and the experienced rosarian, as well as a must for lovers of Heritage roses. I highly recommend you give it a try! Photo by Mark Huss of Del-Chester Rose Society, used with permission. July 2006 Rose Lore Page 9

10 The Rose Society of Tucson Hosts ARS Consulting Rosarian School & Seminar Sunday, July 30, :00 a.m. to 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. The Windmill Inn of Tucson 4250 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ (520) or (800) Room Rates - $79, $69 with AAA or AARP Discount Deadline for CR Seminar Registration is July 24, 2006 Cost: $25 per person Includes Seminar, Morning Refreshment and Lunch Mail registration form and a check payable to the Rose Society of Tucson to: Judy Singer 1631 Calle Altivo Tucson, AZ For more information contact Judy at jude@hotroses.com or (520) HOW TO RECEIVE OUR S! To receive the MEVRS s regarding activities, the newsletter and other communications, please be sure that Madge Thomas s address is in your address book! madgethomas@cox.net ARS National Convention Schedule Join the American Rose Society and join us at these great events! Meet rosarians from around the country, see area gardens and attend educational seminars, so it s tax deductible! July 21-23, All Miniature Rose Show & Conference Wyndham Harrisburg-Hershey Harrisburg, PA Contact: Glenn Smith / rosyrmblns@aol.com/website:yorkarearosesociety.com October 13-16, 2006 ARS Fall National Convention InterContinental Dallas Hotel, Dallas TX Contact: Claude & Pam Graves / (fax) Enjoying the shade, the trees and lots of beautiful roses, foxgloves, clematis and other flowering plants, Larry and Pat Bell are joined by Bob Martin. We all missed not having their grandson, Jonathon Bell, 16, along and wished he had been able to meet young Jason Fredette, below, 26 year old winner of two national trophies. Shown here are the Garden Web Trophy for Best of Show and Jason s winning Shrub Collection, also with Rhapsody in Blue, the hit of the show! Photos by Dona Martin July 2006 Rose Lore Page 10

11 Mesa East Valley Rose Society You or your recipient will receive our monthly 8-12 page newsletter, local nursery discounts and more. Membership is $20, due June 1 of each year. This is for a single or family unit living at the same address. New members joining after September pay $5 per quarter, from quarter joining through the following May, payable in full at month of joining. Please bring your completed application and payment (please make check payable to MEVRS) to a meeting or mail to: MEVRS/Membership, P.O. Box 40394, Mesa, AZ Date New *Gift* Renewal Amount Paid Cash Check# Names: Address City State Zip Phone ( ) address Yes! I would also like to join the national organization with which we are affiliated, the American Rose Society, for which I will receive the monthly American Rose magazine, the December American Rose Annual, the Handbook For Selecting Roses and more! I am including in my check an additional amount of $37.00 for a one year membership. **Please note! By joining the ARS through the local society, $5.00 of the cost will come directly back to us. Thank you for your support! Standing Committees Auction Chairman...Cheryl Doan Audit... tbd Historian... Stephanie Pietz Evelyn Gannon Hospitality... Terri Sovereign Librarian... Alice Flick Membership... Donna Dibble New Member Orientation Dave Dibble, Asst Newsletter, Editor... Dona Martin Member s... Madge Thomas MCC Test Garden... LeRoy Brady Marylou Coffman Dave Presley Publicity Team... Member volunteers Rose Garden Volunteers. Carol Poe Sam Presley Rose Show Chairman... LeRoy Brady Ways & Means... Mike Jepsen Bruce Gannon Web site... Dona Martin Consulting Rosarians Larry Bell* (Ahwatukee Foothills) Helen Baird*(NPhx, Sctsdle) LeRoy Brady* (Mesa) Jeannie Cochell (NE Valley)jcochell@cox.net Marylou Coffman* (Gilbert) Jo Ann Erickson (Mesa) Phyllis Henslin (Mesa, Apache Jct.) Millie Hisey* (Apache Jct-winter) Carole Holkenbrink (Chandler) Michael & Cindy Jepsen (Tempe) Ken & Peggy Jones (West Phoenix) Arveda Larson* (Scottsdale) Terry* & Heidi* Leavitt (Phoenix) Dave* & Gerry* Mahoney (Glndl/Peoria) Bob*# & Dona Martin (Mesa/Gilbert) Nelson Mitchell* (Peoria) Steve Sheard (Tempe, Chandler) John F. Green (Tucson) Margaret Peggy A. Hughes (Prescott) Cathy Rose (Tucson) Terry Schick (Flagstaff) Liz Strong (Tucson)Lizzie441@comcast.net Terry Swartz*(Tucson) *ARS Judge #PSW District Director July 2006 Rose Lore Page 11

12 Meetings are held at 7:00 pm on the 2nd Thursday of each month at Mesa Community College: Paul Elsner Library Community Room 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ New Member Orientation at 6:30 pm Calendar of Events Third Saturdays - 8 am Volunteer Care at MCC Rose Garden. July 13th - Monthly Meeting - Composition in Photography, presented by nationally recognized, award winning photographer and educator, Nancy Sams. A great program for film and digital photographers alike, both novice and experienced. Let s get better at photographing our roses and our gardens!! July 30th - Consulting Rosarian Seminar, Tucson. See page 10 and join us there. Check out our ARS Award Winning website: Dues were due June 1st! Please help us finish up this year s membership drive! The Rose: Our National Floral Emblem All articles for the newsletter must be submitted to the Editor by the 20th of each month. Mesa-East Valley Rose Society Executive Officers President 1st Vice President 2nd Vice-President Recording Secretary Corresponding Secretary Treasurer Past-President Dona Martin LeRoy Brady Donna Dibble Stephanie Pietz Pam Thuillez Alta Russell Steve Sheard Rose Lore Dona L. Martin, Editor Mesa-East Valley Rose Society Inc. PO Box Mesa, AZ ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Board of Directors Cheryl Doan Bruce Gannon Evelyn Gannon Sam Presley Madge Thomas Visit us at: Developers of The Rose Garden at Mesa Community College, the largest public rose garden in the Desert Southwest! Dues were due June 1st! July 2006 Rose Lore Page 12