MILLENNIUM MEMORIAL ROSE GARDEN AT SOUTHSHORE CENTRE IN BARRIE
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Message from Virginia Foster, President of the HRS.
Dear Fellow Rosarians:
We are nearing the end of summer, but still enjoying our roses in the garden. We have been in our new home for 1 1/2 years now, and the roses transplanted have produced wonderful blooms this season. The new rose bushes that we bought this year have been settling in well, producing quite a few flowers.
The HRS has received an open invitation from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, to go and see the most recent addition to their Rose Gardens. We are thinking of going next year sometime and will likely arrange car pooling for those interested. Please talk to a member of the Executive if you think you would like to be part of the trip.
July has been a very busy month with the annual Rose Show and the Annual Garden Visit. Thank you to the many volunteers, participants, and attendees that made the show another resounding success.
This year, the visit brought us to Janice and Tim Schmidt’s beautiful gardens; the weather was wonderful, and there was a wide selection of refreshments and finger foods to nibble on. There is so much to see in their garden, so many paths to travel, and just as enjoyable just to sit and chat and relax. Many thanks to our gracious hosts for the lovely evening.
We have two meetings left this year, in September and October, so if you know of someone who might be interested in coming, please do invite them along before we all hibernate for what we hope will be a quick winter.
Do enjoy the rest of the newsletter, we look forward to seeing you on the 18th!
Virginia Foster, President
Open Meetings for 2018
Held on Tuesdays from 7pm to 9pm
Dorian Parker Community Centre, 227 Sunnidale Rd., Barrie
Sept. 18 Topic is “Carefree and Carpet Roses” presented by a Simcoe County Master Gardener, Anna Sauve. These types of roses are named “landscape roses”, as they are low-growing and everblooming, according to their publicity. We will have the Rose Show Awards presented to start the evening, and then enjoy our speaker after refreshments.
Oct. 23 (note the 4th Tues. of Oct.) – Topic is 2017 “International Rose Trials Winners” by Ethel Freeman, a member of the Canadian Rose Society. There are 23 trial gardens around the world each year. These trials allow the breeders to test and showcase new varieties (some already introduced and some not). Ethel will talk about the value of the trials and show photos of the 2017 winners and about half of the 2018 ones so far. This way we can see the trends in hybridizing and what is coming.
Bring your entries for the Photographic competition in this evening with entry tags filled out and attached
Memorial Garden
Many thanks to the members who have helped with pruning the roses In the spring and deadheading this summer. All our garden volunteers tell of the positive comments they get from the passersby when working at deadheading the roses, proof that how important this garden is to the public.
The drought was hard on the roses, they didn’t come back for their second flush of bloom as quickly. The tap right beside the garden that the city installed has been an immense help, but after the second fertilization, 12 bags of mulch were spread. Some weeds still showed up, but this cover of shredded cedar kept the soil evenly moist. We are updating the interpretive sign beside the garden.
HRS ROSE SHOW RESULTS
QUEEN of the SHOW Grace Kent Grimm Bros. Fairy tale
Edna Caldwell Plaque
MINIATURE QUEEN Ellen Spencer Waterlily
of the SHOW
BEST SHRUB ROSE Willy Vanderpost Morden Centennial
Victor Loeb Memorial
BEST RED ROSE Janice Schmidt Navy Lady
Wendy Caldwell-Halkewicz
Memorial Trophy
BEST DESIGN LEVEL A Grace Kent Roses and Diamonds
Rosette
BEST DESIGN LEVEL B Paula Newton Tornado of roses
Reta Caldwell Plaque
BEST DESIGN LEVEL C Michelle Lynch Tornado of roses
Betty Nielsen Cup
INVITATIONAL DESIGN Paula Newton Love is a rose
Rosette
JUDGE’S CHOICE Lynne Melnyk A Rose by any other name
Rosette
BEST EXHIBIT Tracey Bosley Red spray
Non-member or Youth
Rosette
Entries 109 (Specimens 94 Designs 15)
Exhibitors 16
Dear Rosie:
This past summer I had a new pest arrive in my garden. I think it is the Japanese beetle.
How can I stop them from devastating my roses?
Frustrated rose grower.
Dear frustrated rose grower,
You are correct, the Japanese beetle has finally arrived in our area. They are non-discriminating as they don’t really care what they eat, their diet can consist of over a hundred different plants with roses being one of their favorites. They originally came from the Japanese islands and because they were surrounded by water and were food to many natural predators they were kept under control but since the exportation of plants in soil from the area it is now our problem. Laws have stopped the shipping of plants in soil, but it is too late as they are already here.
Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do. I know that pesticides will help but not only will they kill the bad bugs, but they will also kill the good bugs too. Therefore, this is not an option.
Always remember that a healthy rose that is well watered and fertilized will survive an attack better than a rose that is weak and suffering. So good horticulture is called for.
The time to act is when you see one beetle, as they release pheromones into the air that attract more beetles to come to your garden. So early detection is critical to success in managing this ravenous pest.
A few other suggestions to help would be:
Hand pick early in the morning when the beetles are the most active and drop them into a bucket of soapy water( when using this method or the method below, please leave the beetles overnight in the bucket of soapy water to make sure they don’t survive)
Drop a cover around the base of the rose plant and shake the bush gently so that the beetles fall onto the cover and then drop them into a bucket of soapy water
Plant geraniums or place potted geraniums near your rose bushes, the beetle will be attracted to the geranium and start to feed. This plant contains geraniol oil which is toxic to the Japanese beetle. It will render them disorientated, dizzy, and paralyzed until death.
Use Neem oil as it effects the eggs and larvae so that the adults will not survive
Keep the garden clean, make fresh water available to attract the good bugs many of which would be natural predators that will help to eliminate pests in general.
Plant as companions to your rose bushes, garlic, chives, and rue that will help to keep the beetles and other pests away.
Don’t be fooled by traps, experts say this just brings in more beetles because of the release of pheromones and the traps can’t handle them all.
This is one more challenge for rose growers, but I know we will persevere and not give up as there is no other flower as beautiful as the rose.
Happy Gardening
Rosie
In memory of Reta Caldwell – a plaque will be placed in front of the grouping of “Champlain”, the reddest of the Explorer roses and Reta’s favourite colour in roses. This recognizes Reta’s almost 40 years of involvement with HRS, as a charter member in 1980 and active in many ways right until her final months.
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION
Our photographic competition is celebrating several years of success.
The number of entries were 48, in 2015, 62 in 2016 and 43 in 2017. Please bring this year’s entries to our October meeting with completed entry tags. Extra tags will be available at our September meeting if you need some.
Is 2018 your year to win the best photograph in the show?
The winner was Ellen Spencer in 2015, Janice Schmidt in 2016 and Grace Kent in 2018
All entries are judged by Don Komarechka who is an award- winning nature and landscape photographer who lives in Barrie.
So, get ready, the competition is on!