The Marin Rose. A Love Affair for Old Roses By Gary Scales. Harvest Potluck Dinner And Installation of Officers

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1 The Marin Rose A non-profit Affiliate of the American Rose Society 2008 Gold Honor Medal Winner Volume 35, No. 11 & 12 November / December, 2009 Harvest Potluck Dinner And Installation of Officers Tuesday November 10, :00 pm Livermore Room MAGC, Ross Inside Highlights Rose Care 7 If I only had three 9 Rose of the Month 11 President s Message 12 Fast Facts 13 Madame Caroline Testout A Love Affair for Old Roses By Gary Scales In the Foreword for Graham Stuart Thomas book The Old Shrub Roses, Vita Sackville- West writes of the decade at the beginning of the twentieth century as; those days of extravagant leisure. no need to hurry; rush and speed had scarcely entered into man s conception of the desirable life. For the majority of the western world, it was a time of confidence, innocence, comfort, stability, security and peace. In the world of roses, the hybrid tea was just hitting its stride, excelling the older tea roses in hardiness, and blooming with more constancy than the hybrid perpetual. Hybridizers, particularly French, were busily developing new cultivars that were sold to an expanding market of eager gardening enthusiasts. Thousands of new roses were planted with great expectations, and thousands more old garden roses were discarded with equal abandon. The albas, gallicas, damasks, bourbons, centifolias and noisettes that had served so long and faithfully were replaced by waves of new roses with glowing promises to be bigger, brighter, and bolder. It has always been difficult for me to dig up and throw away a perfectly healthy rose bush simply to replace with one currently more in vogue. Sometimes I transplant them to a more hostile place in the garden, a place where there might be less water and more prone to diseases. But if I end up with the shovel, my guilt increases whenever I spade away a rose named for a person. In a passage from The Old Rose Advisor, Brent C. Dickerson postulates that old roses are the most people flowers. People have loved them the longest and their history has always been the story of the people who grew them. And I would add; and for whom they were named. Early on I fell under the spell of Dorothy Stemler of Roses of Yesterday and Today. She was a fascinating and charming lady in person, and the descriptions she wrote of her old roses made them come alive, as if she was telling you about good friends. In short time, I found myself buying her roses as much for their perceived personalities than floral

2 attributes. As the shipments of roses began to arrive from Dorothy s Watsonville nursery, I often called to obtain more historical tidbits about the person for whom the rose was named. Soon I was walking through the garden introducing my newfound friends. Have you met Mme de Sombreuil ( Sombreuil ), heroine of the French Revolution? And, look, here is Marie Pavie. Did you know she was a devoted, saintly Catholic, buried at Notre Dame? And of course, you know Madame Hardy! Her husband was an apprentice at Malmaison for Marie Antoinette and then became superintendent of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Wouldn t it be nicer if we called her by her first name? Félicité, it is much prettier! Well, it wasn t too long before I had so many madams and mademoiselles that I could hardly keep them all straight, let alone pronounce their names: Mme Carriere, ( Mme Alfred Carriere, noisette, 1879, opening into pearl-white, a distinct blush), Mme Pereire, ( Mme Isaac Pereire, the most fragrant rose in history, bourbon, 1880), Mme Oger, ( Mme Pierre Oger, ethereal, translucent beauty with delicious fragrance, bourbon, 1878), and Mme Plantier, (an alba, 1835, sweetly fragrant of champagne and fruit). I had my hands full. I suspect wife, Janet, was beginning to wonder about my attachment to all these French ladies. And yes, I admit to romanticized images of them standing demurely in a formal garden, white flowing silk gown, high buttoned gloves, the soft warm afternoon light falling on long brown hair held back in a tortoise-shelled comb. I m sure they weren t all as young and beautiful as I imagined. And their husbands, more attentive and attractive, than the older, stout, silver-bearded gentlemen I pictured, who stood at a distance holding cigars, talking of more urgent matters. However, it was difficult to develop an intimate association because I only knew them by their husbands first names: Alfred, Isaac, Pierre, and the like. They all sounded like stuffy French bankers, which, in fact, they were. But then Caroline entered my life. I was not the first or last to fall for the charms and persuasions of Mme Caroline Testout, a late nineteenth century French dressmaker with fashionable salons in London and Paris. Caroline regularly visited Lyons, where she purchased fine silks. It was there she met Joseph Pernet-Ducher, the famous French hybridizer who created the first yellow hybrid tea rose in 1900 when he introduced Soleil d Or. And then went on to win the Gold Medal thirteen times at the Paris Concours de Bagatelle. Joseph was quite taken in by this attractive Soleil d Or and sophisticated lady, with an astute business sense. Caroline wanted to buy the rights of an unnamed seeding to give to her clients as publicity. Joseph was reluctant, as he had intended to name it for his wife and business partner. Pernet-Ducher finally acquiesced, and Caroline s rose made its debut at her salon s 1890 Spring Fashion Show, bearing the name, Madame Caroline Testout. Within two years the Royal Horticultural Society gave it an Award of Merit. Within a decade many noted Rosiarians proclaimed it one of the finest pink Hybrid Teas ever created. It was as popular and widely grown in its time as Peace would become in the half century after the end of WWII. Madame Caroline Testout is often described as a silvery-pink, with graceful growth and beautiful foliage. Caroline s voluptuous globes of clear pink petals also won the heart of Wilhelm Kordes, the German rose hybridizer who gave the world such roses as Iceberg, Dortmund, and Sparrieshoop. Kordes simply referred to Madame Caroline Testout as the finest rose in the world. Another ardent admirer was David Austin. No less than twelve David Austin roses are directly descended from Austin s Wife of Bath for which Madame Caroline Testout was used as the seed parent. For sure I was quite smitten by Caroline s charms nearly forty years ago. I remember her with great affection and still am enthralled by her presence whenever we meet by chance. Roses are indeed a reflection of time, - - an historic record of long-gone people, places and events. And no other flower or plant can create such special relationships. Roses do remain, and often become part of our lives. Photos of Mme Caroline Testout by Kelley MacDonald and Soleil d Or by Paul Barden both from Many of these old roses can be found at and The Marin Rose 2 November / December 2009

3 Here Come the New Roses! By Joan Goff and Gail Trimble, Consulting Rosarians The new roses for 2010 have arrived! Where are you going to find room for one more rose? We have both asked ourselves this question many times but we can t resist the pull of a new rose. The photo says most of it but the description seems to entice us to the order form. For us to purchase more roses, we have to be strong enough to let other roses go, whether by giving one away or by shovel pruning. In any event, the time to think about what roses you are going to dig up is now. It is actually best to dig the hole now, put in the amendments and let it rest with the winter rains. That way it will be in the best condition when your new bare root roses arrive in January or February. All American Magic A new grandiflora with bright red and yellow stripes that fade to pink and cream. Blooms are 3 to 3 ½ inches wide with 35 petals, 5-6 feet tall. The parentage is ( Yakimour x Senator Burda ) x Scentimental, it was hybridized by Alain A. Meilland and is available at Regan Nursery All American Magic Alysheba A mauve miniature with petals and dark green, semi-glossy foliage. Blooms are solitary with exhibition form. Parentage is Ruffian x Fairhope, it was hybridized by David Clemons and is available at Almost Heaven Roses Chocolate Sundae A new unique tobacco brown climber. Meilland developed this breakthrough color breeding with Mrs. Simpson of New Zealand and created the strong brown colors that have been developed for florist roses. It will perform its best in California climates and has petals. The hybridizer is Meilland and it is available at Regan Nursery Alysheba Chocolate Sundae Ch-Ching - A new grandiflora, a sport of the 2007 AARS winner, Strike It Rich has all the great plant qualities of its original parent but the color is a clear, long-lasting glowing yellow. Fragrance is strong - sweet spice and fruit, and petal count is 30. It is medium tall and is introduced by Weeks Roses; the hybridizers are Tom Carruth and Chris Bedard, and it is available at Regan Nursery Cinnamon Girl Cinnamon Girl A miniature with a smoky orange color and cream reverse. Blooms in small clusters, petals, glossy, dark green foliage. Parentage: Petite Perfection x Hot Tamale, it is hybridized by Dr. Keith Zary and is available at Regan Nursery Ch-Ching The Marin Rose 3 November / December 2009

4 Daddy Frank Easy Does It Jubilee Celebration Monkey Business Daddy Frank A dark red mini-flora with blooms of petals with exhibition form and semi-glossy dark green foliage that won the 2010 Award of Excellence. Parentage: seedling x Memphis King, hybridized by Robbie Tucker, and is available from Rosemania.com Drop Dead Red - A dark red floribunda with velvet petals against highly glossed deep green leaves. Bloom size is double, medium-large, with a petal count of 25 to 30. It has medium height and its parentage is City of San Francisco x Lasting Love. Hybridizer is Tom Carruth, introduced by Weeks Roses, available at Regan Nursery Easy Does It, The only AARS winner for 2010 is a floribunda with petals of mango, peach, and apricot. It has excellent disease resistance and is perfect for every climate. The flower form is double with a ruffled edge, the fragrance is fruity. Parentage is ( Queen Charlotte x Della Balfour ) x Baby Love. It was hybridized by Harkness Roses, introduced by Weeks Roses, and available at Regan Nursery First and Foremost A deep pink mini-flora with a lighter reverse and a white center that won the 2010 Award of Excellence. Blooms of high-centered, exhibition form with petals. The parentage is a seedling x Timeless, it was hybridized by Frank Bernadella, and is available at Rosemania.com Jubilee Celebration - new David Austin English rose with a fabulous blend of colors. Delicious fruity fragrance, height is 4 feet. Introduced by and available from David Austin Roses Magic Show A new miniature with white petals with a deep red edge, and a white reverse, is an Award of Excellence winner for The exhibition, high-centered blooms have petals surrounded by dark green, glossy foliage. Parentage is Perfection x Timeless, it is hybridized by Frank Bernadella, and is available from Rosemania.com Monkey Business - A new banana-yellow floribunda with large clusters of high centered blooms with a delicious licorice scent. Petal count is 25-30, the parentage is Fragrant Apricot x Outrageous, the hybridizer is Dr. Keith Zary, and it is available from Regan Nursery Munstead Wood Another new David Austin rose with deep crimson color. It is a short bushy plant with a strong delicious old rose fragrance. Introduced by and available from David Austin roses. Drop Dead Red First and Foremost Magic Show Munstead Wood The Marin Rose 4 November / December 2009

5 Over the Moon Princess Alexandra of Kent Sedona Sir John Betjeman Over the Moon An apricot hybrid tea that is reminiscent of Just Joey. Large, 5 blooms, with 41 or more petals have moderate, fruity fragrance. Parentage is Christopher Columbus x Cleopatra, it was hybridized by Etablissements Horticoles Orard, and is available from Regan Nursery Powerhouse An orange-red mini-flora with high centered, exhibition form, and a height up to 3. Hybridized by Frank Bernadella and is available from Rosemania.com Princess Alexandra of Kent A glowing pink David Austin new rose with deeply cupped flowers. Very healthy and fast repeating. Strong, delicious fragrance. Petal count of 130 and grows to 3.5 feet. Introduced by and available from David Austin roses Pumpkin Patch, a warm caramel color floribunda rose of medium height introduced by Weeks Roses, with a petal count of The hybridizer is Chris Bedard and the parentage is Goldmarie x Honey Dijon. It is in our garden at MAGC if you want to see it we received it last year from Weeks Roses. Available from Regan Nursery Sedona A coral-orange hybrid tea with 5 blooms with petals, and dark green foliage. Parentage is Artistry x Sultry, hybridized by Dr. Keith Zary, and it is available from Regan Nursery Singin the Blues A deep lavender floribunda with 25 petals and strong, citrus fragrance. Blooms in small clusters and grows 5-6 feet high. The parentage is Angel Face x unknown, and it was hybridized by Meilland International Available from Regan Nursery Sir John Betjeman - Another David Austin rose with deep pink color. Petal count is 130, height is 3.5 feet. Introduced by and available from David Austin Roses. Spirit Dance An orange and yellow miniflora with red shading and petals, that won the 2010 Award of Excellence. The parentage is Singin in the Rain x Teddy Bear. It was hybridized by Christian Bedard and is available from Rosemania.com Powerhouse Pumpkin Patch Singin the Blues Spirit Dance The Marin Rose 5 November / December 2009

6 Sweet Drift Tabisco Cat Wisley Sweet Drift - A medium pink groundcover with dark green glossy foliage, and exceptional disease resistance. Blooms have petals, plant spreads 2 feet high and 3 feet wide. Hybridized by Alain Meilland and it is available from Regan Nursery Sweet Intoxication - A deep magenta floribunda with a light lavender reverse, it has an intoxicating clove fragrance. Petal count is 30-35, height to 4 feet and upright. Parentage is Melody Parfumee x Perfume Perfection. The hybridizer is Dr. Keith Zary, it is introduced by Jackson and Perkins roses, and is available from Regan Nursery. Tabasco Cat Orange red mini-flora with petals of exhibition form that grow in small clusters. The parentage is Andie MacDowell x Kristin, hybridized by David Clemons, and available from Rosemania.com The Charlatan - A shrub or small climber, highly unusual single flower with only 5 petals. It is light pink with golden stamens that showcase the bloom similar to The Impos ter. Height to 3 feet tall by 3.5 to 4 feet wide. No fragrance. The parentage is Meidomonac x Playboy x Meinoiral. The hybridizer is Alain Meilland and it is available from Regan Nursery Wisley Another David Austin rose of soft pink color with fresh fruity fragrance, very bushy but exceptionally healthy. Height to 5 feet, petal count 95. Introduced by David Austin Roses, available from David Austin Roses and Regan Nursery Young Lycidas, An English rose, magenta pink and red with a strong old tea scent. Height to 4 feet, petal count 90 and introduced by and available from David Austin Roses. Sweet Intoxication The Charlatan Young Lycidas The catalogs are starting to appear and the websites have everything to make it easy. Have fun reading about all these new roses and I ll bet that the two of us have both beaten you to filling out the order forms! To find many of the great websites, go to our website to this link: http: // Photos of All American Magic, Chocolate Sundae, Ch-Ching, Cinnamon Girl, Drop Dead Red, Easy Does It, Monkey Business, Over the Moon, Pumpkin Patch, Sedona, Singin the Blues, Sweet Drift, Sweet Intoxication and The Charlatan from Photos of Daddy Frank, First and Foremost, Magic Show, Powerhouse, Spirit Dance, and Tabasco Cat from Photos of Munstead Wood, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Sir John Betjeman, Wisley, and Young Lycidas from Photo of Alysheba from David Clemons Facebook page. The Marin Rose 6 November / December 2009

7 Rose Care for November / December By Betty Mott, Consulting Rosarian With the first rains of the season bringing well-needed moisture to our gardens, I am reminded that winds will also be a factor to contend with during our stormy, windy winter season. I have two climbers in particular that need to be dealt with for the winter. Rev d Or (noisette, medium yellow, double, 1869, 9.3 ARS rating), climbs up and over my open potting shed and twice last year was brought to the ground by gusting winds. I need to attach hooks on each side of the shed, and stretch rope across the top of the shed securing the rose for the winter months. Another rose, Graham Thomas (shrub deep yellow, 35 petals, ARS rating) travels up two stories on the front of my house. She sends out 6-8 foot canes which become whips in the wind. These long canes get pruned down to a foot or so to prevent canes from being ripped off the plant. This shrub rose that acts like a climber will be properly pruned in January, down to 2-3 bud eyes along the lateral canes. What a surprise to return from New England during the peak of fall foliage to find my fountains and galvanized rain collecting cans sitting under down spouts, spilling over. Close to five inches of rain was collected in my rain gauge which I had recently purchased at the Smith and Hawken s going-out-of-business sale. After 30 years of business, it was sad to see the homegrown Mill Valley gardening business close its doors. I have always wondered how inches of rainfall translate into how deep the water actually penetrates the soil. I retrieved my moisture gauge which I keep in one of my miniature potted roses which is in full southern sun exposure all day. Even though the potted rose is on drip irrigation the moisture gauge is used to monitor its water needs because of the intense heat in that spot. I had very interesting results. I first checked the soil around my roses with years of soil amending with organics and mulch. The water had penetrated clear down to 5-6 inches. In other parts of my garden, mostly clay, the moisture meter only registered down to 2-3 inches. Good healthy soil and mulch had once again paid off for my roses. This is still early in the season, and I did temporarily turn off my drip irrigation, but I would highly recommend that you keep checking moisture levels before you shut down the drip irrigation for the rainy season. Although not common, we do have a few periods of frost warnings and plants need to be hydrated to survive these low temperatures, especially citrus. Soil in containers around potted plants does not hold the moisture as long as plants in the dirt so you do need to be mindful of that during cold snaps. This will be the last issue of the Marin Rose for this year so I thought I would share lessons learned in my garden practices for 2009 and a few suggestions for getting your garden ready for the winter months. One lesson learned with my first organic tea application was that R. rugosa does not like nor need Epsom salt. There was burning on the leaves when I used a concoction that included 1 cup of Epsom salts added to the brew along with fish emulsion, liquid seaweed, and alfalfa pellets. Master gardeners in our area have long proclaimed that we do not need Epsom salts added to our soil. It was my rugosa plucked from a beach The Marin Rose 7 November / December 2009

8 in Chatham, Cape Cod that finally convinced me to drop them from my rose care regiment. My most notable achievement this year was finding a deer deterrent that worked, had a tolerable smell, and was affordable from a local source. Accolades go to Martin Bros on Shoreline Highway in Mill Valley for their recommendation. They sell Deer Scram in three sizes (2 ½, 6 and 25 pounds.) You might remember in earlier articles that I was using a bitter tasting systemic tablet placed under the soil of the rose bushes. This worked fine during the rainy season when the bitter taste was freely flowing up into the canes. However as the season progressed and the deer came into the neighborhood more frequently the effects wore off and once again they found a gourmet feast in my front yard. Things I liked about Deer Scram was its ease of application (sprinkle over the dirt), appearance (dirt colored), and effectiveness (4-5 weeks with just a light reapplication every 4 to 5 weeks during rose blooming season). I found this product far more appealing than Liquid Fence because it was not applied to the leaves which left a residue, and did not have the horrible smell which seemed to be contrary to growing plants known for fragrance. Other success stories include great results from applying fish emulsion. My roses really perked up after application without leaf burn in the heat of the summer. The smell is not great the day of application but dissipates in a day or two. In closing, I would like to mention a few roses on the top of my list for These rose have performed spectacularly without sprays and chemicals and are worth mentioning. Disease resistance awards for roses grown in Mill Valley go to Julia Child, a yellow floribunda, Rev d Or, a medium yellow noisette, Sally Holmes, a white shrub, Irresistible, a white miniature, and Sweet Revenge, an orange blend miniature. Outstanding fragrance goes to Firefighter, a red hybrid tea with disease resistance and generous repeat cycle. Great exhibition form goes to Louisville Lady, a deep pink mini-flora and Show Stopper, an apricot blend mini-flora. Enormous Sprays with unusual color goes to Cinco de Mayo, a russet floribunda and new kid on the block in Finally, Lady of the Mist, an orange blend shrub that always had a bloom or spray on it all year long. The blooms lasted forever in a vase or on the bush. It s not that I do not love or appreciate the other 130 roses in my garden, but the above mentioned behaved perfectly all year without the use of sprays or chemicals in my garden. With roses resting up for the spring and your winter garden clean up complete, consider making a holiday wreath and be sure to include rose hips. If you have the water, space, and time to consider adding more roses, enjoy the moment. New rose introductions keep getting better and better and there are some great new roses coming our way in All photos by Betty Mott The Marin Rose 8 November / December 2009

9 IF I ONLY HAD THREE By Barbara Picarelli, Master Rosarian This month I am featuring one of our original founding members, Dr. John Bennett. He and others including Mel Austin and Gary Scales were three of the original charter members who started our rose society in In addition to being a charter member, John has been a Horticultural Judge for 30 years. He was amazed to find out our rose society is now 35 years old. John and his partner, Walter, live on hillside property in Fairfax with a garden that has a down slope and which ends up on a level area that has a beautifully landscaped pool area. The home was originally a summer home for Dr. John McClaren ( ) who served as superintendent of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA for 53 years. John purchased this home (which sits on an acre of land) 42 years ago and he has been growing roses here ever since - currently he has about 80 roses. Fortunately, the site has wonderful full sun, with the hillside above the fog line. John tells me that the property enjoys the same conditions as Hearst Castle. Along with roses they have 20 chickens which are kept in a pen, but with a moveable wire fence. They dig up the ivy under the trees, and produce plenty of fertilizer for plants. Fruit trees are planted on the hillside as well, and the entire garden is on an irrigation system. Black Magic When asked what his favorite roses are, he didn t hesitate by saying that Black Magic takes center stage. A beautiful HT in a deep red almost black velvety bloom, it was hybridized by Hans Jürgen Evers(before 1995) in Germany and introduced by Tantau in With high centered blooms, 30 petals, and dark green foliage it makes a perfect exhibition specimen. It has an impressive 7.7 garden rating by ARS. Chicago Peace The next one on his list is Chicago Peace, another HT, with wonderful fragrance. A pink blend introduced by The Marin Rose 9 November / December 2009

10 Stanley Johnston in 1962, it is a sport of the Peace rose. Flowers are pink with a yellow base; it has petals, large foliage in deep green and has a garden rating of 7.7. This rose won the Gold Medal in Portland in And last but not least is our old standby, Double Delight. Hybridized by A.E. Ellis and Herbert C. Swim in 1976, it is classified as a red blend. Creamy white blooms are edged in a deep red with a petal count of 30-35, dark green foliage, a spicy intense fragrance and a garden rating of 8.4. Parentage is Granada x Garden Party, introduced by Armstrong Nursery and a winner of the All-America Rose Selection Double Delight 1977, World Federation of Rose Societies Hall of Fame 1985, James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Award 1986, Rome Gold Medal 1976 and the Baden-Baden Gold Medal in Photo of Black Magic by Lochwes and photos of Chicago Peace and Double Delight by Henrique Rodriques, all from Photo of Dr. John Bennett by Barbara Picarelli The Marin Rose 10 November / December 2009

11 Rose of the Month Gemini By Gail Trimble, Master Rosarian Gemini was hybridized by Dr. Keith Zary in 1991 from a cross of the pink blend hybrid tea, Anne Morrow Lindberg and the orange blend grandiflora, New Year. The elusive and very hard-to-find Anne Morrow Lindberg is also the seed parent of the mini-floras, Butter Cream and Peter Cottontail, the hybrid tea Diana, Princess of Wales, and the floribunda Pasadena Star. The pollen parent, New Year, is the winner of the 1987 All-American Rose Selection and is also the parent of 16 registered roses, including Oranges and Lemons and Top Notch. Gemini was introduced by Bear Creek Gardens in 1999 and is classified by the American Rose Society as a pink blend hybrid tea with petals and a very good garden rating of 8.2. It has 5 blooms of creamy white with a deep pink to deep coral edge and is the winner of the All-America Rose Selection in 2000, the Italian Monza Silver Medal in 1999 and the American Rose Society Members Choice Award in With its high-centered, classic form, Gemini is an excellent show rose - in the National compilations it was the 9 th top show rose in its first year of being exhibited, and has been in the top three places ever since. An excellent seed parent, Gemini is the parent of 15 registered roses, including the orange blend floribunda, Johnny Becnel, and the orange blend hybrid tea, Mu Lan. Vigorous, disease resistant, and floriferous, Gemini is not only the best hybrid tea to be awarded the All-America Rose Selection, but it is probably the most outstanding hybrid tea ever created. ANNUAL HARVEST POTLUCK DINNER Tuesday, November 10, :00 pm to 9:30 pm (please note early starting time) Livermore Room, MAGC This year our society is providing the main course so bring your favorite side dish, appetizer or dessert Friends and family welcome Awards Ceremony, Raffle, and Installation of New Officers The Marin Rose 11 November / December 2009

12 President s Message I find it hard to believe that our rose society year has gone by and we are now closer to 2010 than we think. I believe this year has been challenging for everyone because of the economy, but our society has continued to grow and to begin new things. I am very proud of what we have accomplished and would like to summarize some of our events and actions. We started the year off with a bang and a bunch of hearty pruners along with all of their gear. (My image of this is on our first day when Sara Miseveth got out of her car and walked to the circle of people in her orange jumpsuit one can t miss Sara). Our first year of pruning public gardens was successful in many ways. First, we raised a bunch of money to offset many costs for the society. I believe the best success was getting some new members; this was a great way to advertise our society and show others what we are about and can do. The other great success was how we were able to connect with each other and to work together with laughter, education and good fun. I got to know so many members more intimately than all my years put together before this event. We ended the fund raising event by having a great lunch all together at McGinnis Clubhouse with some prizes for the lucky winners. We had our second rose auction event at our February meeting where we auctioned off about 75 roses. Even though we were forced to use the smaller side of the Livermore Pavilion we made it work and John Goldsmith did a great job setting up and helping me as usual. If anyone would like to volunteer to help with the rose auction, please call me ASAP at or else we won t be able to do it for I cannot take on the responsibility of having the roses come to my house this time. I can do the auctioning however. Working on the newsletter has been a lot of work but also gratifying and fun. I want to thank Lydia Treadway for doing all the set up and formatting for the newsletter this year; next year she has decided to work on our annual rose show and won t be working on the newsletter. And also more thanks go to Gail Trimble, (talented in all areas) for helping me this year on the newsletter. I really could not have done it without her. Next year she and I will be co-editing the newsletter and we hope to bring you another year of a great newsletter. We may be making a few changes so don t be surprised when you read your first newsletter in January. Our newsletter is one of the best benefits of our society and is worth every penny that you pay for your membership. Nanette Londeree set up the profile of a great, award winning newsletter and it has been easier to follow in her footprint because of the background work that she laid out. Our membership dues have not changed in all the years I have been a member and will continue in 2010 to be $30.00 year. You may pay your membership dues at the Harvest dinner on November 10 th and if you pay that night, you will receive 2 free raffle tickets. We will have another great raffle that night so plan on joining us for a festive last meeting of the year. Remember that the Harvest Dinner begins at 6 pm and runs until about 9:30 pm. We will start with our elections as bad weather canceled our October meeting. This will be followed by a scrumptious dinner - the main course is being provided by our rose society, so bring a side dish, appetizer, or dessert, enough for 6-8 people. Following dinner we will have a program to include a raffle, awards ceremonies and installation of our new officers. I am looking forward to handing over the Presidency to Don Chapman, our very able Treasurer, and he may be looking forward to giving me the Treasurer job. I leave the Presidency having accomplished much of what I set out to do and I am grateful for all the help from my Officers and Directors and members. This is a fabulous rose society with many eager and willing volunteers and it is because of all of you that we have accomplished so much. Joan The Marin Rose 12 November / December 2009

13 Fast Facts - Phyllody By Nanette Londeree, Master Rosarian Signs None Symptoms Abnormal flower form Blossoms have leaf-like structures rather than flower organs New flowers growing out of the reproductive portion of the rose Normal and abnormal flowers simultaneously on the plant; overall plant healthy Cause Rose phyllody (pronounced fil-o-dee) as a result of changes in plant hormone balance or living infectious agents (not yet confirmed in roses) Optimal Conditions More often seen in floribundas Environmental stress - hot weather when flower buds are forming or water stress If caused by environmental stress, symptoms disappear when stress is eliminated Treatment Prevention: Prevent environmental stress; keep plants vigorous with proper care and irrigation Elimination: Good Guy / Bad Guy? This garden malady is just a nuisance and usually disappears on its own Top and middle photos courtesy of Robert Luttrell; bottom photo of spent bloom with phyllody by Nanette Londeree The Marin Rose 13 November / December 2009

14 Officers and Directors for 2010 (to be elected on November 10, 2009) President Don Chapman 1 st Vice President(s) & Program Chair(s) Frank Treadway & Alan Peterson 2 nd Vice President(s) & Rose Show Chair(s) Lenore Ruckman & Paula Jaffe Secretary Kitty O Donnell Treasurer & Past President Joan Goff Directors At Large Two year term: Pamela Scott & Paul Cullen Four Year term: Gail Trimble & John Goldsmith Parliamentarian: Betty Mott The MAGC Garden By Dorothy Arnold Consulting Rosarian The rose garden survived the October rain and wind storm beautifully. In fact, everything in the garden is still blooming. The extra rain did a world of good. We now have to continue during November and December, deadheading, pulling diseased leaves and weeding the garden. In January we will begin pruning the garden and we will have a public demonstration event on Saturday, January 3, 2010, from 10 am to 12 pm. Members of our society will show the public and others the correct way to prune. They will answer any questions. Bring your own pruning shears and learn with the experts. This will be a kick off event for our garden and our pruning fund raising event will begin the following week. Anybody who is interested in learning how to prune is invited. Bring your friends! I would like to thank all of this year s volunteers for a job well done in the garden! They made a real showplace out of it and we received many compliments from the public, visitors and MAGC personnel. Once again, THANK YOU, we could not have done it without you. If you are interested in working in the garden for next year, please call me at We need some new members to help keep the garden in full beauty. You only need to volunteer about 2 hours a month. The Marin Rose 14 November / December 2009

15 The Marin Rose November/December, 2009, Volume 35, No.11/12 Joan Goff, Editor Lydia Treadway, Editor Gail Trimble, Publisher Barbara Picarelli, Distributor MRS Officers, Directors & Committee Chairs President Joan Goff st VP / Program Co-Chairs John Goldsmith johngoldsmith@earthlink.net Paula Jaffe paulajaffe@comcast.net 2d VP/Show Chair Lenore Ruckman cmr3x7@aol.com Secretary Kitty O Donnell KKOSF51@comcast.net Treasurer Don Chapman chapman.don@comcast.net Rose Garden Coordinator Dorothy Arnold Raffle Chair Sandy Simon Membership Co-Chairs Barbara Picarelli Betty Mott Hospitality Chair Mary Polizzi Director & Website Chair Gail Trimble Directors Don Miller Alan Petersen Betty Mott Parliamentarian Florence Taylor 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. Lydia Treadway Realtor (415) Bradley Real Estate Calendar for Upcoming Events Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Installation of Officers & Awards Harvest Dinner Potluck 6:00 pm Livermore Room MAGC Monday, November 16, 2009 Joint Old Board New Board Meeting 7:00 pm Livermore room MAGC Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Consulting Rosarian Meeting And Pot Luck dinner Paula Jaffe s home 6:00 pm Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Saturday, January 2, 2010 Pruning at the MAGC garden 10:-00 am to 12:-00 noon Open to the public / free Saturday, January 2, 2010 Chili and cornbread pot luck For Marin Rose Society members only Livermore Room, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm MAGC Tuesday, January 12, 2010 First meeting in :30 pm Livermore Room MAGC The Marin Rose 15 November / December 2009

16 MARIN ROSE SOCIETY 724 Rowland Blvd. Novato, CA Have a Question? Contact a Consulting Rosarian Dorothy Arnold, Fairfax Rndarnold@aol.com Vivien Bronshvag, Kentfield vivlrb@aol.com Joan Goff, Mill Valley joanegoff@yahoo.com John Goldsmith, San Francisco johngoldsmith@earthlink.net Maureen Groper, San Anselmo samaureen@comcast.net Paula Jaffe, Tiburon paulajaffe@comcast.net Barbara Lanoy Picarelli*, Novato Bjlp@verizon.net Nanette Londeree*, Novato Rosienan@aol.com Betty Mott, Mill Valley mottbetty@gmail.com Mary Polizzi, San Rafael Lenore Ruckman*, San Rafael CMR3X7@aol.com Florence Taylor, San Rafael NONITAYLOR@aol.com Frank Treadway, San Rafael Frank@HomesMarin.com Lydia Treadway, San Rafael Lydia@HomesMarin.com Gail Trimble*, San Rafael Gail@marinrose.org *Master Consulting Rosarian