The Marin Rose A non-profit Affiliate of the American Rose Society 2010, 2011, 2012 Gold Honor Medal Winner

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1 The Marin Rose A non-profit Affiliate of the American Rose Society 2010, 2011, 2012 Gold Honor Medal Winner Volume 42 No. 3 March 2016 Prize Roses by Tom Bonfigli Tuesday March 8, :30 pm Marin Art and Garden Center Ross, CA Inside Highlights The Wild Winds of March The first blast of Winter I in this great El Nino year seems to be over. The lull in rain storms from the end of January through most of February reinforces something my son was told in college: our seasons will be splitting into two. We will have two winters and two summers. This was over 20 years ago and here we sit hoping for more rain to fill California's reservoirs. So as we await Winter II we have been actively pruning our roses. If you haven't started yet, get going and prune. It is not too late. Remember to prune for the open bowl shape to allow for light and air to circulate as much as possible. Little pink buds begin to appear all over your pruned branches. I prefer to pinch out all the lower buds, especially those growing on the inside of the "bowl." This allows for more growth and energy going to form larger and stronger stems on the outside of the branches. First blooms should also be larger as a result. Growth on the inside may cross the root ball and will likely grow to touch another branch which would create an opportunity for fungal growth. Rains will come in various energetic bursts. Keep raking out all the leaves and debris at the base of the roses. It is okay in my book to spray the ground again with Neem oil or some copper sulfate solution to control winter growth of bacteria and rusts. March is usually the time we add alfalfa meal in a ring around the root base of each rose to give it some soil enrichment. Usually 1/2 cup to 2 cups per rose is fine. Work it into the soil with a small rake and then water it in. There is no need to fertilize until the rose finishes its first bloom. March Winds 1, 2 President s Message 3, 4 Gallicas 5, 6, 7 The Peace Rose 8 Program Notes 9 Speakers Schedule Name Tags 11 MRS Officers, Directors 12 Consulting Rosarians 13 Join the ARS 14 Also, I believe in adding 1/2 cup pf Epsom salts per rose around the root base monthly from March to October. This enriches the rose with magnesium and helps heavily petaled roses hold up their heads. Magnesium to a plant is like oxygen to people. It helps plants to "breathe," exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen. I am a fanatic about weeding. I find it so important to remove weeds from the roses as they will suck nutritional resources of food and water that the roses need. Now is the best time to weed your garden because for every weed you don't remove in March there will be ten to one hundred more by July. So weed, Weed, WEED. Finally, it is time to spread mulch around your garden. A two-inch layer of redwood or fir bark mulch spread around your plants will retain moisture in the ground longer and keep weeds from getting into the ground. In the past, I have gotten the Vineyard mixture from Sonoma Mulch. They were shut down by the county because something toxic from them was leeching into the water system. I have been told that American Soil Company in San Rafael and Martin Brothers in Mill Valley will deliver mulch to your home if you need more than a few sacks that you could carry from a nursery. Website 15 Remember that roses want a slightly acidic soil of 6.5 so the mulch should be compatibly Upcoming Events The Marin Rose 16 acidic. Ask the company for the mixture best suited for roses. When March you 2016 apply it, leave

2 room around the root ball of the rose to be exposed to light and air. Do not apply on top of the root ball. Your rose will suffocate and die. Very sad to lose a rose this way. So pinch as much as you can, weed, apply alfalfa meal and Epsom salts and mulch. Wear sun block or a rain suit. Rain will reappear soon and go until May. The miracle of Spring will reward you with heavenly roses. It never ceases to be a thrill to behold Spring roses. Vivien Bronshvag Giverny, Monet s Garden While we are struggling away in Marin with our rose gardens, imagine what it is like to take care of Monet s garden! There is a wonderful website that gives us a diary by Ariane through the year of what happens there ( The young volunteer above, Hillary Bernhardt, from Davidson College, did an internship there. She said, It s very special to be able to work in Monet s garden for a month. I have the opportunity to see how the flowers change in the garden as we take certain flowers out and put new ones in or as new ones pop out of the ground. I feel lucky to be able to soak in the garden s beauty each day. It s a great way to practice speaking the French language, experience French culture and explore the region on weekends. It is also an excellent way to reflect on one s life and journey thus far. I have the space to think about what has been meaningful in my life so far and what I would like to do in the future. Working in the garden is fun! I enjoy talking to the tourists. Many of them know more (of the names of the flowers) than I do! Also it has been enjoyable getting to know the professional gardeners, who really make the magic happen in the garden. After our visit to Monet s Garden with elderly friends, I brought back with me a wonderful cookbook: Monet s Table, The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet, by Claire Joyes. Every time I use it I am back there again. Rozell Overmire The Marin Rose 2 March 2016

3 President s Message It is breathtakingly beautiful this time of year in Marin. The delicate white plum blossoms and pink cherry blossoms are my favorites, lighting up our hillsides and neighborhoods with their ephemeral splendor. Quince, camellias, magnolias, and acacias are all in bloom. It fills me with amazement turning a corner on my morning walks. There are daffodils, hyacinths and narcissus filling the air with that sweet lightness that feels like it feeds your soul. It's this way every year at this time and yet it always seems so magical, so extraordinary and then too quickly it changes, disappears and becomes something, somehow, more real. Our rose pruning has come to a successful end. What an interesting activity it has proved to be. We were laughing in the car one day after pruning one garden and on our way to another saying, "prune roses, see the world." We saw parts of Marin we would not have seen otherwise and we were able to spend time in some remarkable gardens. All the helpful pruners that did such a great service have a celebratory luncheon to look forward to sometime in March. Our Rose garden at MAGC certainly looks better. It was the last big garden to prune and we had an enthusiastic group. It is going to be a pleasure this year to be able to enjoy it more often. The NCNH District Meeting on March 12, 2016 is in Santa Rosa at the Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center at 2050 Yulupa Ave. The business meeting will begin promptly at 9AM. At 11:00AM there will be a round table discussion with all attendees participating. The subject will be "Membership, How to Attract Them, and How to Keep Them." Afterwards there will be their famous pot luck. All attendees are to bring a dish to share and your The Marin Rose 3 March 2016

4 own utensils. There will be a district raffle. In the afternoon there will be an arrangement workshop focusing on traditional arrangements. All our members are invited. Please let me know if you plan on attending by March 5th. Our speaker in March is Tom Bonfigli who is an incredible judge and exhibitor. We are all looking forward to hearing him. Please remember to pay your MRS dues for There will be speakers you do not want to miss! Hope to see you at our next meeting on Tuesday, March 8, It won't be too long before we will be seeing and smelling fabulous spring roses. I can hardly wait! Sandy Simon Arrangement by Sandy from her garden. The Marin Rose 4 March 2016

5 Gallicas By Cheryl Frechette, Master Rosarian So, this month it is Gallicas. As Betty Mott explained in last month s Marin Rose, this year we are again teaming up to write a continuing series of articles on lesser known rose classes. The last time we did this a few years ago, we only covered 10 classes. As I looked at the list of 27 rose classes that we had not covered, I noticed that many of them are Old Garden Roses (OGRs). The idea of writing about some of these classes suited me just fine since in the last few years I have taken an interest in growing OGRs and knowing more about them. I decided to start lining the fence in our vineyard with them. Now I am happy to say my fence has a grand total of about 10 OGRs lining it! A fine number for me, although perhaps not to some OGR experts. Three in this collection are Gallicas. Just to clarify, Gallicas can be of the original species (those starting with R. gallica) or can be hybrid descendents (Hybrid Gallicas) of the original species. Also, the information in parentheses after the rose name, including rating, is from the 2016 ARS Handbook for Selecting Roses. Rosa Mundi Gallicas are one of the most ancient of rose classes, enjoying immense popularity during the Roman Empire. Dating back to the mid twelfth century, the Apothecary s Rose, or R. gallica officinalis (deep pink, semidouble, before 1600, rating 8.6) was a major source of medicine. This was also the rose which sported to produce the famous striped rose R. gallica versicolor, aka Rosa Mundi (pink blend, semi-double, before 1581, rating 8.9). According to legend, Rosa Mundi was named after Fair Rosamund, mistress of King Henry II. It is fascinating to me to know that along my fence in Healdsburg, I am growing both of these roses which are of such an ancient race. I actually started with a purchase of R. gallica versicolor being enamored of stripes at the time. At about the second season, it suckered and put up a whole new bush which turned out to be R. gallica offfinalis, the solid lipstick pink original. So, now I have two rose bushes for the price of one! That is the thing about Gallicas they sucker! If you like this aspect because you get more plants, or you don t like this aspect because they crowd your other plants, keep it in mind. I don t think they usually sucker and sport at the same time, but it happened for me. This class is also noteworthy because it plays a role in the ancestry and lineage of many other rose classes, including some of our present day modern hybrids. As garden plants, Gallicas are easy to place as they are usually small in stature relative to many other OGRs, which can grow to great heights and widths, sometimes climbing over everything in their path. Usually, Gallicas do not exceed 4 in height. But, being smaller does not mean they produce less blooms. They are usually cov- The Marin Rose 5 March 2016

6 ered in blooms in midsummer and looking very lovely. According to Peter Beales, when in flower in midsummer, no other group of old roses can challenge them for quantity and more often than not, for quality. They are easy to grow and will tolerate poor soil. Their foliage is usually darkish green and their prickles are tiny and fine, but prolific, or sometimes near non-existant. Gallica blooms often retain their spicey fragrance after the petals have dried. The blooms are produced singly or in small to medium-sized clusters, and as I mentioned before, often in great abundance. Gallicas are once bloomers. Their bloom colors are usually rich tones, pink thru purple, with many having such bizarre stripes, dots, and blends that they were nicknamed the Mad Gallicas in the old days. They are among the hardiest of OGRs. Alain Blanchard One of my favorites is the Hybrid Gallica that I have in my fence line Alain Blanchard (mauve, semi-double, 1839, rating 8.5). I love it because it is actually polka dotted! The spots and color may vary, but basically it is a purple to fuschia color with lighter color spots. Alain Blanchard, with its varying spots and color, is included in that group called Mad Gallicas as noted above. I have loved this rose ever since I saw it growing in Joan Goff s Mill Valley Garden and always wanted it. But, it was hard to find! I believe that I got the last one that was sold by Vintage Gardens before it closed. It is also a small plant, but suckers around, and it always seems that the new sucker plants produce the best blooms in my yard. I took a two bloom spray of Alain Blanchard to a rose show and it won Dowager Queen! Usually, I only get one to a stem and marvel at each one. Here are some other Hybrid Gallicas that you could consider for your garden. Charles de Mills (dark red, very full, before 1790, rating 8.3) An old variety from the Roseraie de l Hay collection in France. Few other OGR blooms display this full and flat, symmetrical form. The vibrant purple red color and profusion of blooms make it a stunning bush. Foliage is parsley green and sets off the bloom color well. Complicata (pink blend, single, no date given, rating 8.7) A vigorous bush with arching branches bearing single flowers of bright pink with paler centers and gold stamens. Not a typical Gallica since it is a great rambling bush that is capable of reaching 10 feet! This can be grown as a shrub, a pillar, or climbing rose, or between The Marin Rose 6 March 2016

7 other shrubs as it can sometimes be straggly. It is good even in poor soils. La Belle Sultane (dark red, petals, before 1801, rating 8.4) This has gorgeous blooms with slightly more petals than a single flower form. The color is a soft violet smudged purple, with beautiful golden stamens. The stamens are surrounded by an almost white zone, creating a stunning look against the dark colored petals. The bush is pale-leafed and arching in growth. Tuscany (mauve, semi-double, before 1598, rating 8.4) This is also known as the Velvet Rose because it has rich, dark red flowers with pronounced stamens. It is not often seen, as it has been superseded by Tuscany Superb, which is probably a sport, and a slightly more vigorous rose, deeper, red, with equally prominent golden stamens, and better foliage. As you can see, all of the Gallicas noted here have high ratings, so I would encourage anyone to try a few in your garden for an added bit of antiquity and for marvelous blooms. Take them to a rose show and you may win the Dowager Queen award! Sources: Classic Roses by Peter Beales, 1997; Ultimate Rose by The American Rose Society, 2000; Encyclopedia of Roses by The American Rose Society, 2003; ARS Handbook for Selecting Roses, Tuscany Charles de Mills Note from our Excursion Chair - Maryellen O Connell There will be a Rose Tour, March 26th to the old cemetery in Sacramento, but only if the weather is OK. The tour is at 10:00am, so we can meet in the Montecito overflow parking lot, San Rafael to caravan up there at 8:15am that morning. A second field trip is planned for Filoli Gardens, either in June or July. Check our website, marinrose.org, for more details on both events. The Marin Rose 7 March 2016

8 Sandra Simon, President Do You Know? Savez-Vous? The Peace Rose Photo by Nannette Londeree from her garden, Love and Peace rose. A hybrid tea from the original Peace Rose. We have a new rose symbol at the top left corner of first and last page in The Marin Rose newsletter, the original Peace Rose. Your editor chose it because it is a favorite memory from her childhood. It grew up from the back garden to the second story porch in her parents home in San Francisco. It bloomed every year for over 50 years and may still be going strong. The Peace rose received the All American Rose Selection Award for roses on the day the second World War ended with Japan on May 8, The rose was launched with the release of two doves in Pasadena, California. It was named for the world s greatest desire of that time: Peace. A French rose breeder near Lyon, Francis Meilland, developed it in He was a third generation of a rose growing family. When the war came the family nursery was under threat of destruction. Three parcels of bud wood were smuggled out in a diplomatic bag to America. The Meilland family had no idea during the war if it had survived. It was grown and tested in different climatic zones in the U.S. and did so well that thousands of plants were propagated. Within nine years there were 30 million Peace roses. Because of its vigor, dependability, and beauty it has been used in breeding programs around the world to develop 180 new varieties of roses from its father and 150 varieties from it mother. Double Delight is one of these fragrant rose varieties. Francis Meilland died in 1958 and his son Alain and daughter Michelle and their children continue the tradition of breeding roses. Francis wrote in his diary, How strange to think that all these millions of rose buses sprang from one tiny seed no bigger than the head of a pin. Rozell Overmire Reference from: Gerbera Gardening Magazine, Ludwig Taschner The Marin Rose 8 March 2016

9 PROGRAM NOTES Our March Speaker, Tom Bonfigli Prize Roses - What Works and What Doesn t! Tom has been growing roses since when he was 6 years old. His paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother gave him his very first roses - for a grand total of 5. He has been an ARS member since 1980 and he is an accredited rose judge and a Master Rosarian. He has won literally hundreds of rose show trophies, including close to 100 queens of show of all types - including a national queen and king at the ARS National Rose Show held in San Ramon in at which he brought only TWO specimens to enter into the show! Talk about luck! Unfortunately, he had to take some time off from roses while caring for his elderly father and tending to family business. But as many of you know, he is getting back into exhibiting and has been working hard to bring his garden back to its former glory by reconditioning the soil and replacing many tired, worn-out, and/or just plain meritless varieties with some exciting and striking new and old ones. He won 14 trophies, Best of Show and Sweepstakes at the 2015 Marin Rose Show! We welcome Tom as our March guest speaker! Last month our February speaker was Charlotte Torgovitsky. While Charlotte may be a familiar face to many, we were sure happy to see her. She is an admirable steward of the land - so much so that she doesn t even use the green recycling containers, but keeps as much material on her habitat as possible. She lives on 2 acres in Novato and has turned it into a living laboratory - her soil, her plants and her creativity all contribute to her unique ecosystem- all or a part of which we should emulate in our daily practice as gardeners. She said we should start with the soil. She showed us composters that would make it very easy for us to make rich wonderful soil for our roses and other plants. Most importantly, she reminded us that we should all have some native plants in our garden because the natives make for a better garden community. Try it. Charlotte s garden will be open in April. The Marin Rose 9 March 2016

10 Rose Society Speakers for 2016 January - MRS Pruners - Lenore Ruckman, Paul Cullen, Richard Holtz February - Charlotte Torgovitsky, Soil March April - Tom Bonfigli - Rose Show Prep May -Toni Gattone, Adaptive Gardening June - Jan Wahl, From My Fair Lady to American Beauty - Flowers in Film July - Evening in the Rose Garden, short film in the Moya Library by Gary Scales - 5pm start August - Bouquets from the Garden, Vivian Bronshvag and Jim Crowder September - Gregg Lowery October - Susan Kegley, Bees November - Harvest Dinner The Marin Rose 10 March

11 Who Are You? Judge: In order to help our members get better acquainted the Marin Rose Society would like to provide you with a personalized name tag like the one below. Clerks: BEST IN SHOW Signature, Sandy Simon COURT Red Ribbons, L. Ruckman If you are a member in good standing for 2016, don t have one and would like one, please me with the subject titled name tag and give me the correct spelling of the name you d like us to use. We so appreciate our members! samaureen@comcast.net Maureen Groper, Membership Co-Chair The Marin Rose 11 March

12 The Marin Rose Rozell Overmire, Editor, Gail Trimble, Publisher & Distributor MRS Officers, Directors, Committee Chairs President Excursion Chair Sandra Simon Maryellen O Connell 1st VP / Program Chair Pam Scott d VP / Monthly Show Chair Richard Holtz Secretary Vicki Crase Treasurer Lydia Truce Directors At Large Andy Smith Gail Trimble Paul Cullen Rozell Overmire Nominating Committee Chair Richard Holtz Membership Co-Chairs Maureen Groper Andy Smith Communications Chair Maureen Groper Social Media Chair Andy Smith Website Chair Gail Trimble Hospitality Chair Connie Pelissero Spring Rose Show Co-Chairs Lenore Ruckman Sandra Simon Gail Trimble Raffle Co-Chairs Paul Cullen Richard Holtz Rose Garden Co-Chairs Paul Cullen Lenore Ruckman Consulting Rosarian Coordinator Lenore Ruckman Awards Chair Florence Taylor Parliamentarian Don Chapman Historian Lenore Ruckman The Marin Rose March 2016

13 Have a Question? Contact a Consulting Rosarian. Vivien Bronshvag, Kentfield (415) vivlrb@aol.com Paul Cullen, San Anselmo (415) pcniner@aol.com Cheryl Frechette**, Healdsburg (707) cherylfrechette@yahoo.com Joan Goff**, San Rafael (415) joanegoff@yahoo.com John Goldsmith, San Francisco (415) jgjohngoldsmith@gmail.com Maureen Groper**, San Anselmo (415) samaureen@comcast.net Paula Jaffe, Tiburon (415) paulajaffe@comcast.net Ronette King, San Rafael (415) ronettejk@comcast.net Nanette Londeree**, Novato (415) Rosienan@aol.com Connie Pelissero, San Geronimo (415) connie@thesilsbygroup.com Barbara Lanoy Picarelli**Novato (415) bjlpster@gmail.com Mary Polizzi, San Rafael (415) marypolizzi@ymail.com Lenore Ruckman**, San Rafael (415) CMR3X7@aol.com Emily Shibata, San Rafael (415) ewshiba@gmail.com Sandy Simon, Mill Valley (415) sandyls1220@gmail.com Florence Taylor**, San Rafael (415) NONITAYLOR@aol.com Gail Trimble**, San Rafael (415) gail@marinrose.org Lydia Truce, San Rafael (415) lydia@stdesigninc.com Betty Mott**, Mill Valley (415) mottbetty@gmail.com Kitty O Donnell, Novato (415) KKOSF51@comcast.net **Master Rosarian The Marin Rose 13 March

14 Join or Renew and you ll receive: Five issues of American Rose magazine, a $40 value. The only magazine devoted exclusively to roses and rose culture, these bi-monthly, 84-page issues feature informative articles and beautiful photography for beginners and experienced rose growers alike. View a free issue online at One issue of American Rose Annual, a $15 value. The November/December issue of American Rose features 128 pages of the latest in rose research, growing techniques, tips and more, from writers across the country and abroad. The Handbook for Selecting Roses, a $5 value. Every year, rosarians from across the country participate in rating the newest roses. From the thousands of reports, we tabulate the ratings and publish the results in this guide. Free online access to five quarterly bulletins, a $45 value. Previously available by subscription only, the Mini/MiniFlora Bulletin, Old Garden Roses & Shrub Journal, Rose Arrangers Bulletin, Singularly Beautiful Roses, and Rose Exhibitors Forum are all available online for free to all ARS members. Free online access to Modern Roses 12. Free Advice from Consulting Rosarians. ARS Consulting Rosarian program connects members with expert rosarians that provide free assistance with your rose questions. Discounts of up to 30% at merchant partners. ARS Membership Benefit Partner program offers discounts at 13 merchants with new partners being added continuously. Free or reduced garden admissions, a $25 value after just 3 uses. With the Reciprocal Garden Admission program, members enjoy free or reduced admission to and discounts at hundreds of gardens, conservatories, and arboreta nationwide. Click here to view a list of gardens. A subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine. A member benefit from the American Public Gardens Association Gardens & Institutions members. Available to new and renewing members with ARS. A $130+ value for only $49! Go to ************************************************************************************* The Marin Rose 14 March

15 Members Only Section Now On Our Website Please note password: Olympiad Marin Rose Society While the advice and information in this newsletter is believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication, neither the authors nor the editors can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The Marin Rose Society makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. The Marin Rose 15 March

16 MARIN ROSE SOCIETY 731 Montecillo Road San Rafael, CA Calendar for Upcoming Events Tom Bonfigli Prize Roses What Works March 8, :30 pm MRS Monthly Meeting Marin Art and Garden Center Ross, CA Calendar for NCNH Rose Society Events March 12, 2016, 9:00 a.m. NCNH District Spring Business Meeting. Hosted by Redwood Empire Rose Society Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center 2050 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA July 29-31, ARS National Miniature Rose Show and Conference Hosted by the York Area Rose Society Harrisburg, PA The Marin Rose 16 March