Patron Member of the American Rose Society VOL. LXXXIX NO.1 JOURNAL OF THE SAN DIEGO ROSE SOCIETY JANUARY President s Message

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1 Rose Ramblings Patron Member of the American Rose Society VOL. LXXXIX NO.1 JOURNAL OF THE SAN DIEGO ROSE SOCIETY JANUARY 2017 President s Message By Dona Martin, Master Consulting Rosarian donamartinca@aol.com Good Roses, Good Friends! San Diego Rose Society Having ended 2016 with good, old-fashioned rainy days, I hope you have taken time to cuddle by a nice warm fire, with your favorite rainy day beverage and enjoy the holidays! I am truly enjoying our fall/winter weather, with hope of more rain to come to enhance our spring bloom. What a great 2016 the San Diego Rose Society had, starting with rose garden pruning demonstrations, then fabulous programs and various workshops throughout the year. Planning has already begun for programs and activities in 2017, which will exceed 2016! Vice President Ken Huff has excellent speakers lined up for us! Once again, we begin 2017 with our popular spring pruning program on Saturday, January 14th. The spring pruning program is slated for Saturday, January 14th, at the Inez Grant Parker Rose Garden beginning at 9:30 am. This is open to anyone interested in learning the best techniques for pruning roses and the latest in spring care of one s roses. Also, under the guidance of our consulting rosarians, attendees will be able to put into practice the pruning techniques covered in the presentations by helping to prune the rose garden there. We encourage our members to come out and bring your friends and neighbors who want to improve their skills! Don't forget that the first two meetings of the year are held on the fourth Mondays of January & February. Later meetings are held on the third Mondays. Our January speaker will be Steve Bening who for 19 years has been the regional sales representative for Star Roses. No one who reads our Rose Ramblings will want to miss this presentation. Steve will be telling us about all the new roses and will be bringing catalogues for distribution. So mark Saturday, January 14th, on your calendar for the annual pruning event in Balboa Park and Monday January 23rd for our first monthly meeting of the year. Bob and I wish you and yours all the best during the New Year! I hope to see you at our annual rose pruning and at our January Meeting! What s Inside? President s Message...1 Rose Pruning Demo 2 Rose Auction...2 Holiday Party..3 January Program.6 Tool Tales...7 January Rose Care Fair Rose Garden..13 Fertilizer Help ARS Convention..14 Board of Directors.15 Membership Renewal...16 Renewal Form...17 Consulting Rosarians 18 Tidbits...18 Calendars/Websites...19 Tucson CR School.20 CR School Form 21 Photo Credits 22 Rose Reflections LET IT RAIN!!! 1

2 MARK YOUR CALENDARS! San Diego Rose Society s Annual Rose Pruning Demonstration Held at the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden in Balboa Park 2125 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA On Saturday, January 14, 2017 from 9:30 to noon The San Diego Rose Society s consulting rosarians will demonstrate how to prune roses and, if you want to apply your new knowledge, will observe you as your try your hand at pruning. Bring gloves, pruners, and if you have them, a small saw and a lopper. The Balboa Park rose garden has several types of roses, including hybrid teas, floribundas, shrubs, miniatures, and climbers, to use in the pruning demonstrations. This is an excellent opportunity to ask questions about pruning and to gain some hands-on experience. Remember the demonstration is the SECOND Saturday in 2017, January 14. For many years, the pruning demonstration was held on the first Saturday of a new year. This was changed to allow Rose Garden Corps volunteers and Park and Recreation Department employees to spend more time with their families over the holidays before pruning the garden. In preparation for pruning, the Rose Garden Corps placed stakes by each variety to indicate the desired height after pruning and to indicate the type of rose. Red tape indicates a hybrid tea and yellow tape indicates a floribunda or shrub. Each variety has at least one plant that has been pruned to show the desired configuration of the rose after pruning is complete. The Rose Garden Corps and Park and Recreation Department Staff plan to begin work to complete pruning the garden on Tuesday, January 17. The Park and Recreation Department Staff will remove the top growth down to about 3 inches above the desired height and haul away the cuttings. The Rose Garden Corps completes the pruning. Pruning was completed in 4 days last year. This process was introduced in 2015 and judged to be an improvement so it is going to be used again this year. Saturday, February 4, 2017 Pacific Rose Society Annual Rose Auction Ayres Hall, Los Angeles Arboretum, Arcadia Love Song 10:30 am: Registration & Silent Auction Bids Open 11:00 am: Potluck Lunch Complementary Deli Sandwiches Furnished Attendees are asked to bring salad, side dish, or dessert. 12:00 pm: Silent Auction Bids Close 12:30 pm: Live Auction Begins Auctioneers: include Bob Martin Honor Secret AUCTION CATALOG IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 2

3 Tacos, Roses and Great Friends! Our Wonderful Holiday Celebration By Elaine Ornelas, The aroma of tacos blended with laughter, Christmas decorations and the jolly music of mariachis! What a wonderful holiday party was had by many of our SDRS members on December 7th. Linda Clark and Ralph Reagan were once again our gracious hosts for this event and the weather was perfect for wandering around the house and out into the garden, where some of Linda s roses were still in bloom. not a surprise! I don t think many of us envy Linda, though, at thinking about the daunting task of performing her January pruning of hundreds of rose bushes. Hope you have sharp pruners and thick gloves, Linda! Our food this year was quite different from past years. Dona Martin arranged to have a taco truck from Tacos El Gabacho come to the house and cook various kinds of tacos from scratch, including the tortillas and all of the trimmings. The food was very tasty and enjoyed by all. Also present was a mariachi band blending with the food presentation for a truly Mexican feast. Folks bedecked in their holiday best were greeted at the door by our outgoing membership chair, Ken Huff. Then everyone had a chance to catch up before taco time. Linda s house was beautifully decorated for the season. Many of us had not seen each other since the November monthly meeting, so it was nice to hear everyone s stories about their garden and their families. Dona soon announced the readiness of the food and folks lined up at the taco truck. There were also fruit plates and yummy desserts. 3

4 After everyone had their fill of food and conversation, it was time for the annual awards part of the meeting, as well as the announcement of the new board of directors members, elected in our last monthly meeting. At the helm next year will be Dona Martin, master consulting rosarian and beloved wife of Bob Martin, current vice president of the American Rose Society. So the love of roses must run in their family! The new 2017 board members are Dona Martin (President), Ken Huff (First Vice President of Programs), Christine and Rand Allan (Second Vice President(s) of Membership), Zella Burk (Corresponding Secretary), Sue Streeper (Recording Secretary), Kirk Rummel (Treasurer), Kathy Hunyor, Mark & Robin Breeding, Steve Berry (Members-At-Large), Gary Bulman (Past President), and Sue Streeper (Rose Garden Trust Board, 5-year term). Current Rose Garden Trust Board members include Pamela Cawthron (4- year term), Paula Taylor (3-year term), Terry Harris (2-year term), Bob Kolb, (1-year term). Awards presented at this gathering included the American Rose Society Bronze Medal for Outstanding Service, given to a member for outstanding and meritorious service at the Local Society level. This year the medal was awarded to Ken Huff, membership chair for 2016 who was also very active in numerous activities throughout the year and was always willing to volunteer for any needed task. Also awarded was the Rosebud Award, this year given to Mark and Robin Breeding, in particular for their creative spirit with the Del Mar Fair Rose Garden as well as being board members-at-large. Bob Kolb gave an award to Linda Hitney for her lengthly volunteer service in printing the many issues of Rose Ramblings for members who received them. Board members pictured above left to right: Steve Berry, Kathy Hunyor, Kirk Rummel, Gary Bulman, Dona Martin, Ken Huff, Christine Allan, Zella Burk, Sue Streeper, Robin and Mark Breeding. 4

5 It was a complete surprise to Gary Bulman, when an appreciation gift was presented to him by Bob Martin for his long-term service as president of our society (pictured below). The gift was a $200 gift certificate to the Cohn group of restaurants so that he and Sonja, and his family could enjoy these wonderful restaurants. His determination and hard work to make our society the best was made clear by the accomplishments of SDRS these past two years. The winner of the Novice Trophy of the Little Rose Show was Kathy Hunyor (pictured below), who has just begun her career as a rose exhibitor. Congratulations to all three of these winners! Two additional awards were presented, both for the winners of the 2016 Little Rose Show held during our monthly SDRS meetings. The winner of the overall Little Rose show was Robert and Kristine Russell (pictured below), who entered some phenomenal rose blooms in the contest. They were presented with the perpetual trophy that carries the names of SDRS Little Rose Show winners since the 1960s! A very special hug was given to Linda Clark (pictured below) by Gary Bulman for volunteering to serve as our hostess at many of these holiday luncheon and for all her efforts on behalf of the rose society. Below are a few of Linda s roses in her December garden. Hope you all enjoy the upcoming year with good health, beautiful roses and the fellowship of our society. Happy New Year everyone! 5

6 January Program Speaker: Steve Bening from Star Roses By Elaine Ornelas, Our meeting is on Monday, January 23, 2016 beginning at 7:30 pm in Room 101 of Casa del Prado in Balboa Park. (Special notation: please note that the January and February monthly SDRS meetings will be the 4th Monday of the month, not the 3rd Monday.) Our speaker this month is Steve Bening. He is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor s degree in Forestry. He managed a retail garden center (after finishing college) for three years and then went to work for a dry goods garden distributor where he worked for 18 years. The past 19 years he has worked for Star Roses where he is the western regional sales representative. As well as the Western U.S., he also covers British Columbia, and Alberta Canada, and also Hawaii and Japan. Steve is one of the permanent judges for The International Rose Trials headed by Dr. Tommy Cairns. Some of the other judges are Dr. Keith Zary, Tom Carruth, Clair Martin, John Bagnasco, and Chris Greenwood. In his leisure, Steve enjoys hunting, fishing, playing pool, traveling with his wife Terry, and he enjoys reading novels. Pre-meeting Rose Care Program with Questions and Answers At 7:00 p.m., John Lester, Consulting Rosarian, will be presenting a short program in the Consulting Rosarian Corner about successfully growing roses. His program will be followed by a question and answer period to offer attendees a chance to have individual questions explored and solutions offered. (Note: There will be no Little Rose Show this month) Directions to Casa del Prado, Room 101: The Casa del Pr ado building is immediately west of the Natural History Museum. Entrances to the Casa del Prado lead to an inner court. The rooms are accessible from the court. Room 101 is downstairs on the east end of the court. Special note from the editor: At several meetings, members have informed me that one of the reasons they do not attend the monthly meetings is they are somewhat intimidated by walking alone to and from the meetings in the Balboa Park area at night. I always let them know that someone would always be available to walk with them back to their cars in the parking lots. So please don t hesitate to ask if you would like to be accompanied. It s just one more way to get to know your society members and maybe learn a bit more about roses! Elaine Ornelas, Rose Ramblings editor 6

7 Tool Tales January All About Felco Pruning Shears By Robert B. Martin, Jr., Master Consulting Rosarian, Vice President American Rose Society You are no longer new to roses. Or, maybe you still are. You have a small rose garden or maybe it s getting bigger a lot bigger. And if it s a lot bigger, or maybe on its way, you need to up your game in taking care of your roses. So how do you do that? If you re like me, you need TOOLS. Not just tools, not just run of the mill garden tools, but real tools, tools like those that are described in the catalogues as professional tools. But you have more questions than answers. Where do I start? What do I buy? Where do I find them? Do they work? Will I need award-winning tools to get award-winning blooms? (Of course). To answer these and other guy-type questions I begin this month a series that I am titling Tool Tales. It is not, however, just for the guys, but should also be useful to the gals and any rose gardener who like me believe (with apologies to Dean Hole): He who would have beautiful Roses in his garden must have beautiful Tools in his shed Of all of the tools of the rosarian the most important are pruning shears. The purchase of pruning shears is not a place to cut corners or attempt to save money. Good pruning shears can last nearly a lifetime and viewed in terms of their years of use, they are quite inexpensive. They also make a nice gift for your favorite rosarian. Although there are other pruning shears of merit on the market, a survey of rosarians will reveal that the most preferred pruning shears are those manufactured by Felco. Felco is a Swiss company that has set the standard for professional pruning shears for more than sixty years. I have used Felco pruning shears for more than 30 years. The Felco line of shears is, however, so extensive that confusion exists as to the differences between each model. The purpose of this article is to introduce the entire line of Felco pruning shears and related products. Pruning Shears *Felco #2 The Felco #2 is often called the original. This is not, however, entirely accurate since the first pruner made by Felco was the Felco #1. Very similar to the Felco #2 but with a smaller blade, it was produced from 1945 to 1950 and its production stopped with the introduction of the model #2. The Felco #2 like the entire Felco line of pruning shears has a replaceable, precision ground forged cutting blade, with sap groove and soft wire cutter. The handles are a tough forged alloy that are easy to grip while rubber shock absorbers between the handles cushion the impact of cutting. When not in use the handles are held closed by a locking mechanism on a pivot bolt. The pruners are 8 ½ inches in overall length, have a 1- inch diameter cutting capacity and retail for about $

8 *Felco #4 The Felco #4 is often called the basic pruner and is basically a stripped down Felco #2 without the locking mechanism or shock absorbers. The pruners retail for about $47.99; the small cost savings of $6 is clearly not worth the difference in features. A more economical stripped down model is the Felco #5 described below. These economy pruners are designed for large-scale operators and make little sense for a serious rosarian. *Felco #5 The Felco #5 is the downscale pruner in the line containing little more than the replaceable cutting blades. They are 9 inches in overall length and retail at the bargain price of about $ *Felco #6 The Felco #6 is a smaller scale pruner with shorter blades that are good for those with smaller hands, including women. These are the pruners I bought for Dona and I also use them for more precision pruning of miniature roses. (Truth is that Dona rarely uses them, preferring the Slimmer Trimmers that I will describe in a later installment.) The pruners are 8 inches in overall length, have a smaller 0.8-inch diameter cutting capacity and retail for about $ *Felco #7 The Felco #7 is the top of the line shears with all the features one can imagine. The blade design is angled for close pruning; there is also a sap groove and a wire-cutting notch. The handles have ergonomic grips with little curves that fit well in the hand. Of particular interest is a rotating lower handle that is said to allow fingers to move naturally, reducing hand fatigue and the chance of blisters during prolonged pruning. There are many rosarians who swear by this feature, however personally I find the action of the rotating handle to be weird and disruptive to speedy pruning. I therefore recommend you actually test these shears in your own hands before buying so you can be comfortable with the action. The pruners are 8 ½ inches in overall length, have a 1-inch diameter cutting capacity and retail for about $ The alert reader will notice a missing number in the above lineup. The Felco #3 was in fact the first pruner with a rotating handle. This was originally a model #2 with an added rotating handle. Felco concluded this tool was not very ergonomic and stopped its production with the introduction of the model #7. 8

9 *Felco #8 The Felco #8 has the same ergonomic grips as the Felco #7 without the rotating handle. These are my pruners of choice as I do not like the feel of the rotating handle and am also suspicious of additional moving parts. But I do like the ergonomic design of the grips and believe this pruner is well worth the slight $2 increase in price over the original Felco #2. The pruners are 8 1/4 inches in overall length, have a 1-inch diameter cutting capacity and retail for about $ *Felco #9 The Felco #9 is the same as the Felco #8 with reversed blade, anvil and locking catch for left-handers. They retail for about $ Felco #10 The Felco #10 is the same as the Felco #7 reversed for left-handers, complete with rotating handle. They retail for about $ I find it curious that the left-handed model, which is but the reverse of the righthanded model costs $6 more. Left-handed rosarians may have a reason to feel discriminated against. *Felco 11 The Felco #11 is similar to the original Felco 2, with a more narrow, pointed anvil blade for extra close cutting. It has ergonomic grips, is 8 1/4 in overall length, has a 1-inch diameter cutting capacity and retails for about $ *Felco 12 The Felco #12 is a compact pruner like the Felco #6, designed for small hands, with the rotating handles. It is 7 ¼ inches in overall length, has a 0.8-inch diameter cutting capacity and retails for about $ *Felco #13 The Felco #13 features extra long handles to give better leverage and for two hand use on heavy branches of up to 1-¾ inches in diameter. It is 13 ½ inches in overall length and retails for about $ These may be of value for individuals with large hands who do a lot of heavy pruning. I personally prefer loppers if I need extra leverage. 9

10 *Felco #19 The Felco #19 is a Felco #8 with a 1-liter single nozzle spray applicator that attaches to your belt and is synchronized with the blade lock to spritz each time you cut. This is intended to disinfect the blade to prevent the spread of disease in one quick motion. I have little idea what use this might be for a rosarian unless you were engaged in large-scale pruning of roses all infected with crown gall, a bacterial disease that actually can be spread by pruning shears. If you are, the recommended disinfectant is 70 ethanol (denatured alcohol) and the shears retail for the astounding price of $ Contrary to popular fiction, there are no other diseases of roses that are spread by pruning shears and no reason at all to disinfect pruning shears between cuts. This is clearly a product for the plainly stupid and if I were a Felco executive, I would be embarrassed to continue it in the product line. *Felco #31 The Felco #31 are anvil shears that I do not recommend for roses since anvil pruners crush rose stems and do not make a clean bypass cut. They are somewhat novel in appearance looking like the T-Rex of pruning shears. They are 8 ½ inches in overall length, have a 1-inch diameter crushing capacity and retail for about $ An earlier version of the anvil shears was known as the Felco #30. I have no idea why it was renumbered or what difference there is in the newer model. *Felco Pruner Cut & Hold Model 100 The Felco Model 100 is a newer introduction to the line with a blade set with attached grips that hold onto cuttings. It has ergonomic handles with vinyl coating, shock absorbing spring action, and a blade with wire cutting notch and a sap groove. Basically it is the Felco #8 with cut and hold blades that permit onehanded cutting of rose stems. Like the sound of one hand clapping, I personally do not find this feature of interest but others who cut blooms for the house might find it of value. They are 8 inches in overall length and retail for about $ *Felco Shear Stainless Steel Model 300 The Felco Model 300 is a newer downscale model of small ultralight shears with stainless steel cutting heads. It features spring action, easy locking and unlocking, ergonomic handles, and a loop strap. These might be of value for light work, perhaps at a rose show to trim stems. They are 7.5" overall, have a small 0.4-inch diameter cutting capacity and retail for the bargain price of about $ *Felco Pruner Stainless Steel Model 310 The Felco Model 310 is very similar to the Model 300 but a half-ounce lighter and a quarter inch shorter. It is also intended for very light use with a small 0.4-inch diameter cutting capacity and retails for about $ *Felco 160S Small Hand Pruners A newer addition to the Felco line, these are light, ergonomically designed pruners for smaller hands. They have distinctive black and red composite handles paired with hardened steel blades with a 0.8-inch cutting capacity and retail for about $ *Felco 160L Large Hand Pruners Another newer addition to the Felco line, these are the large-hand version of the 160S Pruners above, with a larger 1-inch cutting capacity, also retailing for about $39.99 Conclusion To sum up, my Felco pruning shears of choice is the Felco #8 with the ergonomic grips. If you prefer a more narrow blade, the choice would be the Felco #11. For smaller hands, I recommend the Felco #6. Many rosarians recommend the Felco #7 because of the rotating handles that put less pressure on the wrist. For those with smaller hands who may want the rotating handles, the choice would be the Felco #12. If you are lefthanded (and cut with your left hand), the choices would be the Felco #9 or #10 again with the rotating handles. 10

11 Accessories In addition to the pruners, Felco offers a shear case that attaches with a metal clip to your belt. Retailing for about $13.99 it is a scabbard that is made of very heavy-duty molded leather that is neither soft nor supple. I do not like it and prefer a softer holster that can be threaded on to the belt. One of the best things about owning Felco pruners is the wide availability of replacement parts that can be used to extend the life of the shears. These include the following at approximate prices: Cutting Blade... $18.99 Hook Blade... $18.99 Replacement Hand Grips... $18.98 Pivot Bolt & Nut... $8.99 Spring (2-pak)... $6.69 Repair Kit - (All parts not listed above)...$8.99 Felco also sells a proprietary brand of lubricant spray that is useful in keeping your tools clean and oiled. It comes in a small can and retails for about $ The Key to Felco Disassembly The use of replacement parts, as well as cleaning and sharpening requires that you learn to disassemble your Felco pruners. This is not as hard as it first appears and can be mastered with but a little practice. The key to learning how to disassemble your Felco pruners is contained in the box itself, typically in a slot in the molded plastic. This key serves as both a screwdriver and wrench and is actually all you need in order to disassemble and reassemble your pruners. It is easily misplaced I keep one on a key ring on my tool bench and another in my grooming kit. I also have one on a key ring with house keys. Although some local nurseries carry Felco pruning shears it is rare to find a wide selection and sometimes you have to ask since they are often kept under the counter. Accordingly the best place to purchase them is usually online or by mail order. The entire line is carried by A.M. Leonard, whom I recommend as a reliable source of fairly priced tools ( The prices indicated above are taken from their 2016 catalogue. Loppers, Power-Assisted Pruners, Saws, etc. Felco also carries a line of loppers, power-assisted pruners, pruning saws and other pruning products. We ll talk about those, the Corona line of comparable tools and other related subjects next time. Until then here s a point to ponder: Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them. Steve Jobs 11

12 Rose Care for January: WHY WE PRUNE ROSES By Rita Perwich, Pruning our roses in January is one of the most important things we can do to promote the health of our roses. It also encourages the growth of more blooms and shapes the plant for its best appearance. When we prune, we revitalize our roses by putting them into dormancy for a well-earned rest, we cut out the previous year s diseased and pest-infested leaves and blooms, and we enable the rose bush to resume growth in the early spring on strong, healthy canes. Our strategy is to aim for an open center which allows air and light into the rose bush. After you have decided what to cut out, look for the closest outwardfacing bud eye and make your cut at about 1/4 inch above a leaf with five leaflets. Choosing an outward-facing bud eye prompts the rose to grow in that outward direction and away from its center. Sue Streeper calls this directing traffic. When you cut a cane, the pith should be creamy white. If you find that it is brown, you should keep pruning further down the cane until you arrive at clean, white pith. On all roses, you should first remove dead, damaged and non-productive old wood. After that, how much to prune depends on the type of rose. A huge sprawling shrub rose needs to be pruned very differently from a regular-sized hybrid tea, and many species and old garden roses need just a light grooming and very little pruning other than some shaping to direct growth. Hybrid teas are grown for one beautiful bloom to a stem so we remove all weak, twiggy growth and cut back to an outside bud on young, larger and thicker canes which can better support larger blooms. Removal of old canes is a trigger that encourages the rose to put out new fresh canes also known as basal breaks. We stimulate basal breaks by sawing old canes down at the base of the plant, also known as the bud union on a grafted plant. As a general rule, we cut our hybrid teas to knee height and we leave 5 or 6 major canes, but of course, this depends on how tall and large the rose was to begin with. In San Diego, usually we do not prune off more than 1/3 to 1/2 off our hybrid teas. With floribundas and polyanthas, we want to encourage clusters of flowers, so we cut back only 1/4 of the height of the plant and we do not remove as many canes. Shape your shrub roses and David Austin roses by opening them up and cutting 1/4 to 1/3 off the length of the canes, again depending on the rose s needs. Try to observe how the rose wants to grow naturally and don t try to impose a different growth habit on your rose, such as cutting a rose that wants to be 8 feet to a 3-foot height. Similarly, with miniature and miniflora roses our main intention is to clean out twiggy growth and open up the center of the plant to air circulation and light. On all these roses, when we are finished pruning, we strip the rose bush clean of all remaining leaves. If growth is coming from the root structure of a grafted rose and not from the bud union, this is known as a sucker and it must be forcibly pulled out to discourage regrowth. Climbing roses are pruned very differently from all other roses. Climbers will not bloom profusely until their long vertical canes are trained into a horizontal position. The plant sends out lateral shoots off horizontal canes and it is off these lateral shoots that the rose blooms. When we prune a repeat-flowering climber, we make the cuts at a bud eye off each of the lateral shoots. After pruning has been completed, clean up and dispose of all clippings in order to get rid of dormant spores of fungi and over-wintering pests. If you want to dormant spray with a horticultural oil or lime-sulfur spray, you should do so immediately after pruning and before any bud eyes develop as the spray can harm them. Your rose garden is now primed for a healthy and glorious new year of rose blooms! Ruth s Fertilizing Recommendation for January By Ruth Tiffany, ruthsgarden@msn.com Apply BioStart at 2 c. per large rose and 1 c. per mini around the base of the rose after winter pruning. This is the organic foundation of a great feeding program. One 50 lb. bag will feed 50 large roses. 12

13 2017 San Diego County Fair Rose Garden By Elaine Ornelas, It s hard to believe but the San Diego County Fair has already started their planning for the 2017 fair! The San Diego Rose Society has had a presence at the fair for many years since they have designed, installed and maintained a beautiful rose garden there. My husband Bill and I have been responsible for leading the team of society volunteers for two years now and we look forward again to managing the effort. It has been so rewarding to work with so many of our members who have given of the time and hard work putting together this rose garden. We have already begun to assemble the team for the project! This year the theme has a western orientation with the title Where the West Is Fun. So, we re not sure how we will work around the fair s theme with roses but I am sure with all of our collective, creative minds we will have another successful year. It is not required that we stay with the theme of the fair for our rose garden but it might be interesting to try! We have already talked a bit about including some drip watering and water conservation elements in this year s garden so it should be very interesting to tie that into the western theme. At any rate, watch for updates in the monthly meetings and in Rose Ramblings as we progress along our journey. As always, volunteers are always welcome so if any of you are interested in helping out with this year s fair rose garden, please contact Bill or myself and we will be happy to include you. It will be great fun and a wonderful way to serve your society! Elaine Ornelas eornelas1949@att.net Bill Ornelas bornelas1945@att.net Many Hands Make Light Work. Ruth Needs Our Help!!! By Elaine Ornelas, eornelas1949@att.net 25,000 pounds of fertilizer! Good grief! But, that is what Ruth Tiffany is expecting to be delivered at her house very soon. She is hoping for a delivery date of Thursday, January 26 this year. As you know Ruth has been our coordinator for the ordering of fertilizer from Grow More. The fertilizer comes on many pallets and needs to be unloaded into her garage. There are already a few volunteers for this task but she could really use more. If you would be able to help please Ruth (ruthsgarden@msn.com) with your cell phone number so she can call you when she gets the call from the truck regarding the exact delivery time. It is usually between 8:30 and 10 a.m.. Coffee and goodies will be provided by Ruth. She will also be taking cash and checks for SDRS membership renewal at the fertilizer pick up. It takes hours of time to coordinate the fertilizer order and Ruth has been so generous of her time and energy to do so. Can we also be generous in helping her with this task? 13

14 2018 American Rose Society Convention Will Be in San Diego! A Celebration of Bob Martin By Ruth Tiffany, ruthsgarden@msn.org SDRS is so blessed to be the home society of the current vice president of the American Rose Society. Robert Martin will become the president in the fall of As a society we have the honor of providing the venue for the installation and celebration of our own Robert Martin becoming ARS president. Your SDRS board has approved the hosting of the American Rose Society National Convention, October 26-29, 2018, just 22 months from now. We have a hotel contract with the Crowne Plaza San Diego which has really great conference facilities. These will be fully available at our convention plus a guaranteed room rate for the hotel. We have entered into a partnership with the Cal Coastal Rose Society to co-host the Annual Rare Rose Auction during the convention. We will also be hosting a fall rose show in conjunction with the convention. What we need now are volunteers to help make the convention a success. Many of you were around in 2014 when we hosted the ARS National Convention during Mother s Day weekend. We were blessed to have nearly 60 volunteers helping at that time. I will be chairing the convention and will need lots of help. This is a call for volunteers for We will be starting with an organizational meeting on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 7 p.m. at my home in San Carlos. We will need ideas people, registration people, creative-thinking people, practical planning people...if you can see yourself helping with this convention, please come to this first meeting. We will plan to meet every 2-3 months initially. If you can t come to the meeting but have ideas, call me at or me at ruthsgarden@msn.com. Many attendees told us the convention in 2014 was the best they had attended. We are such a super talented society. I believe we can put on a convention and a celebration for Robert Martin that will garner even more rave reviews. Let s all work together and make it happen!! Ruth s address: 6705 Maury, Dr. San Diego, CA Direction to Ruth s house: Fwy 5 or 15 south to fwy 52 east to 125 south, exit Navajo Rd., right at stoplight, to 2nd stoplight Bisby Lake turn right, up 3 blocks. House is at corner of Bisby Lake & Maury Dr. 14

15 2017 SDRS Board of Directors By Bob Kolb, Nominating Committee Chair The members of the 2017 SDRS Board of Directors (listed below) were presented to the membership at the December Holiday Party. We thank all of the board members for their willingness to serve in our society and we hope that all of the members come to know these great folks at the meetings and other events. They work hard to keep our society s standing as one of the greatest in the country! President: Dona Martin First Vice President-Programs: Ken Huff Second Vice President-Membership: Christine Allan and Rand Allan Corresponding Secretary: Zella Burk Recording Secretary: Sue Streeper Treasurer: Kirk Rummel Members-At-Large: Kathy Hunyor Mark & Robin Breeding Steve Berry Past President: Gary Bulman Rose Garden Trust Board: Sue Streeper, 5 year term Current Board Members: Pamela Cawthron, 4-year term Paula Taylor, 3-year term Terry Harris, 2-year term Bob Kolb, 1-year term 15

16 IT S MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME!! By Christine Allan callan@san.rr.com and Rand Allan rallan@san.rr.com VP(s) Membership Even though your SDRS membership formally expired on Dec. 31 st, there will be a short grace period after the end of the 2016 during which membership renewal is possible but please act soon! What a great San Diego Rose Society with over 325 members - maybe we can increase it to 425 this year. Renew now while it is fresh on your mind. You won t want to miss any of our first class Rose Ramblings publications, our fantastic and informative meetings with great speakers, our tours, our parties, and our potluck dinners. Don t forget to join the ARS. You will want to be a part of the great celebration when our very own Robert Martin will be installed as the president when we have the national convention in 2018 right here in San Diego at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Mission Valley. I know you are excited so take the opportunity right now and renew that membership. So, please fill out the membership form on the next page and send in your payment either by regular mail, or by PayPal using the link on our webpage ( that says Pay your membership dues with PayPal. Or, you can bring your form and payment to the next SDRS event that you attend: monthly meetings, holiday party, pruning demonstration, fertilizer sale, etc! The color version of our monthly newsletter, Rose Ramblings, is available by at all membership levels. (Rose Ramblings will not be available as a printed, hardcopy version mailed through the postal service. The ed version of Rose Ramblings may always be printed at home, if desired, by our members at any membership level.) To those who have any hesitation about renewing, consider the following: 9 issues of the Rose Ramblings newsletter with lots of useful information 9 meetings at Balboa Park with special speakers Annual rose show Local garden tours Access to consulting rosarians who are happy to answer your rose questions Pruning demonstration in Balboa Park in early January Opportunities to purchase fertilizer and other rose care products at considerable discount Many opportunities to discuss rose growing with fellow rose enthusiasts Please renew now It s GREAT to belong Questions? Contact Christine Allan callan@san.rr.com or Rand Allan rallan@san.rr.com VP Membership 16

17 San Diego Rose Society Membership Application/Renewal San Diego Rose Society Membership Application/Renewal Form Name(s): Address: City State: Zip Phone: address: (PRIVACY POLICY: Your information will never be released to entities other than the San Diego Rose Society and the American Rose Society, and will only be used for rose society communication such as newsletters, membership renewal, event and meeting notices, and rose information.) Check one: New Member [ ] Renewal [ ] Would you like to receive our newsletter, Rose Ramblings, by ? Yes [ ] No [ ] (Note: this option is available at all membership levels if an address is provided) Check Membership Level: Amount Enclosed: [ ] Regular Member ($15) $ [ ] Contributing Member ($25) $ [ ] Supporting Member ($35) $ [ ] Sustaining Member ($50) $ [ ] Patron ($100) $ [ ] Additional Donation, if desired $ Are you a member of the American Rose Society? Yes [ ] No [ ] Payment Options: (use only one option) 1. Send this form and a check payable to SDRS to: SDRS MEMBERSHIP P.O. BOX SAN DIEGO, CA Send payment via PayPal. See link on 3. Bring completed form and payment to the next SDRS event you attend Thank you so much for your continuing support of our San Diego Rose Society! 17

18 Consulting Rosarians for San Diego Rose Society Steve Berry Gary Bulman Linda Clark Frank Hastings Diana Kilmer Walt Kilmer Bob Kolb John Lester Carl Mahanay Dona Martin Bob Martin Jim Price Sue Streeper Ruth Tiffany Patti Vickery Dwyn Robbie Christine Allan Ken Huff Elaine Ornelas Bill Ornelas Rita Perwich Robert Russell TIDBITS! Feeling lucky? Remember that each attendee of our monthly society meetings receives a free raffle ticket! Frequently in January members will bring rose bushes in containers for the raffle so you may have a chance to win a $25 rose bush for free! If you would like to increase your chances 7 additional tickets may be obtained for $5. Other items are often brought as part of the raffle also. Fertlizer Pick-Up For those of you who ordered your fertilizer from Ruth Tiffany, look for an in January from her detailing the dates when you can come and pick it up at her house, along with directions. Some of you also use this pick up time to pay for your membership renewal as well as the fertilizer. If you are paying by check please note in the memo line of the check how much is being paid for fertilizer and how much is for membership. This helps our treasurer considerably! 18

19 Event Calendars and Web Sites San Diego Rose Society Calendar of Events 2017 January 14, :30 am: SDRS Rose Pruning Demonstration at Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, Balboa Park January 10, 2017: SDRS Board Meeting January 23, 2017: SDRS Monthly Meeting April 29-30, 2017: SDRS Annual Rose Show, Liberty Station, San Diego 2018 April 14-15, 2018: SDRS Annual Rose Show, Liberty Station, San Diego October 25-28, 2018 American Rose Society Convention hosted by San Diego Rose Society, San Diego, CA 2019 April 13-15, 2019: SDRS Annual Rose Show, Liberty Station, San Diego Local/Regional Events 2017 February 4, 2017: Pacific Rose Society s Annual Rose Auction; Los Angeles Arboretum, Ayres Hall; 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA (see page 2 of this Rose Ramblings for more information) February 25, 2017: Consulting Rosarian School, Tucson, AZ. (see page 20 of this Rose Ramblings for more information) March 18, 2017: Rose Photography Seminar; Hosted by Glendale, AZ Rose Society (more details to come) April 19-23, 2017: ARS Pacific Southwest District Convention and National Miniature Rose Show hosted by Pacific Rose Society; Arcadia, CA; The Arboretum, Arcadia, CA National Calendar of Events Useful Websites and Links San Diego Rose Society (sdrosesociety.org) American Rose Society (rose.org) American Rose Society Pacific Southwest District (pswdroses.org) Help Me Find (Roses) (helpmefind.com/rose) 19

20 Consulting Rosarian School Being Offered in Tucson By Elaine Ornelas, We received this from Diane Pavlovich of the Rose Society of Tucson with the details of a Consulting Rosarian School being held in Tucson. It is another good opportunity to increase your knowledge of rose care and to also become a Consulting Rosarian! Attached is a registration flier for an upcoming PSWD Consulting Rosarian School being hosted by the Rose Society of Tucson on Saturday, February 25, The school will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 400 E. University Blvd. (corner of 4 th Ave and University) in Tucson, AZ. The school is open to anyone even non- CRs who just want to learn more about growing roses. For CRs who need to know their status or anyone who wants to become a CR and take the test, please contact the district s CR chairperson, Dave or Gerry Mahoney, at space.man@cox.net. If anyone needs instructions on getting to the event or where to stay in Tucson if traveling, please contact Diane Pavlovich at diane@baseballnews.com. Diane Pavlovich Rose Society of Tucson See registration form on next page. 20

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22 Photo Credits for this Issue Page 1: Photo by Elaine Ornelas Pages 3-5: Photos by Elaine Ornelas Page 6: Photo submitted by Steve Bening Pages 7-11: Photos submitted by Bob Martin Page 12: Photo by Elaine Ornelas Rose Ramblings Newsletter of the San Diego Rose Society Editor: Elaine Ornelas, Assistant Editor: Sue Streeper, Webmistress: Dona Martin, 22