Our November speaker is John Pat Patterson of College Station, Texas. Pat is a Past-President of the Houston Rose Society, having served in 1975-76. His 100-bush garden in west Houston produced many show-quality blooms, before he and his late wife, Carol, moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Their move back to Texas landed them exactly where this dyed-in-the-wool Aggie longed to be.
Pat s rose resume also includes his being an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian, Life Horticulture Judge, and Past President of the Charlotte Rose Society in 1996-98. His current rose garden includes 75 bushes half Hybrid Teas, and half Miniatures and their beauty is a result of 40+ years worth of knowledge gained by listening to experts and peers, but also through trial-and-error.
Pat will share with us helpful hints for successfully growing the Queen of Flowers , the Rose. Come, and learn these lessons.
Consulting Rosarian for November is BAxter Williams.
No Grand Prix This Month: However, we want to have roses at the meeting, so we are asking everyone who can to bring a rose or more to the meeting to add to the decorations. This is not a contest. No judging will occur. No entry tags will be allowed. This is just a request for you to show up with a rose or more, in a vase of your choice, to put on one of the tables to spruce up the Garden Center. Of course, HRS vases will be available if you want.
Once again, this is not a contest. You don t have to know the name of the rose to bring it, but if you know the name, that would be great. Stems can be any length you like. Foliage can be present or absent. Roses can be one stem per vase or a dozen stems per vase. It is entirely up to you. We do ask that the roses be home grown, and not from the flower shop. Otherwise, no rules.
Everyone who brings a rose will get one or more tickets for a chance at a gift certificate from Arbor Gate. For each vase with rose or arrangement you bring, you will get one ticket. No limit on the number of roses you can bring and the number of tickets you can qualify for.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 13, 2011. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
- Re-Thinking the Rose Garden:
Roses without Chemicals
When New York outlawed chemical applications, the New York Botanic Garden had a problem.., 3,000 plus roses in a multi-million dollar collection known as the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden. Faced with new legislation, Peter Kukielski, curator, had a vision...come up with an environmentally responsible way to grow beautiful landscape roses with a proven history of superior disease resistance.
The undertaking was so successful that it has been showcased nationally and internationally in magazines and newspapers like the London Financial Times, the Washington Post, and the American Gardener. A horticulture celebrity, Peter is a frequent guest on Martha Stewart Living, a sought-after garden designer, has co-authored The Sustainable Rose Garden, and is currently working on his second book, Roses Without Chemicals. Under Peter s leadership, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden was recently inducted into the Great Rosarians of the World Rose Garden Hall of Fame.
The Houston Rose Society is honored to have Peter present Re-Thinking the Rose Garden . This event is free and open to all. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. Peter s book, The Sustainable Rose Garden, will be available for purchase at the event.
Consulting Rosarian for October is Gaye Hammond. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix Continues. Please bring some blooms to enter the competition.
Help with Dead Heading the Roses at the Garden Center
Come a few minutes early and bring your pruners. We are helping out the City by helping with the dead heading of the roses at the Garden Center
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 8, 2011. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
- Easy Teas
Many gardeners have tried, and failed, to successfully grow Hybrid Tea rose varieties. This month s speaker is determined to prove that there are a number of HT varieties that can be grown with ease. Claude Graves III is no stranger to many varieties of HTs as well as OGRs and EarthKinds, and he and Pamela are growing over 250 roses of 200 varieties. Claude has served in presidential roles in the following rose societies: Dallas Rose Society, Collin County Rose Society, Dallas Area Historical Rose Society, and he and Pamela are longtime American Rose Society members. He is an active member of the American Rose Center Committee, and is Curator of the Chambersville Heritage Rose Garden in McKinney, Texas, and he and Pamela are members of the Heritage Rose Foundation. Claude is a co-author of the EarthKind Rose Manual. His deep interest in rose hardiness has led him to form the ARS Easy-Tea Hybrid Tea Rose Research Committee, which he chairs. He will tell us of the aims of the Committee, and the work that is being done to identify, by scientific testing at the American Rose Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, those HTs which are the easiest to grow. His research will allow us to give recommendations of better roses to those whose first experience might not have been as successful as it could have been. Bring a pencil and notebook, and take those names.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Earl Krause. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix Continues. Please bring some blooms to enter the competition.
"Back to School" - Fun Arrangements. Join in the fun. This will be an anything goes display of arrangements. There are no rules, except that roses should be the dominant flower. The roses can be fresh, dried, purchased from the grocery store, poached from your neighbor s yard or gardener-grown. Enter as many arrangements as you wish, and the two receiving the most votes from the attendees will receive special prizes. Please arrive between 6:30 and 7:15 so that they can be staged and voted on before the meeting.
Help with Dead Heading the Roses at the Garden Center
Come a few minutes early and bring your pruners. We are helping out the City by helping with the dead heading of the roses at the Garden Center. If several of us pitch in, this will be short work. Please help.
- Become an Expert "Rooter"
Many of us started in roses by "taking a cutting off of Mama's rose" at the old home place. And, for some of us, that took more than one try. But try, we did, and with a bit of success. It certainly would have been easier if we had all seen a good demonstration, or had heard an explanation, of how best to take those cuttings.
We are privileged, this month, to be visited by Gerald Jones of the Golden Triangle Rose Society. Gerald has been a GTRS member for eighteen years. He is an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian and also a Horticulture Judge. He and his wife have over 500 roses, 200 of which are grown in rose beds, with the others being grown in pots.
Gerald will, by actual demonstrations, show us how he has propagated those beautiful roses they grow. His sharing of what worked, and what didn't work, to get their roots to form will be invaluable to us when we next take cuttings. AND you might go home with one of Gerald's propagations. See you Thursday.
Consulting Rosarian for August is Donald Burger. Bring your rose questions. There will be a lot to discuss.
Grand Prix - Bring your roses to enter the Grand Prix.
"Beatin the Heat" New for August!!
Take a break from the brutal summer and join in the fun. This will be an anything goes display of arrangements. There are no rules, except that roses should be the dominant flower. The roses can be fresh, dried, purchased from the grocery store, poached from your neighbor s yard or gardener-grown. The theme is Beatin the Heat , so this is a great chance to get creative and use some of those summer items around the house (for example, an ice cube tray, beer can, ice cream cone, ketchup bottle, etc., could be a container ). Enter as many arrangements as you wish, and the two receiving the most votes from the attendees will receive special prizes. Please arrive between 6:30 and 7:15 so that they can be staged and voted on before the meeting.
Help with Dead Heading the Roses at the Garden Center
Come a few minutes early and bring your pruners. We are helping out the City by helping with the dead heading of the roses at the Garden Center. If several of us pitch in, this will be short work. Please help.
July 14, 2011:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 14, 2011. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
- Annual Ice Cream Social
NOTE TIME CHANGE: 7:00 pm
Our Program this month all has to do with having fun. Instead of spending a lot of effort on putting together meaty horticulture for an hour s meeting, instead let s play some games, enjoy each other s company, and eat some ice cream. Let me invite you to bring your favorite ice cream toppings, cookies or other goodies to share with our rose lovers, and to bring your roses to enter in this year s Wacky Competition. You say you don t compete in our shows, but is that because you don t consider your blooms to be good enough? Well, your blooms will definitely be good enough for this competition. Here are the categories for entries:
Longest stem with a rose flower (must not be a dried one)
Entry with the most blackspotted leaves
Entry with the most thorns (prickles)
Entry with the most spent blooms
Laughs and chuckles will be awarded for the most-impressive entry in each category. You must be present to win.
There will be games and good rose conversations. Bring a non-HRS friend to this meeting, and you might very well go home with a new member in your car.
Vendor tables to browse:
Arbor Gate garden supplies and more;
Buchanan's Native Plants - garden accents and native Texas plants;
Maria's Designs - selections of rose-decorated clothing and other rosy items;
Nature's Way Resources - HRS formulated Rose Soil Blend and other organic composts and mulches;
Nitro-Phos - Garden products;
RCW Nursery roses and garden supplies;
Wabash Antiques & Feed - organic rose products.
June 9, 2011:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 9, 2011. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
- Yard Geek Amongst Us
Our Speaker this month is Houston s Yard Geek, Bob Patterson, owner of Southwest Fertilizer located at 5828 Bissonnet in Southwest Houston, which for years has been a strong supporter of the Houston Rose Society. He has managed the store since 1989, and purchased the store in December 2008. Bob grew up in Houston, graduating Sharpstown High School in 1973, and eventually earned his Bachelor s Degree in Political Science from the University of Houston, where he is a Lifetime Member of the Houston Alumni Association. Bob has served as board member and vice president of the Sharpstown Civic Association, President of the Friends of Linkwood Park, and has served over 10 years as a board member of Knollwood Village Civic Club as Vice President and as President. Bob and Dianne are members of St. Luke s Presbyterian Church.
Bob will be speaking about the various tools and equipment that we use in maintaining our rose gardens, and about new products that make horticulture projects easier and safer. Always an important matter is garden safety, and he will give us valuable tips to prevent injuries as we use our tools.
Consulting Rosarian for June is Denise Cope. As always, bring your rose questions.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair, 2 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - Patti Lawlor, Rosarian, and Master Gardner, will be talking to us about companion plants and roses.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 12, 2011. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
- Rose Watering Systems Made Easy
Earl Krause is a Master Rosarian who knows what it takes to grow roses. He and Deanna have not only won big in our local rose shows, but they also have travelled to show their flowers in many other area shows, not only in the State of Texas but also in Louisiana and Oklahoma, and in ARS National Shows.
Earl s background is in industrial and commercial electrical systems, and he has over 35 years experience therein. Starting with Miniatures, he and Deanna have been growing roses since 1978, and now grow all types.
Over the years Earl Krause has fabricated several watering systems to give his and Deanna s roses the moisture needed to produce the beautiful blooms in their garden. And those systems aren t just random thoughts; the designs have come from a long history of what does and doesn t work well, and also what is practical from both financial and fabrication standpoints. From hand-held systems to automated ones, Earl will show us easier ways to get what we need in our own gardens. Come prepared with a notepad, so you will be able to remember the hints.
Consulting Rosarian for May is Gaye Hammond. Come prepared to ask your rose questions.
Grand Prix continues - Bring your best blooms to enter the competition.
Feature of the Month: Floribunda Bouquet, 5 or more stems (one bloom per stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
All About the Next Meeting of The Houston Rose Society
by Baxter Williams, Program Chairman
- Chemical Safety in the Garden:
Tools & Techniques
Spring is the season for bringing out the spray equipment to help our roses reach their finest perfection. Whether you are using fungicides, insecticides or herbicides, you need to use the proper methods to ensure the safety of your family, your pets and yourself. Join us for the April meeting of the Houston Rose Society, which will feature an engaging PowerPoint presentation by Donald Burger titled, "Chemical Safety in the Garden: Tools & Techniques."
Donald is the immediate past president of the Houston Rose Society, a consulting rosarian, webmaster of the Houston Rose Society, and, along with Maria Trevino, grower of over one hundred roses. Donald and Maria will be showcasing those hundred plus roses on the Spring Garden Tour on April 17th.
Whether dealing with Bermuda grass in the rose beds, thrips in the blooms or blackspot on the leaves, most rosarians employ chemicals, both organic and synthetic, to help their roses flourish. If you are going to use chemicals, you need to use them safely. Donald promises to make chemical safety in the garden interesting, and he will make that fine print on our chemical labels come alive. Come to the April meeting, and learn the latest information about tools and techniques to make using chemicals in the garden safe for you and those you love.
Consulting Rosarian for the month is Mary Fulgham. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix begins this month. Bring blooms to enter the competition.
Feature of the Month: Old Garden Rose Bouquet. Five or more stems of one bloom or multiple blooms, in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner: James Laperouse on "Tips on Showing Roses". Come early, you don't want to miss it.
- Larger Bushes From the Start
Surely you've heard some talk of bushes that grow larger than most, and now we get direct information from the source. Jim Mills, Owner and Proprietor of K & M Roses (kandmroses.com) and wife Daisy, visit us this month to discuss how roses are grafted onto Fortuniana rootstock. You can see which roses they sell, by visiting their website, and even order in advance to be brought to you (read: "free delivery") at the meeting.
K and M Roses is located in Buckatunna, Mississippi, which is approximately 65 miles north of Mobile, Alabama. The nursery is on property that has been in the Mills family for well over 100 years. The K & M Blueberry farm, one of the area's largest producers of fresh and frozen blueberries, is also located on the Mills property.
K & M Nursery has been growing and selling high quality Fortuniana-grafted roses for about 20 years. James and Daisy were awarded the Bronze Medal for Outstanding Service by the Mobile Rose Society, and the Silver medal of Honor from the Gulf District of the American Rose Society. James is a Master Rosarian, and a Master Gardener. With the help of the Mississippi State extension service, James and Daisy developed a technique for grafting that has become the standard for grafted roses.
The Mills have approximately 1,000 bushes in their rose garden where they grow and evaluate different varieties of Fortuniana-grafted roses. Their rose garden also contains several huge Fortuniana bushes, which supply rootstock for the operation.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Patsy Williams. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner: Donald Burger on "Best Roses for Containers". Come early, you don't want to miss it.
- Prune With the Best
Our traditional February meeting is all about how to adjust the size of roses so that spring growth will have its best chance for success. For thousands of years it has been known that judicious pruning can have a stunning effect on plant growth and bloom production. Ancient vintners learned when and where to make the cuts, and so can you.
To show you how to best prune your bushes, we have these expert rosarians to demonstrate proper techniques
James Laperouse & John Patterson.................Hybrid Teas; Grandifloras
Mary Fulgham...................Floribundas
Deanna & Earl Krause......Miniatures and Minifloras
Donald Burger .................Old Garden Roses; Climbers
What to bring: All of your how-to-prune-it questions. Friends, or family members, who might benefit from this once-a-year educational opportunity. And a big smile. See you there.
We need your help:
Bring your give-away rose bushes, tagged with the name of the rose, type - hybrid tea, floribunda, mini, ogr, climber, etc. and either potted or in a plastic bag. Bring the roses you want to donate to the February meeting. Please arrive at the Garden Center by 7:00 pm, if you are donating more than one or two bushes, so that we will have adequate time to get the bushes unloaded and into their respective pruning stations by the time the meeting starts. You will receive a free ticket as you enter the meeting. These will be put into a bucket and numbers will be drawn through the evening for free bushes. You could be a lucky winner and go home with a new rose bush.
There will be no Beginner's Corner In February.
Note: The construction at the Garden Center is scheduled to be completed by the time of our February meeting, so we will be back at the garden center. Should changes occur they will be posted on the web site.
- Earth-Kind Roses
No Spray, No Fertilizer, No Problem!
Who wouldn t want their roses to look like these? This rose garden is special and so are the roses. These roses have never been sprayed, fertilized or pruned and, other than rain, were only watered three times in 2010!
What makes these roses special is that they are part of the National Earth-Kind Rose Research Program an effort funded by the HRS to identify the hardiest most beautiful landscape roses that thrive in even the most adverse conditions.
After compiling three years of research data, Gaye Hammond (Past President of the Houston Rose Society and a member of the National Earth-Kind Advisory Board) will take the audience on a tour of Earth-Kind rose trials across the U.S., and will showcase the top-performing roses that are part of the study. Join us in January, and get the scoop on roses that are truly easy to grow. This is a program that will not be repeated outside of our society.
Consulting Rosarian is Denise Cope. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - James Laperouse - Recommended varieties, and where to find them.
NOTE: Our January meeting will be not be in the Houston Garden Center, which will be under repairs until the end of January, but will be in the Hermann Park Golf Club House at 2155 N. MacGregor Way.
From Houston Garden Center: Travel south on Hermann Drive to Almeda Road (traffic signal), right about a block to driveway on right into Golf Clubhouse parking lot.
From Texas Hwy 288: Exit on N. MacGregor Way towards Hermann Park across Almeda Road, to first driveway on right into Golf Clubhouse parking lot. Admission is free. The public is invited.
- Holiday Party
We will have the annual awards presentation, door prizes, the installation of our 2011 officers, and of course - our holiday gift raffle!
Bring a wrapped rose-related gift ($5 - $10) to put under the tree for the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5. We always have fun drawing for gifts from fellow rosarians.
Tickets for the dinner are $25 each, and pre-paid reservations are required. Send your check, payable to Houston Rose Society to:
Ralph Twiss
835 Bel Mar Street
Sugar Land, Texas 77478-3301
Your pre-paid reservation must be received no later than December 2nd, 2010
To print a copy of the reservation form, click here.
Dinner includes:
Spinach Pie, Greek Salad, Crab Bites,
Chicken Breast in Filo, Pork Tenderloin,
Mediterranean Rice, Peas & Artichokes, Sherried Carrots,
Dessert: Greek Pastries
Drinks: Tea & Coffee
Make your reservation now!
November 11, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, November 11, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Make Your Beds
"Honey, I made the bed." Long-time rose grower, Baxter Williams, has designed, built and re-built dozens of rose beds, starting in 1967. That bed was designed "off-the-wall" and before he had grown any roses, and later beds have taken advantage of lessons learned.
This month's program will answer questions that occur with each new bed, and give you ideas of the time and costs of construction. Got questions?
Baxter Williams, and wife Patsy, have been growing roses in Houston since moving here in early 1967. Their first rose garden consisted of a single rose bed with approximately a dozen Hybrid Tea and Grandiflora varieties. They dug a bed into the hard clay soil, and had to remove a willow tree in the center of the area. At essentially ground level, it wasn't long before problems appeared due to bed design and construction.
Having first found the American Rose Society by way of his Mother's gifting of membership, they soon found the Houston Rose Society. Seasoned members of the HRS showed them better bed constructions than their first one, and that led to much healthier bushes and more-beautiful blooms, and much less stress on the growers.
Consulting Rosarian for November is Patsy Williams. Bring her your hardest rose questions.
Grand Prix continues - Bring your best blooms and enter the competition. This is the last Grand Prix until April.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner: Root-a-Rose Clinic by Gaye Hammond. Be sure to come early to participate.
October 14, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 14, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Waste to WOW
Flower arrangements are very expensive if you wish to get them from the florist at the strip mall. On the other hand, we create so much waste, but have a significant responsibility to care for our environment. Floral art, as well as being as green as we can be, is close to the heart of Loela Barry. In this talk Loela shows you how, with a minimum of cash outlay, you can use items normally discarded as useless, combined with plants from your garden, to create floral arrangements that would WOW your guests. What you can use and create is as limited, or limitless, as your imagination.
Loela is a Landscape Architect who also studied various floral and fine arts in South Africa, Italy and the USA. She thrives when painting and drawing, or creating floral art, landscaping and pottery. Johan Kritzinger is a Chemical Engineer with a passion for innovation, new technology development, and the combination of art and science. He also is a creative photographer, and sculptor in wood and other media. Both are from South Africa, and created The JoLo Art Duo to introduce a new and fresh contemporary line of art especially for corporate and hospitality art collections. Their art has been exhibited in various art capitols like Las Vegas, New York, Santa Fe, Belgium, Dubai and Du Louvre, Paris, and a 3-week special exhibition in the MOYA Vienna, Austria. Their art was featured in the books Contemporary Artists of the World 2008-2009 , and in A World of Artists .
Consulting Rosarian for October is Donald Burger. Bring your rose questions.
Grand Prix continues - Roses are beginning to get better as it gets a little cooler. Bring your blooms to the Grand Prix this month.
Feature of the Month: Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora Bouquet, 7 or more roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm: Meet the authors of Heirloom Bulbs for Today , which is a collection of botanical art and photography by "The Bulb Hunter", Chris Wiesinger, and award winning author, Cherie Foster Colburn. They will have an exhibit of the Collection of Botanical Art from the book in the various forms: prints, gicle s, note cards, scarves, photos, etc., for sale.
NOTE: We have been asked to bring roses and plant material to be used in the program.
September 9, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 9, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Search for Striped Roses
There are eighteen distinct color classifications for roses that include various shades of white, pink, red, orange, yellow, mauve, and russet. However, a rose petal with stripes is a very rare find. Deanna Krause, Master Rosarian, will share with us her favorite varieties of striped roses. Deanna and her husband, Earl, have grown roses for over thirty years, have won many national awards for their roses, and their garden is frequently on tour with the rose society. In addition, Deanna and Earl are early members of the Texas Rose Rustlers, which is an organization dedicated to the preservation and study of Old Garden Roses in Texas. This is one program that you will not want to miss!
Consulting Rosarian for September is Earl Krause. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
The Grand Prix Continues. Bring your best blooms, and enter the show.
Feature of the Month: Stages of Bloom, 3 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety, showing the three stages of development. Displayed in separate containers.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner Earl Krause, also a Master Rosarian and former Show Chairman, will give us insider tips on how to exhibit roses at our Fall Show in October. Earl and Deanna, have won many awards at local, district, and national rose shows. You can use these same tips for bringing roses into your home.
August 12, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 12, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Companion Plants for Your Rose Garden
Natasha Schischakin
is the manager of the tree, shrub, and rose departments at Buchanan s Native Plants and will be speaking to our members on Companion Plants for your Rose Garden. Natasha is also considered one of Buchanan s birding experts, and is responsible for the technical design of the nursery s website, electronic newsletter and their plant information database. The Board of the Houston Rose Society would like to thank both Natasha and Buchanan's for donating a set of pruners and leather rose gloves as door prizes to be raffled at the August Meeting, and another generous donation from them at last month s meeting, which included a set of ice cream bowls, from their gift shop and two rose bushes. If you are interested in learning what plants grow well with your roses, and want a chance to win pruners or rose gloves, this is one meeting that you will not want to miss!
Consulting Rosarian for August is Robin Hough. Bring your rose questions.
Feature of the Month: Arrangement: A Standard or Miniature arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement (Line, Mass, Abstract, Moribana, etc.) must be on entry tag.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner: James Laperouse will discuss gardening techniques to produce Fall blooms.
July 8, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 8, 2010. For the July meeting only, the meeting begins one-half earlier at 7:00 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Ice Cream Social & Wacky Rose Competition
Please Note the Earlier Time
1. Largest Single Blackspot
2. The Odd Couple
3. Yellow Leaves of Texas
4. Brownest Bloom
5. Most Spent Blooms on a Single Cane
Winners of each class will receive a certificate and a red HRS Tote Bag!
Beginning at 7:30 pm, Marble Slab will begin serving ice cream for one hour. Each member will be able to select between Chocolate Swiss or Sweet Cream (vanilla) ice cream and one of four toppings to have mixed on their famous marble slab! This is one meeting that you do not want to miss, if you like to socialize with other members and stroll the rose garden!
Members: Bring your favorite cookies, brownies, etc. to go with ice cream and to share with others.
The following vendors (in alphabetical order) will be at the meeting to satisify your shoping needs!
Arbor Gate Nursery
Buchanan's Native Plants
Maria's Designs (Maria Sabin)
RCW Nursery
Tomboy Tools (Patti Lawlor)
There will be NO Beginner s Corner this month.
June 10, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 10, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Gardeners and their Aching Hands
Wendy Tilley will walk rose gardeners through some of the research and new technologies developed for the gardener to solve some of their aches and pains. She'll bring some of the resulting products and share some stories about their development.
Wendy Tilley is a retired Special Education teacher that has turned gardening into a second career. She and her husband Ryan have been growing roses around Atlanta for over 20 years. Ryan is a past president of the Atlanta Rose Society, and opened "Rose Gardens by Ryan" to care for Atlanta's rose gardens over 15 years ago. Since then, Ryan developed numerous rose-related pains. Wendy eventually found hand-healthy gardening tools and gloves that dramatically decreased his daily aches. This began her garden business at www.TheRoseGardener.com, and she has since added the Harlane Garden Label Company at www.harlane.com to enhance her hand-healthy garden company. Wendy attends rose shows, and flower and garden shows, including the 2009 SE Flower Show, and speaks throughout the Southeast. She'll bring some of her favorite gardening accessories with her to the meeting.
Wendy was scheduled to come in March but her flight was cancelled keeping her from being with us. Meet her at the June meeting.
Consulting Rosarian for June is James Laperouse. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues:
There will be NO Beginner s Corner this month.
May 13, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 13, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair, two Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
Environmentally-Friendly Products
Linda Robbins has worked for Nature's Way Resources since 2003. She first heard John Ferguson speak on soil health while taking a Harris County Master Gardener class. She was so interested in what he taught that, after the class, she asked John if there was a position open in his company. Linda is a Harris County Master Gardener, a member of Organic Horticulture Business-Education Alliance (OHBA), and the Houston Rose Society.
Linda will be speaking on alternative Environmentally-Friendly Products to use in landscapes. She will also talk about the Houston Rose Society Rose Soil formulated by Nature's Way Resources and components of the soil required for roses.
Consulting Rosarian for May is Earl Krause. Bring your hardest rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix Continues - Bring your best blooms. Entries must be in by 7:30 pm. Special class for novices. Best novice wins a prize.
Feature of the Month: Floribunda Bouquet, 5 or more stems (one bloom per stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner by Donald Burger.
"Quick and Easy Irrigation Systems for Your Roses." You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to have an irrigation system for your roses. And you don't have to hire a specialist. Come learn the tricks to get your system up and running before the summer heat arrives.
Houston Rose Society dues for 2010 are due. Our membership is January thru December.
April 8, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, April 8, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Integrated Pest Management
Mary Fulgham, Chairman of Houston Rose Society's Consulting Rosarian Program, will present a program on Integrated Pest Management, which is comprised of four methods: cultural, physical, biological, and chemical. Mary and her husband have been growing roses in Bellaire for over 20 years. Mary has published numerous articles on rose growing, as well as having presented many lectures in the Houston area. Mary has both Bachelor of Music (1973) and Master of Music (1976) degrees from the University of Houston. She performs with the Houston Grand Opera, the Joffrey Ballet, and the Houston Ballet Orchestras. She is also an adjunct professor of music at Houston Baptist University. Mary will provide us with information about all of the creatures in our rose gardens, and how to tell the good bugs from the bad guys. You will find this meeting very informative, with great photos of different bugs and diseases that can attack your roses!
Consulting Rosarian for April is Mary Fulgham. Bring your roses questions.
The Grand Prix begins this month. Bring your best roses, and enter the competition. Points are accumulated from April through November, and the winners are acknowledged with a prize at our Holiday Party in December.
Feature of the Month: Old Garden Rose Bouquet, 5 or more stems of one bloom or multiple blooms, in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner will feature ROSES ROCK, which is a program designed just for kids, and features Ivy Keen, a student from Bellaire. Ivy s program demonstrates how children can create their own roses. Each child that attends will experience a fun program and will receive a special gift. And this main month's program will be presented by Mary Fulgham, Ivy s mother.
Houston Rose Society dues for 2010 are due. Our membership is January thru December.
March 11, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, March 11, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Gardeners and their Aching Hands
Wendy Tilley will walk rose gardeners through some of the research and new technologies developed for gardeners to solve some of their aches and pains. She'll bring some of the resulting products and share some stories about their development.
Wendy Tilley is a retired Special Education teacher that has turned gardening into a second career. She and her husband Ryan have been growing roses around Atlanta for over 20 years. Ryan is a past president of the Atlanta Rose Society and opened "Rose Gardens by Ryan" over 15 years ago to care for Atlanta's rose gardens. Since then, Ryan developed numerous rose-related pains, and Wendy eventually found him hand-healthy gardening tools and gloves that dramatically decreased these daily aches. This began her garden business www.TheRoseGardener.com, and she has since added the Harlane Garden Label Company at www.harlane.com to enhance her garden company. Wendy attends rose shows, and flower and garden shows, including the 2009 SE Flower Show, and speaks throughout the Southeast. She'll bring some of her favorite gardening accessories with her to the meeting.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Donald Burger. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner by John Jons speaking on pruning techniques as a follow up to the February meeting.
February 11, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, February 11, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Prune With the Pros
The Houston Rose Society s annual pruning demonstration is Thursday, February 11th at 7:30 pm at the Garden Center in Hermann Park. A crew of our expert Rosarians will demonstrate pruning techniques on actual bushes of all types of roses. Tables will be placed all around the room so you can get a close-up view of how to make those cuts. You are free to move from table to table to see as many techniques as possible. Your questions are encouraged. By Valentine s Day (the recommended pruning date in Houston), you will be able to prune with confidence.
As an added bonus, all of the pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes. Be sure to get a free ticket when you arrive, in order to be eligible to receive one of the bushes. If your number is drawn, you may choose among the bushes that have been pruned. This meeting is loads of fun, so bring a friend.
So We Need Your Roses!
We ve all had several months to think about our gardens and make plans for the new varieties we want to add this year. If you plan to eliminate existing bushes this growing season, don t give them to the trash man DONATE THEM TO THE HRS. We will need bushes to use in our February 11th pruning demonstration. Simply dig up the bushes, wrap the root/soil ball in damp newspaper, and put the wrapped root ball in a plastic bag or pot. Be sure to label your bush with the type of rose (Hybrid Tea, Climber, Floribunda, Miniature, or Antique) and the rose name, if you know it. If you don t know the name of the rose, list its color. Bring the roses you want to donate to the February meeting. Please arrive at the Garden Center by 7:00 pm, if you are donating more than one or two bushes, so that we will have adequate time to get the bushes unloaded and into their respective pruning stations by the time the meeting starts.
There will be no Beginner's Corner this month.
January 14, 2010:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, January 14, 2010. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Lessons from a Rose Rustler
Michael Shoup, owner of the Antique Rose Emporium and author of Roses in the Southern Garden, will teach members at our January meeting which roses grow well in Houston and the southeastern areas of the United States.
Antique roses require less care than other roses and have been increasing in popularity. These roses are considered native plants that can endure the extreme climate changes in Houston. Antique roses can be found in different sizes and varieties as climbers, shrubs, or specialty roses. This educational program will be fascinating and one that you will not want to miss!
Consulting Rosarian for January is Robin Hough. Please bring your questions to the meeting.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - Bed-Building In A Nutshell by Baxter Williams. What is the quickest way to build a rose bed? the best location? the cheapest construction? the simplest construction? Our 90 days of winter will soon pass, and the roses put on order through the mail will arrive, all needing bed space. Bring your questions to the 'Beginner's Corner' before the meeting.
Houston Rose Society dues for 2010 are due. Our membership is January thru December.
December 10, 2009:
To read about the December Holiday Party, click here
November 12, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, November 12, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Rose: America's True Native
Roses have been part of America's history long before man existed on this planet. They have also played a role in the development and colonization of our country. Gaye Hammond, our speaker for the November meeting, will take us on a journey from the roses of prehistoric times, through their impact on the lives of American Indians, and colonization by the early settlers. We will see fossils of prehistoric roses and learn of the wild roses native to America - that still grow today in untamed habitats. This program is a fascinating look at how roses have impacted American history. Bring a friend and come join us!
Consulting Rosarian for November is Patsy Williams. Blooms are bigger and better. Bring your rose questions.
Grand Prix Concludes for the Year. This is the last Grand Prix this year. Bring your blooms to enter the show.
Feature of the Month: Miniature Bouquet, 12 Mini roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side buds, in container furnished by exhibitor.
No Beginner s Corner in November
Product Pick-up Nov. 7th, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm
Officer Elections will be held at the November Meeting. For the slate nominated by the Nominating Committee, see the current edition of the Rose Ette. Nomination may also be made from the floor.
To read about past programs of the Houston Rose Society, click here.
For directions to the Houston Garden Center, click here.
October 8, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 8, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Fabulous Photos of Famous Rose Gardens
Our speaker this month, Christa Kaiser, will take us on a tour of her favorite rose gardens around the world. Her travels abroad have taken her to a number of remarkable rose gardens, and also to private local gardens of Rosarians in our area. Christa's photos include some from famous gardens in the Paris, France; Konrad Adenauer s homestead in Roendorf, Germany; and, of course, gardens of Rosarians in Houston.
Christa s hobby of roses and gardening has remained her life-long passion. She is a Master Gardener at the Texas Cooperative Extension, Precinct 2 Satellite, Genoa Red Bluff Road, where she is in charge of the rose beds.
Consulting Rosarian for October is Mary Fulgham.Bring your rose questions. The roses are getting prettier.
Feature of the Month: Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora Bouquet, 7 or more roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem without side bud(s), in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner. Donald Burger will talk to you about "Tips from a Non-Exhibitor on How to Enter Your First Rose Show."
Come hear the inside information that makes entering your first rose show a piece of cake.
September 10, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 10, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Collecting Rainwater
Here in Houston sometimes we get so much rain that it floods, then the sun comes out and bakes our roses for weeks at a time. Wouldn t you like to save that rainwater to use during our hot dry spells? Our speaker this month will teach us how. Billy Kniffen is the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Water Resource Specialist with a focus on rainwater catchment education and with statewide responsibilities. He has served in extension for 26 years and most of which were as an extension agent assigned to a particular county, one of which was Hays County (San Marcos) between Austin and San Antonio. He serves as The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association national treasurer and as their Accredited Professional coordinator and instructor. He helped organize the Texas Rainwater Catchment Association and served as its first president in 2007-09. He and his wife Mary live in Menard in a home solely dependent on rainwater.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Baxter Williams. We all want beautiful roses this fall.
Feature of the Month: Stages of Bloom, 3 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety, showing the three stages of development. Displayed in separate containers.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner. James Laperouse will talk to you about "Magic Elixirs for Kour Roses." Come, and see what James has to say about the subject.
August 13, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 13, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Not Just Show - Dan Talks Dirt
The man who gets up at almost every meeting to tell us the winners of our monthly Rose Show our Show Chairman has a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy (crops and soils) from Kansas State University and is a Texas Master Gardener. Dan Lawlor has been an instructor of agriculture at Wharton County Junior College for 17 years. He served as director of the WCJC Soil and Forage Testing Laboratory from 1992 until its closing in 2004, and served as Agriculture Department Head since 2005. Dan has been growing roses for over 30 years, first at his parent s house in Delaware, and for the past 15+ years in the Houston area with his wife, Patti. At our August meeting, Dan will share his knowledge about the soil roses like best.
Consulting Rosarian for August is Mary Fulgham. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix Resumes. Bring your best blooms to enter in the competition.
Feature of the Month: Arrangement: A Standard or Miniature arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement
(Line, Mass, Abstract, Moribana, etc.) must be on entry tag.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner Mary Fulgham, will show the proper way to groom your roses in the fall, slanted towards getting folks to work towards entering the rose show in October and for a spectacular fall bloom.
July 9, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 9, 2009. The meeting begins at the special time of 7:00 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Golden Jubilee
This month the Houston Rose Society celebrates fifty years of continuous educational service to Houston rose lovers. Our Mayor, Bill White, has proclaimed July 9th to be "Rose Day" honoring the Houston Rose Society, and a city counsel representative will make a special presentation of the Proclamation at our meeting. This is a truly special event so special that our meeting will start 30 minutes earlier at 7:00 pm in order to have extra time to enjoy appetizers, birthday cake, and music by Guillermo Serpas (www.guillermoserpas.com). Our special speaker will be Dr. William Welch, author of Antique Roses for the South. The past presidents of HRS will also be honored.
We always appreciate refreshments from our members. If you can bring something, please contact Susan Kelly at 713-937-4452 or suzzieq1971@aol.com.
We are grateful to H-E-B for their generous donation for this event. Please thank them by shopping there.
In addition, various vendors that support HRS will have tables of their wares and information for you. Here is a partial list:
Arbor Gate Nursery garden supplies and more;
The Enchanted Forest and The Enchanted Garden roses and garden supplies and gifts;
Maria s Designs rose-themed, hand-painted and embroidered clothing, jewelry and accessories;
Nature s Way Resources HRS formulated Rose Soil Blend and other organic composts and mulches;
RCW Nurseries roses and garden supplies;
Southwest Fertilizer host of our fall chemical sale;
Teas Nursery roses and garden supplies.
Please come help us celebrate this momentous achievement.
June 11, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 11, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Herbs in The Landscape
For the June meeting we have a pair of knowledgeable speakers, Ann Wheeler and Beverly Welch, who will talk about the usefulness of herbs in the garden especially with roses.
Ann Wheeler and her husband, A.J. Morris, recently retired as owners of the Log House Herb Farm near Magnolia. They had grown herbs for the retail nursery trade from 1995 until 2007, specializing in varieties that can be successfully grown in the Gulf Coast region of Texas.
Ann became interested in herb gardens during the early l960's when she lived in England, and she still investigates local herbs wherever she goes. She has especially enjoyed comparing varieties grown in countries with climates as diverse as Norway and Southern France. She also serves as herb consultant to The Arbor Gate where herbs are found planted in virtually every display garden throughout the year.
Beverly Welch is the owner of The Arbor Gate in Tomball. After years of exploring garden design and the wide varieties of plants available for the Gulf Coast, Beverly amassed an immense knowledge of gardening. Her dream of opening her own garden center became a reality in October of 1996. What was once a prairie is now Houston s premier garden showplace with stunning display gardens, an herb house, and a rose house with over 150 varieties of roses, perennials and annuals.
Ann and Beverly will demonstrate how roses and herbs can be successfully combined to create beautiful garden landscapes.
Consulting Rosarian for June is Gaye Hammond. Bring questions.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair, 2 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - James Laperouse - Summer Use of Organics.
May 14, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 14, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Insects: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Not all of the insects we see in our gardens are destructive; some of them are actually helpful to us. Wouldn t it be nice to know which is which? Our Meeting in May will focus on insects in residence in our gardens, and on what, if anything, to do about them.
Our speaker this month is long-time rose grower, Baxter Williams. He and wife Patsy are two of the American Rose Society s first Master Rosarians, and have been growing the Queen of Flowers, The Rose, since moving to Houston in early 1967. Even in their first 12-bush garden, Baxter had to contend with harmful insects. Now that their garden size has grown to 600 bushes, there is much more at stake in managing insect populations. He will show pictures of both helpful and damaging critters, and suggest appropriate controls for the bad ones.
Consulting Rosarian for May is Earl Krause. Roses are blooming, insects are here. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Floribunda Bouquet, 5 or more stems (one bloom per stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - Gaye Hammond will teach you how to identify chilli thrips damage in your own garden - and teach you how to treat them.
April 9, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, April 9, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Twelve Roses to Grow in Houston
You asked for it. Responses to our Member Survey show that recommendations for varieties of roses that grow well in this climate are among the most requested program topics. Our Speaker for April has wonderful ideas on this subject harvested over his years of experience growing and judging roses along the Gulf Coast. Tommy Hebert, a resident of Beaumont, Texas, is a 25-year member of the Golden Triangle Rose Society and a 20-year member of The American Rose Society. Some of his many awards include the Master Rosarian Award of the ARS and the Outstanding Judge Award, the Outstanding Consulting Rosarian Award and the Silver Honor Medal of the South Central District of ARS.
A lifetime gardener, Tommy counts around 300 rose plants in his garden. Tommy and "rose-wife" Ange also enjoy rose exhibiting when Tommy is not judging. Come to our April meeting to learn about Tommy s favorite roses for Houston.
Consulting Rosarian for April is James Laperouse. The roses are blooming. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix begins this month. We should be having beautiful blooms. Bring your best, and enter the monthly show. Remember, there is a special class for beginners, and there is a monthly prize for that class.
Feature of the Month: Old Garden Rose Bouquet, 5 or more stems of one bloom or multiple blooms, in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - John Jons will give us insider tips on how to choose a rose.
Houston Rose Society dues for 2009 are due. Our membership is January thru December. Don't forget to renew your membership.
March 12, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, March 12, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Perfect Healthy Roses from a Legend
Teas Nursery is a landmark nursery in the Houston area and a generous supporter of the Houston Rose Society. Teas Nursery was founded in 1843 but did not come to Houston until 1910. The Teas family was instrumental in the greening of Houston over the years, bringing new plant varieties to the area.
John Teas, the fourth generation owner, will be our speaker at our March 12, 2009 meeting. He personally tends the roses at the nursery, and can usually be found in that section of the nursery, deadheading roses and advising customers. He has a vast variety of roses at his nursery in Bellaire. John will share his family secrets developed over the ninety-nine years of growing experience in Houston. Come to hear his tips and tricks for growing great roses.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Patsy Williams. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - Deanna Krause will give us insider tips for exhibiting roses. You can use the same tips for bringing roses in to your home.
Houston Rose Society dues for 2009 are due. Our membership is January thru December. Don't forget to renew your membership.
February 12, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, February 12, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Ready, Set, Prune!
The Houston Rose Society s annual pruning demonstration is Thursday, February 12th at 7:30 pm at the Garden Center in Hermann Park. A crew of our expert Rosarians will demonstrate pruning techniques on actual bushes of all types of roses. Tables will be placed all around the room so you can get a close-up view of how to make those cuts. You are free to move from table to table to see as many techniques as possible. Your questions are encouraged. By Valentine s Day (the recommended pruning date in Houston), you will be able to prune with confidence.
As an added bonus, all of the pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes. Be sure to get a free ticket when you arrive, in order to be eligible to receive one of the bushes. If your number is drawn, you may choose among the bushes that have been pruned. This meeting is loads of fun, so bring a friend.
We Need Your Roses!
We ve all had several months to think about our gardens and make plans for the new varieties we want to add this year. If you plan to eliminate existing bushes this growing season, don t give them to the trash man Donate them to the HRS. We desperately need bushes to use in our February 12th pruning demonstration. Simply dig up the bushes, wrap the roots/soil ball in damp newspaper, and put the wrapped root ball in a plastic bag or pot. Be sure to label your bush with the type of rose (Hybrid Tea, Climber, Floribunda, Miniature, or Antique) and the rose name, if you know it. If you don t know the name of the rose, list its color. Bring the roses you want to donate to the February meeting. Please arrive at the Garden Center by 7:00 pm, if you are donating more than one or two bushes so that we will have adequate time to get the bushes, unloaded and into their respective pruning stations by the time the meeting starts.
Beginner s Corner - Because of the pruning meeting, there will be no Beginner's Corner this month. The next Beginner's Corner will be at 7:00 p.m. at the March meeting.
Houston Rose Society dues for 2009 are due. Our membership is January thru December. Don't forget to renew your membership.
January 8, 2009:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, January 8, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal Winner To Speak
Our Speaker for January recently won the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals at the American Rose Center Trial Grounds in Shreveport. His name is James Bailey, a long-time member of the HRS who lives in Florida. Jim is currently President of the West Pasco Rose Society for the third time. He is a Consulting Rosarian, an amateur rose hybridizer and a member of the Rose Hybridizers Association. He will speak on why to hybridize, and how to hybridize. His article, "Genetically Speaking" is on the HRS website in the Members Only section.
Consulting Rosarian for January is Shirley Morgan.
As the New Year begins, there are always questions. Bring them to the meeting.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - January or February is the time to transplant roses that need to be moved. Come early and James Laperouse will tell you how.
Houston Rose Society dues for 2009 are due. Our membership is January thru December.
December 11, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, December 11, 2008. This is our Annual Holiday Dinner. It is at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park but at a special time. Reservations are required.
The Houston Rose Society's
Annual Holiday Dinner
Note Time Change
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Social Hour: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:00 pm
Houston Garden Center
Hermann Park
PRE-PAID Reservations are required
Mail reservations to:
Galt Morgan, 713-463-6719
12335 Kingsride Ln #109, Houston, TX 77024-4116
$25.00 per Person
Reservations / money must be received by December 3rd
The Evening includes:
Appetizer: Gumbo
Chicken Dijon & Crawfish Etouffee
Garlic mashed potatoes
Dinner salad
French bread
Chocolate Chip Bourbon Pecan Bars
Or
Miniature Cheesecake
Installation of 2009 Officers
Grand Prix Awards for 2008
HRS Annual Holiday Raffle
HRS Special Prizes
November 13, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, November 13, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Rose Diseases
We all want to grow beautiful healthy roses. We can, and most of us either use a process of trial and error, or let the experts do the experimentation. Our speaker for the November meeting will be Dr. Karl Steddom, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, in the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology at Texas A & M University. His job is to conduct research on the diseases that attack roses and other horticultural and field crops in East Texas, including greenhouses and nurseries. He will explain the most common diseases that attack roses and teach us how to avoid or treat them. Come to our November meeting to learn how to recognize rose diseases before it is too late to save the bush.
Consulting Rosarian for November is James Laperouse, who has been pre-empted for two months. Bring your rose questions.
Grand Prix continues - This is the last month for the Grand Prix this year. Bring your best blooms, and enter the competition.
Feature of the Month: Miniature Bouquet, 12 Mini roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
Special: 7:00 pm, Beginners Corner: Do you have questions about your equipment - shears, loppers, saws, sprayers, electrical cords, etc.? Baxter Williams will discuss the hardware used while maintaining your roses.
October 9, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 9, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Basye and Moore Legacies:
Rose Breeding at Texas A&M University
Our speaker for the October meeting will be Dr. David Byrne, Professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Associate Head for Research and Graduate Studies, and Basye Endowed Chair of Rose Genetics at Texas A&M University. He will describe the historical development and the progress achieved by the TAMU Rose breeding and Genetics Program which has been blessed by two significant donations from creative and innovative rose breeders: Robert E. Basye and Ralph S. Moore.
While pursuing a career as a professor of mathematics at TAMU, Dr. Basye bred roses for over 50 years. His most famous rose is Belinda s Dream.
In the world of miniature roses, Ralph S. Moore has been called father, patron saint, and even king.
Come to our October meeting to learn about the gifts of these two giants in the world of rose breeding, the future plans which they have inspired at TAMU, and how they are helping to provide us with beautiful, healthy roses for our gardens in Houston s hot and humid climate.
Consulting Rosarian is James Laperouse. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora Bouquet. 7 or more roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
September 11, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 11, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Patsy s Fool-proof Method
for Growing Roses from Cuttings
One of the questions most frequently posed to consulting rosarians is How do you root rose cuttings? Almost everyone has tried to create new bushes from discarded cuttings. Some times those cuttings root successfully, other times they do not. Invariably, the cuttings most important to you are the ones that fail, leaving you wondering what went wrong.
Patsy Williams, a Master Rosarian and Horticulture Judge, has probably rooted more rose cuttings than any other rosarian in Texas. Over the years, Patsy has developed a technique for rooting rose cuttings that has resulted in successful rooting 90% of the time, and she will share that technique with us at the September meeting.
Since many of us groom bushes now to promote fall bloom, the September meeting is the perfect time to start a few cuttings.
September Cutting Exchange
At our September meeting we will feature a cuttings exchange. This is a great opportunity for rosarians to try their hands at rooting cuttings and we will need several hundred cuttings donated to ensure that everyone goes home with at least one cutting to try.
To donate cuttings: A day or two before the September meeting, take cuttings from the roses in your yard. The diameter of the cuttings should be no thicker than a No. 2 pencil and ideally should be from a cane that has flowered. Cuttings should be no longer than 12 . Wrap 6-12 rose cuttings in wet paper towel and place the cuttings in a gallon Zip Loc bag. Using a black felt tip permanent marker, write the name of the rose on the bag. Do not put more than one variety of rose in each bag. Keep bagged cuttings in a cool place and bring them in their Zip Loc bags to the meeting.
To participate in the cutting exchange: Bring to the September meeting your clippers, some gallon Zip Loc bags (you will want at least one gallon bag for each variety you select), a permanent black felt marker, some paper towels.
If anyone has rooted cuttings that they would like to donate, we would be happy to accept them, to be given away as door prizes.
Consulting Rosarian for September is James Laperouse. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Stages of Bloom, 3 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety showing the three stages of development. Displayed in separate containers.
SPECIAL: 7:00 PM, Beginners Corner - How to get your bushes ready for fall bloom, by Baxter Williams.
August 14, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 14, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Pink Ladies and Crimson Gents:
Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses
Can a rose and the person it s named for actually share physical characteristics? That s just one of the charming propositions explored in Pink Ladies and Crimson Gents: Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses, by writer Molly Glentzer and photographer Don Glentzer. Anyone who s grown roses or just dreamed about it will delight in the stories of some of history s most intriguing rose namesakes, each illustrated with breathtaking, museum-quality images.
Molly and Don Glentzer are HRS members. At this month s meeting at 7:30 pm, Molly will talk about her new book and show slides of Don s stunning photographs, botanical portraits so lush you can practically inhale the roses scents.
Come early, because Molly will autograph copies of her new book beginning at 7:00 pm. The River Oaks Book Store will have copies available for purchase before the meeting ($22.50 + tax).
Consulting Rosarian is Earl Krause. August is a hard month on our roses. Let Earl answer your questions in the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Arrangement: A Standard or Miniature arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement (Line, Mass, Abstract, Moribana, etc.) must be on entry tag.
Note: There is no Beginner s Corner due to the Autograph Party for Molly Glentzer s book signing.
P> July, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 10, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Annual Ice Cream Social and Vendor Fair
This month s meeting is our old fashioned ice cream social. The society provides the ice cream, and everyone is encouraged to bring his or her favorite topping (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, sprinkles, whipped cream, etc.), or cookies or brownies. We will even have sugar-free ice cream (for those with restricted dietary requirements) and root beer for floats. Ultimately, together, we create the largest ice cream sundae bar in Houston.
We are grateful to H-E-B for their generous donation for this event. Please thank them by shopping there.
Summer is a time for having fun with family and friends, and we are looking forward to having you join us.
In addition, various vendors that support HRS will have tables of their wares and information for you. Here is a partial list:
Arbor Gate Nursery garden supplies and more;
Buchanan s Native Plants garden accents and native Texas plants;
Maria s Designs rose-themed, hand-painted and embroidered clothing, jewelry and accessories;
Nature s Way Resources HRS formulated Rose Soil Blend and other organic composts and mulches;
RCW Nurseries roses and garden supplies;
Smith and Hawken items to enhance your gardening lifestyle;
Southwest Fertilizer host of our fall chemical sale;
Teas Nursery roses and garden supplies;
Wabash Antiques and Feed Store organic rose products.
There will be NO Grand Prix this month, but bring some roses for a Wacky Competition.
1. The most mismatched pair of roses
2. Smallest hybrid tea rose bloom
3. Largest bloom of any kind of rose
4. Most fragrant rose
5. Most unusual bloom
Bring your wackiest specimens and join in the fun.
Come a little early for parking purposes because of Miller Theater.
June, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 12, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Healthy Soil = Beautiful Roses
How healthy is the soil in which your roses are planted? With the free fertilizer sample you will receive at our June meeting, you can judge the results for yourself in your own garden.
Founded in 1980, Natural Resources Group specializes in organic fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi and organic pest control. NRG has striven to introduce the conventional fertilizer of tomorrow highly efficient organic based products that preserve nutrient availability, reduce leaching, and build soil vitality and increase blooms. Their Texas representative, Isaac Smuin will be the speaker at our June meeting. Come to the meeting to learn how to build healthy soil using organic methods. Besides the free samples there will also be a chance to win full size containers of some of his products.
Consulting Rosarian for June is Gaye Hammond. The summer heat always causes problems. Bring your questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues. Bring your best blooms and participate in the competition. Novices: Don t forget to bring your entries for the Novice class.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair: Two Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, or Floribunda, same variety, one bloom per stem, no side buds, shown in separate containers.
Special: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - Shirley Morgan will tell us about the Bermuda Mystery Roses and their adventure in the EarthKind trials.
May, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 8, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Practical Irrigation Systems
Baxter Williams has been a member of the Houston Rose Society for 36 years, having served on the Board of Directors for most of that time. He currently serves as Director of the HRS, and as the Director of the South Central District of the ARS, which encompasses rose societies in Texas and Oklahoma, and all but one of the local societies in Arkansas. He and Patsy are American Rose Society Master Rosarians, and Horticulture Judges. Their rose garden has almost 600 bushes of all types.
Baxter is a retired Professional Engineer whose specialty is measurements and remote control, so it is natural to imagine him creating an automated watering system for his and Patsy s rose garden. Having 28 rose beds, he has automated 21 of them. But what about the other seven beds? And did those beds start out as automated in the beginning? Follow his discussion of how their watering began as a simple one-hose system, and grew into a multi-zone automated system.
He will show you how to grow a system in stages. Beginning with simple inexpensive equipment, and modifying it over the years, it is possible to save yourself a lot of work by judicious planning. He will show you many of the pieces necessary to build do-it-yourself watering pipe.
Consulting Rosarian for May is Robin Hough. Come prepared to ask questions.
Grand Prix continues. Bring your best blooms. James and Debbie Laperouse need some competition. Novices - Bring your best blooms.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair: Two Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, or Floribunda, same variety, one bloom per stem, no side buds, shown in separate containers.
April, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, April 10, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Rose Genetics
How does ancestry affect today's roses? Matthew J. Orwat (Texas A&M University) has just completed a study of the vast genetic diversity that exists in the genus Rosa. We are used to hearing about human genes that are responsible for blue eyes or susceptibility to certain cancers. The same thing is true of roses. There is a rose gene responsible for susceptibility to blackspot. Matt Orwat, our speaker at the April meeting, will explain the results of the Rose Genetics Study and how this knowledge is being used to breed beautiful, carefree roses that gardeners in all climates can enjoy.
Consulting Rosarian for April is Robin Hough. This time of year always brings many questions. Bring yours to the meeting.
Grand Prix begins: Bring your best blooms and enter them in the Grand Prix. Remember that we have a special class for novices. The best Novice entry for the evening wins twenty dollars!
Feature of the Month: Old Garden Rose Bouquet, 5 or more stems of one bloom or multiple blooms, in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00pm, Beginner s Corner by Mary Fulgham. She will give us the how-to on amateur hybridizing. Join Mary for this informative topic.
ghg March, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, March 13, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Quest for Hardy, Disease-Resistant Roses
When one thinks of rose hybridizing the first things that come to mind are laboratories, greenhouses and scientists in white coats. The laboratory of Ray Ponton is a pasture in Taylor, Texas, and he works magic creating new roses in jeans and a baseball cap. Ray is one of the early members of the Texas Rose Rustlers, and his interest in hybridizing began in 1992, after reading an article on the uniqueness of Griffith Buck roses. "My objective was to create new and interesting varieties of roses to plant in my pasture." To date, Ray has created 20 roses that have been registered and about half of them are commercially available. We are honored that he chose to name one of those roses, Deanna, after one of our members, Deanna Krause. Deanna and Earl Krause have many of the roses hybridized by Ray in their garden in Pasadena.
Ray Ponton will be our speaker at the March meeting, and his program will showcase the fabulous roses that he has created. This is an excellent program for anyone wishing to add beautiful hardy roses to their landscapes. We will also have several of Ray's roses to give away as door prizes.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Mary Fulgham. Bring your rose questions. There are always a lot of questions as the roses begin to grow.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner by Robin Hough - Come early, and get the rules and helpful hints for entering the HRS Arrangement Competition at the April Home and Garden Show. ARS Arrangements Judge Robin Hough will walk you through the dos and don ts.
February, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, February 14, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Annual Pruning Demonstration
Valentine s Day (February 14th) is when those of us in Houston start pruning our roses. Therefore, we are having a Pruning Party at our meeting on February 14th. The event will begin at 7:30 pm with a short PowerPoint program, Pruning 101, by John Jons. Then, a crew of our experienced pruners will demonstrate pruning techniques on actual bushes of all types of roses. You can move around as you like to see as many techniques as possible. Questions are encouraged.
As an added bonus, all of the pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes. Be sure to get a free ticket when you arrive, in order to be eligible to receive one of the bushes. If your number is drawn, you may choose among the bushes that have been pruned. This meeting is loads of fun, so bring a friend.
We Need Your Roses!
We ve all had several months to think about our gardens and make plans for the new varieties we want to add this year. If you plan to eliminate existing bushes this growing season, don t give them to the trash man DONATE THEM TO THE HRS. We desperately need bushes to use in our February 14th pruning demonstration. Simply dig up the bushes, wrap the roots/soil ball in damp newspaper, and put the wrapped root ball in a plastic bag or pot. Be sure to label your bush with the type of rose (Hybrid Tea, Climber, Floribunda, Miniature, or Antique) and the rose name, if you know it. If you don t know the name of the rose, list its color. Bring the roses you want to donate to the February meeting. Please arrive at the Garden Center by 7:00 pm, if you are donating more than one or two bushes, so that we will have adequate time to get the bushes unloaded and into their respective pruning stations by the time the meeting starts.
Master Gardeners Please contact Baxter Williams, who is compiling a list of Master Gardeners who are HRS members. 713-944-3437
There will be no Beginner s Corner this month.
January, 2008:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, January 10, 2008. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
- The EarthKind Approach to Bed Preparation
This month s program will be presented by Dr. Steve George, Professor and Landscape Horticulture Specialist at Texas A&M University s Research Center in Richardson, Texas. The EarthKind Rose and EarthKind Environmental Soil Management Programs are based on scientifically proven field evaluations, which have produced not only a selection of specific rose cultivars, but also simple soil preparation and growing methods which almost guarantee success in growing roses. His presentation will concentrate on the soils native to our area. Gardeners who follow the EarthKind approach aim at realizing an increase in their quality of life and feeling a sense of personal accomplishment by both successfully growing beautiful roses and protecting our environment at the same time.Dr. George will discuss the principles of constructing a bed in our native clay in such a manner that it can properly drain during our rainy seasons, and so that beneficial organisms can also flourish.
We are fortunate to have this research specialist with us for the evening. Be ready to ask soil questions, and to hear how our Houston-sponsored Trials are advancing through the program.
Consulting Rosarian for January will be Gaye Hammond. The new year is beginning. Bring your questions, get answers, and get the year started right.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginner s Corner - Types of soil that we have in the Houston area, by Gaye Hammond.
December, 2007:
- December 13, 2007
- Holiday Party
The December meeting of the Houston Rose Society is our Annual Holiday Party. The meeting is on Thursday, December 13, 2007. This year's HRS Annual Holiday Party will be at our regular meeting place of the Houston Garden Center. The dinner will be catered by Pappas Catering. Check the December Rose Ette for the delicious menu. Pre-dinner festivities begin at 6:30 pm. Dinner will be served at 7:30 pm.We will have the annual awards presentation, door prizes, the installation of our 2008 officers, and of course - our holiday gift raffle!
Bring a wrapped rose-related gift ($5 - $10) to put under the tree for the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5. We always have fun drawing for gifts from fellow rosarians.
Tickets for the dinner are $25 each, and pre-paid reservations are required. Send your check, payable to Houston Rose Society to:
Galt Morgan
12335 Kingsride #109
Houston,Texas 77024
Phone-713-463-6719
Your pre-paid reservation must be received no later than December 5, 2007, or you can charge your reservations below.
November, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, November 8, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Gardeners Beware: Chilli Thrips Have Invaded Texas
Chilli thrips, the country's newest exotic pest, entered Texas and Florida in 2005. In less than 2 years the Florida population exploded and colonies of these pests are now found in every county in that state. We expect the Texas experience to mirror that of Florida. While the favorite food of chilli thrips is roses, more than 34 other Texas crops, ornamentals, shrubs and trees are host plants for this exotic pest. Unlike the western flower thrips that we are familiar with, chilli thrips feed on foliage and tender new growth - weakening the overall health of the bush. Left uncontrolled, chilli thrips can ultimately kill roses and no roses appear to be immune to their devastation. Experts agree that correct identification and treatment are critical in the management of this pest.
Our speaker for the November meeting is Dr. Scott Ludwig from the Texas Cooperative Extension's Research & Experiment Station in Overton, Texas. Besides being a specialist in integrated pest management, Dr. Ludwig sits on the National Chilli Thrips Task Force and is our State's leading researcher on chilli thrips.
This is probably our most important program of the year. Everyone who loves gardening needs to attend to learn to identify the damage from this pest and how to treat them. Many members have reported unusual leaf drop and other plant symptoms not previously seen in the garden. If you are currently experiencing this symptom in your garden, remove 20 leaflets from the plant along with a bloom and put them in a plastic ziploc bag. Label the bag with your name, phone number, e-mail address and date the samples were taken and bring the bag with you to the meeting.
Consulting Rosarian for November is Earl Krause.Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues. Feature of the Month: Miniature Bouquet, 12 mini roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
SPECIAL: 7:00 pm, Beginners Corner - How to order roses from catalogues, by John Jons.
October, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 11, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Kimbrew-Walter Roses
Our speaker for the October meeting will be John C. (Jack) Walter, owner of Kimbrew-Walter Roses. Jack gained his love of roses at an early age from his father in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in chemistry.
Living in the North, and working with many rose societies, he finally became sensible and moved to the South in 1960. (his words) Wanting to be more involved in roses, he purchased Kimbrew Roses in 1972 which then became Kimbrew-Walter Roses. Jack began field growing large budded roses for retail mail order, later adding miniature roses. In recent years, he has started grafting and budding large and mini roses on Fortuniana understock.
Jack attends all rose conventions, workshops, and seminars for continuing education. Jack s company sells roses, chemicals, and rose related products (he has furnished miniature roses for our rose shows for years). Jack is serving his third term as Region 7 Director for the American Rose Society, and even though he is in his 80 s, he still travels to many areas to give programs and lectures. Jack claims to have roses in his blood that he ll never get out.
Consulting Rosarian for October is Deanna Krause. Bring your rose questions. We all want beautiful roses this month.
Feature of the Month: Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora Bouquet, 7 or more roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
Simplifying the Products List for Beginners, by Jim Boden. Find out what all those strange-sounding products on our Chemical Sale are all about. This talk will make it easier for you to order products. Bring your own list from the September newsletter--and learn all about it.
September, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 13, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Fort Worth Botanical Gardens
Our speaker for this month is Dennis Jones, the Rose Gardener at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and also the President of the Fort Worth Rose Society. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington with over 20 years experience in residential and commercial landscaping.
His earth-friendly approach to gardening includes all facets of integrated pest management. Dennis is also an instructor with Extended Education at TCU focusing on roses with the courses Roses Made Easy and Roses and Champagne . Dennis will discuss the history of the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and also what is currently going on with the gardens. He will tell us how he handles the really warm weather while he cares for the 2,000 roses grown in the gardens! Hopefully, we ll also get a peek at his personal rose garden. Dennis s wife, Van will also be coming. Her father (Van) owned and operated Van s Ballroom, formerly located on the Gulf Freeway south. Some of us veteran rosarians may recall it! Please come and welcome our guests to Houston.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Jeniver Lauran. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Stages of Bloom, 3 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, Miniatures or Mini-Floras of the same variety, showing the three stages of development. Displayed in separate containers.
BEGINNER'S CORNER - 7:00 pm. Exhibiting for the Beginner, by Deanna Krause.
There are simple ways to make your blooms look better and last longer after cutting. Join Deanna before the meeting to learn her special methods.August, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 8, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Better Plant Health Through Plant Nutrition
This month s program will feature Horticulturist Bill Abetz, Jr., who will discuss how new chemistries, such as bio-rationales , can stimulate the plant s immune system. The result is a plant that can defend itself from natural predators, therefore increasing overall plant health while reducing reliance on traditional pesticides. The presentation will be free of any advertising or brand names and will be 100% science based.
Bill s love of horticulture sprouted at the age of 12 when he began work as a grounds keeper at a local golf course (in return for a membership), back in his home state of Connecticut. Bill left Connecticut after high school to pursue his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from the University of Florida. Add to that an MBA in Finance and fifteen years in the industry and you ve got a lean, mean problem-solving machine!
When the opportunity to grow a business in Texas was presented to him, he couldn t resist the challenge. His goals are to (1) clear up the mystery of chemicals and fertilizers, and (2) design programs that reduce the use of chemicals, provide better control, and move to a more environmentally friendly atmosphere for customers and workers. In addition, with proceeds from his company, he is working towards developing fertilizers specifically designed for different areas throughout Texas.
Consulting Rosarian for August is Patsy Williams.
Feature of the Month: Arrangement: A Standard or Miniature-Miniflora arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement (Line, Mass, Abstract, Moribana, etc.) must be on entry tag.
BEGINNER'S CORNER - 7:00 pm. Gadgets for the Garden, by Donald Burger. Come early for this informative session. Many of our members have been enjoying these early presentations.
July, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 12, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Annual Ice Cream Social
Deanna Krause, Program Chair
Every year the society sponsors an "old fashioned" ice cream social, and this year's social will bring us a respite from the sweltering heat and humidity that has been plaguing us for weeks. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. so that we have plenty of time to visit and eat lots of ice cream and visit the rose garden.
Summer is a time for having fun with family and friends, and we are looking forward to having you join us.
The society provides the ice cream, and everyone is encouraged to bring his or her favorite topping (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, sprinkles, whipped cream, etc.), or cookies or brownies. Ultimately, we create the largest ice cream sundae bar in the City.
There will be NO Grand Prix this month, but bring some roses for a Wacky Competition.
1. The most mismatched pair of roses
2. Smallest hybrid tea rose bloom
3. Largest bloom of any kind of rose
4. Most fragrant rose
5. Most unusual bloom
Bring your wackiest specimens and join in the fun.
Come a little early for parking purposes because of Miller Theater.FEATURED TABLES
Buchanan s Native Plants - garden accents and native Texas plants.
Maria s Designs - selections of rose-decorated clothing and other rosy items.
Nature s Way Resources - HRS formulated Rose Soil Blend and other organic composts and mulches.
Teas Nursery - garden supplies and roses
Wabash Antiques & Feed - organic rose products
Rendez-Vous Quebec - Travel AgencyJune, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 14, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Johnny Becnel Show Roses
Deanna Krause, Program Chair
Join us for an evening with Calvin Boutte, from Martinville, Louisiana. After 25 years of working in the oilfield and offshore, Calvin needed a hobby to, as he says, keep me out of trouble , so he planted a few roses. Later that year, he met four guys from the Golden Triangle Rose Society and heard about showing roses, which really got his attention. He started building rose beds and, six months later, had over 100 roses! He started exhibiting his roses, but knew next to nothing about how to do it. Even so, when he went to a rose show in New Orleans he managed to win the Best Novice Trophy, and that was where he first met Johnny Becnel. He visited Johnny s garden about a month later and made a decision to learn all he could from that guy , because it was obvious Becnel was very gifted at growing roses. Throughout that time of trying to learn how to grow roses, Johnny and Calvin became the best of friends as Calvin soaked up as much knowledge as possible from his mentor.
Please help us welcome Calvin and his wife, Anita, to Houston as he shares his insights on how to grow roses grown on Fortuniana rootstock.
Consulting Rosarian for June is Mary Fulgham. Summer s heat always brings concerns for the roses. Bring your questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues. Bring your roses.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair, 2 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
New this month: There will be a special prize for the NOVICE who wins "Best Novice" for this month's Grand Prix. A novice is anyone who has never won a blue ribbon in a ARS sanctioned rose show. The prize is a copy of Robert Martin's wonderful book, Showing Good Roses. We are giving this prize to encourage novices, so bring your roses and have a chance to win this book. And, as an added benefit, you will learn techniques about how to show your roses.SPECIAL - 7:00 pm. Earl Krause will address simple irrigation anyone can do. Come early to be a part of this. Our pre-meeting basic training session will focus on the basics for watering roses and keeping them happy.
May, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 10, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Hybridizing With Mary and Ivy
Deanna Krause, Program Chair
Mary Fulgham and her daughter, Ivy Keen, will demonstrate how to hybridize roses. This involves transferring pollen from one plant to another, which results in the formation of seed hips, leading to unique new plants.
They will show slides of the process, and pictures of the roses they have created. Ivy is 13, and is an honor student at Trafton Academy in the 7th grade. She also plays the flute and dances ballet. Mary is a Master Rosarian and longtime amateur hybridizer.
Come, and see how something that sounds complicated is really fun. They will show you that it is easy enough to be done by children!
FYI: Did you see the nice article about Ivy in the March American Rose?
Consulting Rosarian for May is Robin Hough. The roses are in full bloom. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Floribunda Bouquet, 5 or more stems (one bloom per stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties, displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL - 7:00 pm. Baxter Williams will address Beginners Understanding of Insects. Come early to be a part of this. "Our pre-meeting basic training session will focus this time on the insects that you are likely to see in your rose garden. Not every "bug" is a bad one, and you need to be able to tell the good ones from those which will damage your rose bushes. Come at 7:00 pm to see pictures and hear a discussion of the creatures on our roses.
April, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, April 12, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Don't Pass on the Bucks!
Deanna Krause, Program Chair
Dr. Griffith Buck (1915-1991) is credited with creating more disease-resistant hardy roses than any other rose hybridizer in this country. Even though Dr. Buck's roses were especially created to survive the blistering cold winters (down to 28 degrees zero) of Iowa and the far northern states, we are finding that a large number of his roses do extremely well in our heat and humidity. The disease resistance and hardiness of Dr. Buck's roses have even attracted the attention of scientists at Texas A&M University and they are now studying 17 of Dr. Buck's roses in the National EarthKind trials funded by the Houston Rose Society.
While a couple of our members have grown Buck roses for many years most members have never experienced the beauty and grace that they bring to the landscape. With a few exceptions, most Buck roses are shrubs that bear fragrant blooms with hybrid tea form. In fact, it was the Dr. Buck that created the ARS classification of roses known as "shrubs". Our April meeting will showcase the work of Dr. Buck and the fabulous roses that he created.
Our speaker in April will be Gaye Hammond. Besides being our President, for several years Gaye has been working with Texas Cooperative Extension, Chamblee's Rose Nursery (Tyler) and local nurserymen to reintroduce and/or prevent Buck roses from being lost to commerce. She is an instructor for Texas Cooperative Extension in their EarthKind Rose Research Program and gives lectures throughout the country. In her spare time she is an avid writer, and her articles have received local, national and international publication.
Two special Buck roses will be given away as door prizes at the meeting.
Consulting Rosarian for April is Robin Hough. Bring your rose questions.
Grand Prix begins - Bring your best blooms and enter the competition.
Feature of the Month: Old Garden Rose Bouquet, 5 or more stems of one bloom or multiple blooms, in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
SPECIAL - 7:00 pm. Beginners Guide to Fertilizing Your Roses, by Donald Burger. Come early for a special presentation. This is a time for beginners to get questions answered.
March, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, March 8, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
A Journey of Roses
Deanna Krause, Program Chair
Join us for an evening with Sandra Smith as she talks about her garden, how she propagates her roses and how she ended up in New Orleans on a restoration project.
She is a fifth generation Houstonian, whose ancestors have always loved gardening. Among her proudest achievements are being a founding member and the first newsletter editor of the Polish Genealogical Society of Texas. In 2001, she discovered the historical and mystifying, similarities between genealogy and antique roses, which turned into a passion that has driven her to become an avid rosarian. Sandra is currently a member of the Houston Rose Society and the Texas Rose Rustlers, whose mission is to collect, identify and preserve old roses found in cemeteries and older communities. The Rustlers have contributed immensely to a revival of carefree roses in home and commercial landscapes, as well as encouraging and sharing organic gardening techniques. Sandra s job with an oil field equipment company in Houston limits her to weekend gardening. Therefore, she has focused on native plants and Old Garden Roses due to their low maintenance requirements.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Donald Burger. With the beginning of spring there are a lot of concerns. Bring your questions to the meeting.
Note: For a written version of this talk, click here.
February, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, February 8, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
A Night of Pruning
Deanna Krause, Program Chair
Pruning our roses is a very important part of preparing the bushes for a new growing season. Come to our meeting on February 8th and let our experienced rosarians show you how they prune their roses to get the best results. February 14th is normally the time to cut roses back in this area. The meeting will be a hands-on pruning demonstration of all types of roses, starting with a short Power Point program by John Jons. We will then move about the room, observing the demonstrations. Feel free to ask questions.
Rose Pruners:
Hybrid Teas: Mary Fulgham and Randy Keen,
Debbie and James Laperouse,
Dan and Patti LawlorFloribundas: Robin Hough and Earl Krause
Miniatures: Jeniver Lauran and John Jons
Antiques: Donald Burger and Maria Trevino
Climbers and Shrubs: Doug Mitchell
All the bushes pruned will be given away during the evening. You will receive a free ticket as you enter, numbers will drawn, and check the blackboard for your number to come up.
Bring your rose bush discards.
If you have bushes that did not come up to your expectations, dig them up, put them either in a plastic bag or a pot and bring them...we will find new homes! We need bushes of all types, please help.
January, 2007:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, Janauary 11, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
An Inside Look at the Newest
Jackson & Perkins RosesEveryone who has grown more than a couple of roses has spent time pouring over those fantastic rose catalogs published by Jackson & Perkins. In addition to tried and true standards, they always have enticing new roses, just waiting for the planting.
The Houston Rose Society is pleased to bring you Kevin Marshall, direct from Jackson & Perkins,as our speaker on January 11, 2007. He will tell us all about this year's newest offerings from J & P. This is your chance to see slides of their upcoming roses, and learn about the history of how they were selected, how they do, and why you must be the first rose grower on your block to have them.
We will also hear about how J & P grows its roses and learn about the fascinating history of this long-time rose supplier. Come get the inside information of the roses everyone will be talking about in 2007. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. on January 11th. See you there.
December, 2006
Instead of the normal monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society, we will have a "Reservations Required" holiday party on Thursday, December 14, 2006. The party begins at 6:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Reservations are required.
Reservations Required: The HRS Holiday Party
The December meeting of the Houston Rose Society is our Annual Holiday Party. The meeting is on Thursday, December 14, 2006. This year's HRS Annual Holiday Party will be at our regular meeting place of the Houston Garden Center. The dinner will be catered by Pappas Catering. Check the December Rose Ette for the delicious menu. Pre-dinner festivities begin at 6:30 pm. Dinner will be served at 7:30 pm.
In a repeat of a new tradition established at the 2002 celebration, Mary Rains and several of our members will be turning each of the tables into works of art, as each table will be decorated in an individual "theme" for the party.
We are privileged to have a special guest for the evening. We will also have the annual awards presentation, door prizes, the installation of our 2007 officers, and of course - our holiday gift raffle!
Bring a wrapped rose-related gift ($5 - $10) to put under the tree for the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5. We always have fun drawing for gifts from fellow rosarians.
Tickets for the dinner are $20 each, and pre-paid reservations are required. Send your check, payable to Houston Rose Society to:
Galt Morgan
12335 Kingsride #109
Houston,Texas 77024
Phone-713-463-6719
Your pre-paid reservation must be received no later than December 8, 2006, or you can charge your reservations on VISA or MASTERCARD by calling Galt Morgan at the above phone number by the deadline.
November, 2006
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, November 9, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
There's Always Room for Miniatures!
Rosarians are fond of saying there is always room for one more rose. That is sometimes not the case with a full-sized hybrid tea or gigantic old garden roses. But, no matter how crowded your garden, it is easy to fit in another miniature rose. Even so, they have their own care requirement if they are going to flourish in our heat and humidity.
For our October program Patsy Williams will discuss these small beauties of our hobby and will give you ideas as to how to successfully grow them in your own garden. Patsy is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian and a Horticulture Judge. She grows almost 600 rose bushes in her garden, and many of them are miniatures.
Miniatures need somewhat different growing techniques and care from their full-sized cousins, and Patsy will discuss these special requirements in detail. And miniatures are easy to make into attractive bouquets for indoors. Patsy brings a wealth of knowledge to this subject. Bring your questions with you, and be ready to go home with a new appreciation for these tiny jewels of the garden.
October, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 12, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Water Gardening in Small Places
Lack of space is a constant problem for gardeners of all types, including rosarians. We know, in our heads, that a well appointed garden includes many elements. And water--as in ponds and fountains--is one of the most important aspects of garden design. Still, few of us have the space required for a koi or goldfish pond. Of course, that's because that space is planted with roses! But our speaker for October has a solution.
John Howell runs Countryside Water Gardens in Needville. Countryside is just across the street from the Vintage Rosery. You may have met John at our July 4th Ice Cream Social. Now is your chance to hear him speak about Container Water Gardening.
Water features come in all sizes, and John will show us how to incorporate such features into our existing gardens and patios with minimal use of space. When the sound of water is added to the color and scent of roses, garden perfection is achieved. Container water gardens are easily within the skill level of all "do it yourselfers." Join us on October 12, 2006, to learn how to add both the sound and beauty of a small water feature to your garden. Both you and visitors to your garden will appreciate the added dimensions water can give even when space is limited.
September, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 14, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Liquid Compost: The Next Level
All good rosarians understand the value of compost when it comes to growing healthy roses. And it is also well known that a healthy rose bush is better able to fight off diseases like blackspot.
Liquid composts make it easier to apply this wonder product to your roses. Now, our speaker for the September meeting is taking this entire area to the next level.
Betsy Ross, of Sustainable Growth Texas, will be our speaker for the September 14th meeting. She has trained under Elaine Ingham, the acknowledged leader in the promotion of liquid composts.
Ms. Ross will explain to us that the science of composting has advanced to the point of designer liquid composts. Different composts have differing ratios of bacteria to fungi, and what works for one type of plant is not necessarily ideal for another class. She will go over the latest information on the best liquid compost for roses, and the extra benefits one obtains when using the right bacteria/fungi ratios on your bushes.
This information takes the "Soil Foodweb" to the next level. Come to our September meeting and learn how you can use this new technology to take your roses to the next level too.
August, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 10, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Internationally Acclaimed Rose Expert to Speak
Internationally recognized author and landscape designer, Stephen Scanniello, former curator of the Cranford Rose Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, will speak on The Magic of Old Garden Roses at the August meeting, Thursday, August 10th, at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center, 1500 Hermann Drive. Mr. Scaniello is credited with transforming the Cranford Rose Garden into an internationally acclaimed rose garden. He has just published a new book, A Year of Roses. His other books include Climbing Roses; Rose Companions: Growing Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, Shrubs, Vines with Roses; and Easy Care Roses: Low-Maintenance Charmers. He is an engaging and popular speaker.
We will have copies of the new book for sale at the meeting and Scanniello will be glad to autograph them.
Spread the word about this meeting and invite a friend or two. We have a flier that you can mail or post at a local nursery in the back of the newsletter. Scanniello is a speaker who you will not generally see except at a convention. The public is invited and there is no charge to attend. For more information, call Gaye Hammond at 713-292-2760.
The Grand Prix resumes this month. The feature of the month is a Standard or Miniature arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement (Line, Mass, Abstract, Moribana, etc.) must be on entry tag. If want to try exhibiting, this is a good baby step. You can show three times before our big show in October. There is a special class for novices and if you arrive at 6:30 someone will be glad to help you get your roses ready.
July, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 13, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Annual Ice Cream Social
In our annual tradition, this month's meeting is our special ice cream social. In the main hall we will have a great collection of local vendor who will be displaying their rose related wares. And, as always, we will have ice cream provided by the HRS. Everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite topping (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, whipped cream, etc.), or cookies, or brownies. This is a great chance to browse the offerings of local businesses that make life easier for rosarians, eat some ice cream and talk to consulting rosarians about your roses. For those with restricted dietary requirements, we will even feature sugar-free ice cream and sorbet.
There will be NO Grand Prix this month, but bring some roses for a "Wacky Competition":
1. Arrangement with the most mismatched pair of roses
2. Smallest hybrid tea rose bloom
3. Largest bloom of any kind
4. Most fragrant rose-winner determined by vote of those attending
5. Most unusual bloom-winner determined by vote of those attending
Also, various vendors that support HRS will have tables of their wares or information for you, or will be available to answer questions. There will be door prizes galore! Here is a partial listing of vendors that will be at our July meeting:
Arbor Gate Nursery - garden supplies and more
Aluma Photo-Plate Co. - Fade-proof rose labels. Very popular with our members. Visit their website at www.alumaphoto-plateco.com and bring your order
Buchanan's Native Plants - Roses, native plants and garden accessories
Countryside Water Gardens - water gardens, fish, supplies and more
Houston Rose Society - Baxter Williams has arranged for over 20 roses to sold for $20 each. These roses are from Robertson's Nursery, and are top notch. Come early for the best selection.
Maria's Designs - rose-themed, hand painted and embroidered clothing, jewelry and accessories
Nature's Way Resources - HRS formulated Rose Soil Blend and other organic composts and mulches
Southern Living at Home - interior home decorations
Southwest Fertilizer - host of our fall chemical sale
Teas Nursery - garden supplies and roses
Vintage Rosery - OGR's and organic products
June, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 8, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Make the Most of Your Garden's Bounty
It's not that hard to throw a few roses in a vase--but the overall effect may look like that is all you did. Most of us, on the other hand, want our floral displays to showcase our roses and our creative talents. But where do you start, and how do you do it?
Impressive, eye-catching arrangements are easy to do, even with garden roses, if you know and implement a few tricks utilized by Houston's leading florists.
For our June program, Mimi Lee and Dion Mauk, from Albert Miller's Florists & Gifts, will create stunning rose arrangements. Mimi and Dion will be using roses provided from our member's gardens, so you will be able to replicate their results on your own.
They will also demonstrate the techniques they use to condition roses to last a week or more.
At the end of the program, we will raffle the arrangements. Raffle tickets are $l each, or six for $5. It's a great bargain.
We need your help for this demonstration to be a success. Mimi and Dion need a bunch of roses to use in the arrangements--about 150--so please bring lots of freshly cut roses from your garden to help us out. And come prepared to learn valuable insider tricks of the trade.
The HRS Grand Prix continues. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have folk to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which began at the April meeting and continues till October.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair--Two Hybrid Teas, Grandiforas or Miniatures of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
May, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 11, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Texas Rose Rustler Candy Fite on Propagation and
an Old-Fashioned Cutting ExchangeCreating new rose bushes from cuttings is a practice that is thousands of years old. Most gardeners are only marginally successful in getting their cuttings to root. Join us on May 11th and learn from a real pro how you can improve your success with getting your cuttings to flourish.
Our speaker at the May meeting will be Candy Fite, from the Texas Rose Rustlers. She will demonstrate the "baggie" technique for rooting cuttings (a smiliar method is used at the Antique Rose Emporium) and share her secrets to success.
In conjunction with Candy's presentation, we will also have an Old-Fashioned Cutting Exchange and Plant Raffle. We need your help to make the exchange the best that it can be. Please help by bringing cuttings and/or pass-along plants from your garden to the meeting.
To take a cutting: Cut a section of the rose cane the diameter of a pencil (or smaller) that has just finished blooming. The cutting should have four sets of leaflets. Wrap the cutting in a wet paper towel and put it in a gallon plastic bag. Put cuttings from each different cultivar in a different bag and label the bag with the name of the rose. A permanent black marker works well. Keep the bags refrigerated until the meeting. If you bring plants or seeds, please label them too. Please honor plant patent laws and do not bring any rose (or other plant) that is still under patent. In general, plant patents last for twenty years.
If you plan to participate in the exchange, bring some empty one gallon plastic food bags, a permanent marker, and some paper towels so you have a way to get the cuttings home.
We will raffle the pass-along plants at the end of the meeting.
The HRS Grand Prix continues. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have folk to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which began at the April meeting and continues till October.
Feature of the Month: The Challenge for May is a Floribunda Bouquet, five or more stems (one bloom per stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties, displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
April, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, April 13, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Secret Uses of Compost
To hear some people talk, top grade compost is the answer to almost every problem in the garden, including the rose garden. In fact, there is good science that this is indeed the case. The key is to know what it takes to make a top grade compost and what uses you can make of the product once you get it into your garden.
Fortunately, we are privileged to have the premier compost maker in this area as our speaker for April. John Ferguson is the president of Nature's Way Resources. Nature's Way makes what many garden societies consider the best compost and mulches available on the Gulf Coast. Nature's Way also makes a Rose Soil Blend that is endorsed by the Houston Rose Society. This rose soil blend was formulated to take your newly planted rose through its first year in your garden without additional fertilizers or amendments. It is so complete, that Dan Lawlor says, "All you add is water."
Mr. Ferguson will talk about how to use compost in your garden and why compost is referred to as Black Gold. He will share the latest research on the benefits of compost for growing roses, and provide tips on new ways to use it in the garden. Learn how compost cuts water use, provides nutrients as well as trace minerals to your roses, breaks down our hard gumbo clay and feeds the beneficial microorganisms in the soil web.
Please attend this important meeting. You will go away convinced that the single most important thing you can do to get better performance out of your rose bushes is to apply the right kind of compost in the right way.
March, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, March 9, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Introducing Integrated Pest Management
It's been a mild winter and many of our garden plants, including roses, have continued to grow without stopping for their annual winter rest. This also means that the pests (insects, disease and viruses) that prevent our garden plants and roses from achieving their best, have also not rested, and that they may return in greater numbers than last year. An old garden rhyme states "One for the black bird, one for the mouse, one for the rabbit and one for the house" - the poet forgot to mention that an insect or disease (pest) may also takes one - leaving none for the house. And in regards to pest control, we have all heard someone state "the only good bug is a dead bug" and "if a little pesticide is good, a lot is better." This garden practice can eliminate both the bad and the good insects, and in the long run, favors the bad insects. It can also be quite expensive and it may negatively impact the garden, the health of the gardener and those that enjoy the garden.
Our speaker for March will be John Jons. John is a Galveston County Master Gardener and a member of the American and the Houston Rose Societies. He is currently leading the Galveston County Master Gardener National Earthkind rose test trials. He speaks and writes on a variety of gardening topics from growing roses to square foot gardening. His articles have been reprinted in a number of gardening newsletters and his presentations have won Texas State Master Gardener Awards. His articles and presentations focus on making gardening, simple, enjoyable and successful.
John will introduce us to a gardening best practice for managing garden pests called Integrated Pest Management - IPM. IPM is an environmentally sound integration of all garden pest control methods to control pest populations. IPM is not a new concept. Its use is growing in commercial agriculture, as IPM uses methods that are proven to be effective, economical and the least harmful to the environment.
To learn about this exciting approach to gardening, don't miss our March program.
February, 2006:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, February 9, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Annual Pruning Demonstration
One of the most frequent questions we hear is, "When and how do I prune my roses?" Come to our meeting on Thursday, February 9th and learn from our experts how and where to make those cuts.
The meeting will start with a short Powerpoint program on Pruning 101 by John Jons. Then, a crew of our experienced pruners will demonstrate pruning techniques on actual bushes. Tables will be placed all around the room so you can get a close-up view of how to make those cuts. Questions are encouraged. By Valentine's Day (the recommended pruning date in Houston), you will be able to prune with confidence.
The Pruning Crew includes:
Elizabeth Geppert and John Jons on Miniature Roses.
John Patterson and Baxter Williams on Hybrid Tea Roses.
Robin Hough and Donald Burger on Floribundas.
Earl and Deanna Krause on Old Garden Roses.
Doug Mitchell and James Laperouse on Climbers.
Donate your rose bushes! We need your rose bushes for the demonstrations. If you are making room for new roses, simply dig up the old bush and wrap the roots in plastic or put the rose in a pot, label the bush and bring it to the meeting. The pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes.
This is the most popular meeting of the year. Don't miss it!
January, 2006:
All About the Next Meeting of The Houston Rose Society
by Maria Trevino, Program Chairman
Soil Management the EarthKind Way
Steve Chaney, with the Tarrant County Cooperative Extension, will be our speaker for the January meeting. He talk will be on the EarthKind Soil Management Program.
Steve is presently the Horticulture Specialist for Tarrant County Cooperative Extension, a division of Texas A&M University. He was formerly the County Extension Agent for Wichita Falls, Texas, and developed the EarthKind Soil Management Program through his service in Wichita Falls. He is a radio and television celebrity in North Texas and does weekly broadcasts on horticulture and landscape management.
Wichita Falls gets only 18 inches of rain per year and water in that part of the state is a precious commodity. On a bet, he took a section of desert near the Extension Office and turned it into a lush landscape which has had no supplemental watering in 4 years. That landscape includes roses! The city of Wichita Falls was so impressed with the results of the Soil Management Program that they implemented it for all city property.
What this program will show to our members is the importance of good bed preparation and how the right bed preparation will sustain landscape plantings for years with almost no care and very little supplemental watering after the first year. Steve's Landscape Management Program has been adopted by the cities of Wichita Falls, Addison and Dallas.
Consulting Rosarian for January will be a local consulting rosarian. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
December, 2005:
Instead of the normal monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society, we will have a "Reservations Required" holiday party on Thursday, December 8, 2005. The party begins at 6:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Reservations are required.
Reservations Required: The HRS Holiday Party
The December meeting of the Houston Rose Society is our Annual Holiday Party. The meeting is on Thursday, December 8, 2004. This year's HRS Annual Holiday Party will be at our regular meeting place of the Houston Garden Center. The dinner will be catered by Pappasito's Restaurant. Check the December Rose Ette for the delicious menu. Pre-dinner festivities begin at 6:30 pm. Dinner will be served at 7:30 pm.
In a repeat of a new tradition established at the 2002 celebration, Mary Rains and several of our members will be turning each of the tables into works of art, as each table will be decorated in an individual "theme" for the party.
We are privileged to have Dr. Steve George as our special guest for the evening. Dr. George is the originator of the EarthKind rose program out of Texas A&M We will also have the annual awards presentation, door prizes, the installation of our 2006 officers, and of course - our holiday gift raffle!
Bring a wrapped rose-related gift ($5 - $10) to put under the tree for the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5. We always have fun drawing for gifts from fellow rosarians.
Tickets for the dinner are $20 each, and pre-paid reservations are required. Send your check, payable to Houston Rose Society to:
Galt Morgan
12335 Kingsride #109
Houston,Texas 77024
Phone-713-463-6719
Your pre-paid reservation must be received no later than Friday, December 2, 2005.
November, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, November 10, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Special Speaker: John Teas of Teas Nursery
Winter protection is the practice of doing something to help your roses through the ravages of winter cold. Of course, this is definitely not an issue for rose growers in the Houston area. However, there are certain gardening practices to follow over our winter months to ensure that your bushes will be healthy and ready to jump start the spring growth season.
Our speaker this month will be John Teas from Teas Nursery. Teas Nursery is a landmark nursery in the Houston area and a generous supporter of the Houston Rose Society. Teas Nursery began in Houston in the early 1900's and was instrumental in the "greening" of Houston over the years, bringing new plant varieties to the area. They have one of the largest offerings of roses at their nursery.
Mr. Teas will talk to us about the care we should give our roses during the winter months, how to get our beds ready for spring and new roses for 2006. Come hear his tips and tricks for growing great roses.
Election of Officers: The vote for the 2006 officers will take place at the November Meeting.
The Grand Prix finishes up. This is the last chance to enter this year. Feature of the Month: Miniature Bouquet. 12 Mini roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
October, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 13, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Landscape Designs
Do you wish your garden could have that picture perfect look that you see in some garden magazines? Then you need to attend our October meeting. Paige Phillips will be our speaker. He is with McDugald Steele Landscape Architects & Contractors, one of Houston's top landscaping companies. This is the same company that provided the basic design of the new HRS garden at the American Rose Center in Shreveport, Louisiana.
You will get ideas from some of the gardens McDugald Steele has designed around Houston including one of the gardens on our Spring, 2005, garden tour. The presentation will include garden design plans for small to large gardens, tips on plant placement, the impact color and color combinations in gardens and much more. Whether you have a few roses or hundreds, you will have a better understanding of how to scale and plan your garden to make it more appealing.
Consulting Rosarian for October will be a local consulting rosarian. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix October is the last time to enter roses in the Grand Prix for 2004. Bring your blooms and enter them in the competition.
Feature of the Month: Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora Bouquet Seven or more roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in a container furnished by exhibitor.
September, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 8, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Miniature Roses for Houston
Minature rose bushes come in all sizes, from extra small to as big as a hybrid tea. And while the bushes are usually around two feet high, it is the size of the bloom that distinguishes a miniature rose. There are hundreds of miniature rose bushes for sale. The trick is to find a mini that does well in the heat and humidity of Houston.
Our September speaker is long-time Houston Rose Society member Deanna Krause. Her garden is often on tour, and she is a well known exhibitor and Master Consulting Rosarian. Deanna grows all kinds of roses, but she is a specialist in miniature roses. In fact, she started in the hobby by keeping over a hundred miniature roses in pots on her porch. She has tried almost every miniature rose that does well in Houston, and has found out from hard experience which ones don't. Come get the benefit of her expertise, and learn her special techniques for growing outstanding miniature roses.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Donald Burger. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Stages of Bloom: Three Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety showing the three stages of development. Displayed in separate containers.
August, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 11, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Nationally Known Speaker Comes to Houston
When you join the American Rose Society you get its excellent monthly magazine, the American Rose. Each month in that magazine there appears a two-page ad for Rosemania. Rosemania sells state-of-the-art chemicals and organics for your roses.
The man behind Rosemania is Robbie Tucker, our speaker for our August llth meeting.
But Robbie is more than just a purveyor of rose potions. He is also a consulting rosarian, horticulture judge and an amateur rose hybridizer who introduced such famous miniature roses as Miss Flippins, Cachet, Amy Grant, Checkmate and Standing Ovation. He has won mini queen at national rose shows four times. He has also served as a past president of the Nashville Rose Society.
Most importantly, Robbie Tucker is one of the most exciting speakers in the rose world.
Come to our August meeting prepared to learn about new miniature roses on the horizon. Come prepared to learn about the latest chemicals on the horizon. And come prepared to hear one of the most entertaining speakers in the rose world. Don't miss this meeting.
The HRS Grand Prix continues. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have classes to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which began at the April meeting and continues till October.
Feature of the Month: Arrangement: A standard or Miniature arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement (Line, Mass, Abstract, Oriental, etc.) must be on entry tag.
July, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 14, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Annual Ice Cream Social
This month's meeting is our special ice cream social. We will have lots of vendors on hand to present their wares and, of course, ice cream!
The Society provides the ice cream, and everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite topping (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, whipped cream, etc.), or cookies, or brownies. Ultimately, together, we create the largest ice cream sundae bar in Houston. For those with restricted dietary requirements, we will even feature sugar-free ice cream and sorbet.
There will be NO Grand Prix this month, but bring some roses for a "Wacky Competition":
1. Arrangement with the most mismatched pair of roses
2. Smallest hybrid tea rose bloom
3. Largest bloom of any kind
4. Most fragrant rose-winner determined by vote of those attending
5. Most unusual bloom-winner determined by vote of those attending
Also, various vendors that support HRS will have tables of their wares or information for you, or will be available to answer questions. There will be door prizes galore! Here is a partial listing of vendors that will be at our July meeting:
Aluma Photo-Plate Co. - Fade-proof rose labels. Very popular with our members. Visit their website at www.alumaphoto-plateco.com and bring your order
Maria's Designs - rose-themed, hand painted and embroidered clothing, jewelry
and accessories
Nature's Way Resources - HRS formulated Rose Soil Blend and other organic composts and mulches
Southern Living at Home - interior home decorations
Southwest Fertilizer - host of our fall chemical sale
Teas Nursery - garden supplies and roses
Vintage Rosery - OGR's and organic products
Wabash Antiques and Feed - organic rose products
June, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 9, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Antique Roses for Houston
June, 2005:
It s not enough to decide you want to grow antique roses. Sure, OGR s have the reputation for being disease resistant, impossible to kill and heavily scented. But not all antique roses are alike. You will do best if you plant the OGR s suitable for our heat and humidity.
Fortunately, just outside Houston is one of the nation s newest nurseries devoted to growing the kind of OGR s that will turn you into a master rosarian. Marcia & Bob Roenigk own the Vintage Rosery at 16630 Highway 36 in Needville, which is about 25 miles from Sugar Land.
Come hear their valuable tips on how to select OGR s for shady areas, for wet ones, and for limited spaces. Find out which OGR s do well in containers; which are most fragrant and which are good as cut flowers. Hear how Vintage Rosery is able to control blackspot through an entirely organic program. Learn about the special watering system they use on their beds. Discover all the beneficial insects they have for sale and how such insects can improve your soil, control aphids, and even deal with thrips.
This is sure to be one of the most helpful talks of the year. When you operate a commercial garden your ideas have got to work. Come to the June meeting and hear a bushel full of tips and tricks used at the Vintage Rosery.
The HRS Grand Prix continues. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have classes to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which began at the April meeting and continues till October.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair--Two Hybrid Teas, Grandiforas or Miniatures of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
New Exhibitor's Corner: Come early (at 6:30 pm) bring your blooms and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix.
May, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 12, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Companion Plants for Roses
A special resource of rose growers living inside the Loop is Wabash Antiques & Feed at 5701 Washington Avenue. This old-time feed store is packed with organic products for your gardening needs (in addition to all the feeds you would expect for your chickens, rabbits and goats). In the back is a great selection of fruit trees, berries and other plants suitable for the Houston area. Wabash is also the prime source for bags of Nature's Way products, including the just released (and Houston Rose Society endorsed) Rose Soil Blend. Wabash offers great plant lectures during the year, and is blessed with its own very knowledgeable staff of gardeners.
This month the Houston Rose Society is fortunate to have Donna Faye Hilliard and Diana Norman of Wabash speak to us on companion plants for roses. While many rosarians stick to just roses in their rose beds, many of us like to mix in other plants. Sometimes we are looking for low-growing plants that are always in bloom. Sometimes we want something a little higher to cover up the rangy trunks of some of the taller hybrid tea roses. Sometimes we are just looking for a complementary plant to grow next to a rose.
If you have ever wanted to know the pluses and minuses of planting companion plants with your roses, come to our May meeting and learn what these experts have to say.
The consulting rosarian for May is Maria Trevino. Bring her your rose questions and take advantage of her rose growing experience.
The HRS Grand Prix continues. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have classes to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which began at the April meeting and continues till October.
Feature of the Month: Floribunda Bouquet, 5 or more stems (one bloom per stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
Don't miss this meeting. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
April, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, April 14, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Tricks and Tips on Flower Arrangement
For many of us, flower arrangement means picking out which size vase will hold the roses we have cut. Maybe we will sometimes get brave and throw in a sprig of fern if the blackspot has forced us to remove all of the rose leaves.
But there is much more to the art of flower arrangements. And, like any other art, there are tricks and tips you can learn that will make you shine.
Our speaker in April will be Robin Hough and he is ready to lead you step by step through the flower arrangement process. Robin will discuss line, mass and modern design arrangements, the do s and don ts of each, and show us lots of examples of great arrangements of roses. His special tips and tricks will allow even those of us with two left thumbs to master the art of flower arranging. Or at least fool our neighbors.
Robin is our South Central District Director of Arrangement Judges, Consulting Rosarian and has made many award-winning arrangements. Don t miss this chance to hear an expert talk on a subject all rose growers need to master.
Don't miss this meeting. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The consulting rosarian for April is Mary Fulgham. Bring her your rose questions and take advantage of her rose growing experience.
March, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, March 10, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Propagation of Roses by Cuttings and Grafting
From time-to-time a favorite rose bush starts to decline and there is no good source to purchase a new one. Or your grandmother has a beautiful rose that is getting very old, and the thought of it dying because you moved it makes you shudder. What to do? Consider making a "new" rose from a cutting or by grafting.
Roses that have not been patented, and roses whose patents have expired, can be propagated by cuttings or by grafting. Currently, rose patents last 20 years and can be extended an additional five years under certain circumstances. That means that roses patented before 1980 are fair game for propagation by cuttings or by grafting.
How to successfully raise a rose from a cutting is both an art and a science. Come to our March meeting and learn the tips and secrets from Houston Rose Society member and Master Consulting Rosarian, Patsy Williams.
There are many ways to propagate a rose from a cutting, and Patsy will share her experiences and reveal her special method.
She will also share her techniques for grafting roses onto Fortuniana root stock. Most of the roses we purchase are budded onto rootstock, but many of our members are beginning to buy roses grafted onto Fortuniana rootstock because of its superior performance in our area. A simple and effective way to graft will be explained. It takes only a little effort, but you will be rewarded many times over when you successfully duplicate that favorite plant.
Patsy has the largest private rose garden in Houston, and her experiences will be valuable to anyone who ever wanted to propagate a favorite rose from a cutting or raise a rose on Fortuniana root stock.
Don't miss this meeting. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The consulting rosarian for March is Baxter Williams. Bring him your rose questions and take advantage of his vast experience in growing roses in Houston.
February, 2005:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, February 10, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Pruning Meeting
In Houston, the best time to prune your roses is Valentine's Day. If you have ever been nervous about how to prune your roses, we have the solution. Come to our meeting on Thursday, February 10th and watch experts demonstrate how and where to make those cuts so you will have the finest roses in your neighborhood. We will have actual bushes to demonstrate on. You can stand inches away from the pruners. Watch them. Talk to them. As them questions. Go home knowing how to prune your roses for maximun blooms. Tables will be set up around the room and you can go from table to table observing pruning techniques.
Pruning demonstrations will be done by:
Theresa Anderson and Jim Boden on Miniature Roses.
John Patterson and Malcolm Perdue on Hybrid Tea Roses.
Robin Hough and Donald Burger on Floribundas.
Earl and Deanna Krause on Old Garden Roses.
Doug Mitchell and Dan Lawlor on Climbers.
Donate your rose bushes! We need your rose bushes for the demonstrations. If you are making room for new roses, simply dig up the old bush and wrap the roots in plastic or put the rose in a pot, label the bush and bring it to the meeting. The pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes.
This is the most popular meeting of the year. Don't miss it!
January, 2005:
All About the Next Meeting of The Houston Rose Society
by Gaye Hammond, Program Chairman
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, January 13, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Giving Your Roses a Good Start
Our January program, on Thursday, January 13th, will focus on how and where to plant your roses. Our soil conditions and plentiful rainfall create challenges for roses, and giving them a good home is essential to their sucess.
Gaye Hammond, a consulting rosarian, will discuss where to put beds, what size to make them and how to build them. She will talk about soil mixes and then demonstrate the proper way to plant a new bush and move an established one.
Gaye will also be showing off our newest Houston Rose Society endorsed product--an enriched soil blend produced by Nature's Way Resources. The company's president, John Ferguson, is a highly regarded expert on composting. Our own soil expert, Dan Lawler, declares that this product is so good that "all you add is water."
We are looking forward to seeing everyone after a two-month break from meetings.
Consulting Rosarian for January is T. B. A. Bring your questions to the meeting. The first meeting of the year always brings many questions.
December, 2004:
All About the Next Meeting of The Houston Rose Society
by Gaye Hammond, Program Chairman
December, 2004:
'Tis the Season to Have a Party!
The December meeting of the Houston Rose Society is our Annual Holiday Party. The meeting is on Thursday, December 9, 2004. This year's HRS Annual Holiday Party will be at our regular meeting place of the Houston Garden Center. The dinner will be catered by Treebeard's Restaurant. Check the December Rose Ette for the delicious menu. Pre-dinner festivities begin at 6:30 pm. Dinner will be served at 7:30 pm.
In a repeat of a new tradition established at the 2002 celebration, Mary Rains and several of our members will be turning each of the tables into works of art, as each table will be decorated in an individual "theme" for the party.
We are privileged to have Mr. Benny Ellerby as our special guest for the evening. Mr. Ellerby is the Executive Director of the American Rose Center in Shreveport. We will also have the annual awards presentation, door prizes, the installation of our 2005 officers, and of course - our holiday gift raffle!
Bring a wrapped rose-related gift ($5 - $10) to put under the tree for the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5. We always have fun drawing for gifts from fellow rosarians.
Tickets for the dinner are $20 each, and pre-paid reservations are required. Send your check, payable to Houston Rose Society to:
Charles Ham
1610 Meadowlark
Deer Park, Texas 77536
Phone-281-479-9849
Your pre-paid reservation must be received no later than Thursday, Dec. 2, 2004.
November, 2004:
Because the Houston Garden Center is closed for the City Holiday of Veteran's Day, there will be no meeting in November. The December Meeting is the Holiday Party. This year it will be at the Houston Garden Center. See you in December!
November, 2004:
October, 2004: The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 14, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Own-Root Roses: The Next Generation
A great debate has raged for decades between growers of modern and antique roses concerning the effect that the grafting process has on the vigor of rose bushes. On the one hand, own-root roses will regenerate from the root after a hard freeze, whereas a grafted rose of the same variety would not survive. Proponents of grafted roses favor the position that it is the grafting process that allows hybridizers to maximize a rose's potential by combining the best aboveground characteristics with a choice selection of rootstocks. There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to both sides of the argument.
In the last two years, commercial growers have started including own-root modern roses in their offerings. While this is not the first time we have seen own-root modern roses appear on the market, it does appear that the growers are committed to continuing their own-root modern line. In 2005, some growers will only be offering some of our favorite cultivars as own-root roses--eliminating their grafted counterparts entirely from the product line.
We invite you to join us in October to hear Mark Chamblee's presentation on own-root roses. Mark is a third generation rose grower and owner of Chamblee's Nursery in Tyler, Texas. Mark and his family have done much research on own-root roses through their own growing operation, as well as with other large-scale commercial growers. He is Texas' foremost authority on the cultivation of modern roses growing on their own roots!
Election of the 2005 Board of Directors will take place, since there is no November meeting this year because the City has closed the Garden Center for Veteran's Day.
Consulting Rosarian for October is Mary Fulgham. October brings beautiful blooms Beautiful blooms bring rose questions. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix October is the last time to enter roses in the Grand Prix for 2004. Bring your best blooms and enter them in the competition.
Feature of the Month: Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora Bouquet Seven or more roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in a container furnished by exhibitor.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 9, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
September, 2004:
Roses have been appreciated for their fragrance for millennia. Ancient entrepreneurs commercialized the rose's fragrance through the development of perfumes and by extracting essential oils. Famous women of history, including Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth I, had signature fragrances created especially for them, using roses as one of the key ingredients. Come travel back to ancient times at our September meeting, and smell representations of the perfumes used by these famous women.
Our September program will focus on the development of perfume from medieval to modern times. It will also feature the cultivation of roses for the perfume industry, how essential oils are extracted and the important role that roses play in perfumes.
Mike Becker, former President of the Tucson Rose Society, will present this fascinating program. Mike has grown roses all over the world and in all types of climates and environments and his gardens averaged between 150 to 350 roses. He will also share with us perfume formulas for those who might want to develop their own fragrances.
Consulting Rosarian for September is William Groth. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Stages of Bloom: Three Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety showing the three stages of development. Displayed in separate containers.
August, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 12, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
With the Nation's rose garden almost at our back door, it is amazing that so many people have never been to see it. The gardens of the American Rose Center (ARC) in Shreveport, Louisiana, cover 42 acres nestled among piney woods. Unlike other gardens, the ARC is really many, many individual gardens that have been built and/or sponsored by local societies, just like ours. Collectively, the gardens contain more than 20,000 roses!
These gardens are the reflection of the creative talents of rosarians all across the country, working toward the common goal of making the world a more beautiful place through roses. The ARC is more than rows and rows of bushes--visitors find everything from a wedding chapel surrounded by white roses, to roses planted among towering sculptures. The ARC has Greek proticos, a Japanese garden, a miniature Statute of Liberty garden and the Houston Garden.
We are honored that Marilyn Wellan, President of the American Rose Society, will be our featured speaker at the August meeting. Marilyn will present a visual tour of the gardens at the ARC and will also talk about some of the latest developments within the American Rose Society, including the expansion projects that are currently underway at the gardens.
Consulting Rosarian for August is Deanna Krause. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Feature of the Month: Arrangement: A standard or Miniature arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement (Line, Mass, Abstract, Oriental, etc.) must be on entry tag.
July, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 8, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Every year the society sponsors an "old fashioned" ice cream social and this year's social will bring us a respite from the sweltering heat and humidity that has been plaguing us for weeks. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. (30 minutes earlier than normal) so that we have plenty of time to visit and eat lots of ice cream.
Summer is a time for having fun with family and friends and we are looking forward to having you join us.
The society provides the ice cream and everyone is encouraged to bring his or her favorite topping (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, sprinkles, whipped cream, etc.) or cookies or brownies. Ultimately, we create the largest ice cream sundae bar in the City. For those with restricted dietary requirements we will even feature sugar-free ice cream and sorbet.
As an added attraction, we have invited our friends from RCW Nurseries - long time sponsors of the society - to make a presentation on new gardening products that are on the market and demonstrate some new tools that make our gardening tasks much easier. Bring a friend and join us for a really fun evening!
This is also the month when we have the Wacky Rose Show. Categories for this year's competition are:
1. Thorniest Rose
The top winner in each category will receive a prize, so bring your wackiest specimens and join in the fun.
Come a little early for parking purposes because of Miller Theater.
The Story of Perfumes:
Roses & Other Fragrances
America's Rose Garden & Other Good Rose News
Annual Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social--Y'all Come
2. Most Dead Blooms on a Single Cane
3. Worst Case of Black Spot
4. Worst Case of Insect Damage
June, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 10, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Insect Control without Chemicals
Spring is the time when roses are susceptible to infestation of a variety of insects. Just as we think we have aphids and spider mites under control, we are hit with leafcutter bees, caterpillars, and cucumber beetles. The problem with chemical pesticides is that they kill good bugs as well as target insects; which can upset the garden's ecological balance.
Our speaker for the June meeting is one of this area's top experts on the bio control of insects. Eddie Holik is the Chief Horticulturalist for the Cockrell Butterfly Center and will help us with recognizing and treating our pesticide problems. Eddie has a fascinating program and one that is educational for all gardeners. Bring a friend and enjoy the evening.
Consulting Rosarian is tba Bring your questions when you come.
The HRS Grand Prix continues. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have classes to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which began at the April meeting and continues till October.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair--Two Hybrid Teas, Grandiforas or Miniatures of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
New Exhibitor's Corner: Come early (at 6:30 pm) bring your blooms and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix.
May, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 13, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Tips and Techniques for Dealing with
Drainage Problems
We all know roses don't like wet feet, so we plant them in raised beds. But rosarians don't like wet feet either. And standing on a mushy garden path or fighting off mosquitoes is no way to enjoy our roses. Keeping the "wet" where it is needed and the" dry" where it is supposed to be is the goal of a good drainage plan. And if your garden is plagued with wet spots or marshes that never seem to dry, you will enjoy our May speaker and program.
Ron Thompson, of Thompson's Landscape Services, is one of the most requested garden speakers in Houston. Mr. Thompson is skilled in landscape design, and the installation of paths, waterfalls, ponds, outdoor lighting and sprinkler systems. He has faced drainage problems many times in his work around Houston, and he is ready to share his tips and techniques with us.
Mr. Thompson will talk about the proper way to install French drains, how to refurbish an existing drainage system that is no longer working and how to use catch basins and solid pipe to help with drainage problems. He will discuss the role of sump pumps for severe problems and how to reshape the yard with swales to develop collection points for all that extra water that inundates us from time to time.
If you have ever wondered what to do with that area of standing water in your back yard, come to our May meeting and hear tips from an expert.
Consulting Rosarian is Earl Krause. Bring your questions when you come.
The HRS Grand Prix continues. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have classes to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which began at the April meeting and continues till October.
Feature of the Month: Floribunda Bouquet, 5 or more stems (one bloom per stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
New Exhibitor's Corner: Come early (at 6:30 pm) bring your blooms and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix.
April, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, April 8, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Beyond the Basics:
More Ways to Improve Your Soil to Improve Your Roses
Most of us use compost and mulches in our gardens. But there is much more to the best use of compost and mulches than just going to the nursery and buying whatever is on sale. The type and quality of compost depends on the source material, the composting technology used and the aging or curing the compost receives. Composts and mulches can vary widely in both nutrient content and disease fighting ability. Professional composters control the final product by the mixing rations of source materials, the temperature and structure of the piles and the time the compost stays at certain temperatures.
John Ferguson, of Nature's Way Resources, is our speaker for April. Nature's Way compost and mulches are considered among the best in Houston. Mr. Ferguson will explain composting techniques and the advantages of various types of composts and mulches. Come learn about the fertilizers, rock powders and trace minerals in various composts and the advantages of various mixes for maximum rose production. The soil food web is a key aspect of growing good roses. Come learn the advanced techniques that will give you a green(er) thumb.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Robin Hough. Robin is knowledgeable in both growing roses and arranging them for the home. Bring him your rose questions and take advantage of his experience.
The HRS Grand Prix begins in April. Each year we have a Grand Prix to give our members a chance to enter their roses in competition at the monthly meetings. Winners are announced each month and overall winners for the year are announced at the December meeting. We also have classes to help first-timers with their entries. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. Plan now to enter the competition, which begins at the April meeting and continues till October.
March, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, March 11, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Timeless Antique Roses
Old Garden Roses make perfect sense as a wonderful addition to any landscape in our hot, humid Gulf Coast area. Antique roses have been found in old cemeteries and abandoned homesteads dating from the 1800's. Settlers from Europe brought many of their best roses with them to remind them of home. The amazing thing is that these roses are still alive and blooming. They have withstood droughts, floods, hurricanes and insect infestations. Having been abandoned for the most part, they have not been fertilized, sprayed, watered or pampered. Thus, we are confident that anyone can grow antique roses!
Marcia & Bob Roenigk own the Vintage Rosery - a specialty garden center and rose farm, situated in Needville in Fort Bend County. Over 150 varieties of fragrant, old roses are grown on their property with more than 800 roses in the ground throughout the many gardens. The Roenigks will talk about the many types of Old Garden Roses and share their tips on how they maintain their low-maintenance gardens ORGANICALLY!
Consulting Rosarian for March is Baxter Williams. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
February, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, February 12, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Let's Prune!
The number one question posed to rosarians is "How and when should I prune my roses"? Valentines' Day (February 14th) is when those of us along the Gulf Coast start pruning our gardens. Pruning is the most valuable service we give our roses. As such it is critical that pruning be done correctly and efficiently. Come let us show you how!
Our February meeting will be a hands-on pruning demonstration of all types of rose varieties. This is, by far, the most popular meeting of the Houston Rose Society - so don't miss your chance to see, up close, how expert rosarians prune actual rose bushes.
As an added bonus, all of the pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes at the conclusion of the meeting. This meeting is loads of fun so bring a friend.
We've all had several months to contemplate our gardens and make plans for the new varieties we want to add this year. If you plan to eliminate existing bushes this growing season, don't give them to the trash man - DONATE THEM TO THE HRS. We desperately need bushes to use in our February 12th pruning demonstration. For the bushes you want to donate, (1) dig up the bushes, (2) wrap the roots/soil ball in damp newspaper and, (3) put the wrapped root ball in a plastic bag. You can also pot the bush in a plastic pot. Be sure and label your bush with the type of rose (Hybrid Tea, Climber, Floribunda, etc) and the rose name, if you know it. If you don't know the name of the rose, list the color of the rose. Bring the bushes you want to donate to the February meeting. We would ask that you arrive at the garden center by 7:00 if you are donating more than one or two bushes so that we have adequate time to get the bushes unloaded and into their respective pruning stations by the time the meeting starts.
January, 2004:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, January 8, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Roses Are Coming!
Each January tens of thousands of roses are received at nurseries in and around Houston. Getting these newly potted bushes off on the right start will go a long way toward creating dynamic blooms throughout the growing season. Because of Houston's heat and rain, there are specific techniques for both building rose beds and planting those new bushes. What works up north doesn't always work here.
Rob Mock, consulting rosarian, American Rose Society Horticulture Judge and past president of the Houston Rose Society, will be our speaker for the January meeting. His talk will be an comprehensive presentation on how to build rose beds in Houston and the correct techniques to be used for planting new bushes--and moving established bushes into new spots in the garden.
So, whether you need to build a new bed, or just move some of your old bushes around, do not miss this program by an experienced Houston rose grower.
We will also have books on rose horticulture for sale at ridiculously low prices.
Consulting Rosarian for January is Mary Fulgham. Bring your questions to the meeting. The first meeting of the year always brings many questions.
December, 2003:
'Tis the Season to Have a Party!
This year's HRS Annual Holiday Party will be at Treebeards' Restaurant, a Houston tradition for 23 years. Gather with us at 6:30 for cocktails and other liquid libations from the cash bar. Dinner will be served at 7:30.
In a repeat of a new tradition established at last year's celebration, Mary Rains and several of our members will be turning each of the tables into works of art, as each table will be decorated in an individual "theme" for the party. We are privileged to have Mr. Tommy Hebert as our special guest for the evening. Mr. Hebert is from Beaumont, and one of the top exhibitors in the nation. We will also have the annual awards presentation, door prizes, the installation of our 2004 officers, and of course - our holiday gift raffle!
Bring a wrapped rose-related gift ($5 - $10) to put under the tree for the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5. We always have fun drawing for gifts from fellow rosarians.
Tickets are $20, and pre-paid reservations are required. Send your check, payable to Houston Rose Society to:
Charles Ham
1610 Meadowlark
Deer Park, Texas 77536
Phone-281-479-9849
Your pre-paid reservation must be received no later than Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003.
There are plenty of parking lots around Treebeard's. Parking rates vary. For directions to Treebeard's, click here.
November, 2003:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, November 13, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Deck the Halls and Everything Else
With the change in the seasons, rosarians find themselves wanting to use the last of the season's roses in their holiday decorations. Some of us may find that the mechanics of introducing roses into holiday decorations, or simply coming up with unique ideas for those decorations a daunting proposition.
Mimi Lee and Deon Mauk of Albert Miller Florist & Gifts have been creating fabulous floral designs for Houston homes for more than 20 years. They will present our November program and actually teach us how to create a number of different arrangements, including a holiday table centerpiece.
For a sneak preview of their holiday arrangements (and great gift ideas), visit Mimi and Deon at Albert Miller Florist & Gifts located at 544 Waugh Drive, Monday - Friday from 8:00 - 5:00 or on Saturday from 8:00 - 4:00. Albert Miller's is more than your typical florist shop.
Consulting Rosarian for November is Patsy Williams. Bring your questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix Continues. Bring your best blooms, and enter the competition. This will be our last Grand Prix for 2003.
Feature of the Month: Miniature Bouquet. 12 mini roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
October, 2003:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, October 9, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Solving Garden Problems Thru Feng Shui
From time to time, all of us have had problem areas in our gardens that "just aren't quite right" or areas that don't "feel" right - but, try as we might, our efforts to cure these problem areas only make the problems worse. This happened in my own garden. For years, the area out of my back door aggravated me. Things just never looked right or grew right in this area, but I could never identify the basic problem.
When someone suggested employing a Feng Shui master, I admit I was skeptical (Feng Shui, is a 3,000 year old Chinese art of directing rhythm and energy for personal health and well being). Within minutes of the Feng Shui master entering my backyard, he immediately identified the problem, and within the week it was solved. He also made fabulous suggestions on the use of shapes, color and sound throughout the yard. Now, no matter where you are in my yard, it is restful and peaceful.
Tafi Cole, one of the City's top Feng Shui garden consultants, will be our speaker for the October meeting. Tafi will talk about the most common garden problems and how to overcome these problems by using colors, textures, shapes and sounds and other Feng Shui techniques. Regardless of whether your garden covers an acre or is confined to a patio, employing Feng Shui techniques will help you find peace in your private paradise.
Bring a friend to the October meeting, and enjoy hearing tips and tidbits from Houston's premier Feng Shui consultant.
Consulting Rosarian for October is Denise Cope. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues - Bring a few blooms, and enter the competition.
New Exhibitor s Corner - Come at 7:00 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn about how to make your blooms more beautiful.
September, 2003:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, September 11, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Continuing the Heritage - Growing Roses from Cuttings
One of the questions most frequently posed to consulting rosarians is "How Do You Root Rose Cuttings?" Almost everyone has tried to create new bushes from discarded cuttings. Some times those cuttings root successfully, other times they do not. Invariably, the cuttings most important to you are the ones which fail, leaving you wondering what went wrong.
Patsy Williams, a consulting rosarian and horticulture judge, has probably rooted more rose cuttings than any rosarian in Texas. Over the years, Patsy has developed a technique for rooting rose cuttings that has resulted in successful rootings 90% of the time, and she will share that technique with us at the September meeting.
Since many of us groom bushes in the fall to promote fall bloom, the September meeting is the perfect time to start a few cuttings.
September Cutting Exchange
At our September meeting we will feature a cutting exchange. This is a great opportunity for rosarians to try their hands at rooting cuttings and we will need several hundred cuttings donated to ensure that everyone goes home with at least one cutting to try.
To donate cuttings: A day or two before the September meeting, take cuttings from the roses in your yard. The diameter of the cuttings should be no thicker than a No. 2 pencil and ideally should be from a cane that has flowered. Cuttings should be no longer than 12". Wrap 6-12 rose cuttings in wet paper towel and place the cuttings in a gallon Zip Loc bag. Using a black felt tip permanent marker, write the name of the rose on the bag. Do not out more than one variety of rose in each bag. Keep bagged cuttings in a cool, place and bring them in their Zip-Loc bags to the meeting.
To participate in the cutting exchange:
Bring to the September meeting - your clippers, some gallon Zip Loc bags (you will want at least one gallon bag for each variety you select), a permanent black felt marker, some paper towels.
If anyone has rooted cuttings that they would like to donate, we would be happy to accept those, to be given away as door prizes.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Baxter Williams. Bring your rose questions.
Grand Prix continues - Bring your best blooms, and enter the competition.
Feature of the month: Stages of Bloom, 3 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety, showing the three stages of development, displayed in separate containers.
August, 2003:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, August 14, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Organics are O.K.!
Gardeners are becoming more and more attuned to including organic horticultural practices in their home gardens. Whether this comes from a national awareness toward preservation of the environment, a physical sensitivity toward chemical products or just wanting to do things "naturally," organic products have now entered the gardening market in a big way. The questions then become: (1) how do you start a successful organic program, and (2) to what extent will your garden be managed organically?
Helen Grivich, our speaker for the August meeting, is an organic gardening consultant who has taken on some high profile areas of the City and made them totally organic with overwhelming results. One of her gardens was recently featured in Parade Magazine.
Helen is going to teach us how to set up a garden for an organic management approach; how to introduce plants and beneficial insects for disease and pest control; and when and how to use organic treatments, if the garden requires more help than Mother Nature can give.
Regardless of the management practices you presently employ in your gardens, everyone will benefit from this pro's experience. Bring a friend, and join us for this educational program.
Consulting Rosarian for August is Earl Krause. August is a month full of questions, especially for anyone just getting started in roses. Bring your questions and receive an answer.
Grand Prix continues. Bring your best blooms, and enter the competition.
New Exhibitor Corner - Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn more about how to make your blooms more beautiful.
July, 2003:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, July 10, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Annual Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social - Ya'll Come
Every year the Society sponsors an "old fashioned" ice cream social and this year's social will bring us a respite from the sweltering heat and humidity that has been plaguing us for weeks. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. (30 minutes earlier than normal) so that we will have plenty of time to visit and eat lots of ice cream.
Summer is a time for having fun with family and friends, and we are looking forward to having you join us.
The Society provides the ice cream, and everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite topping (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, sprinkles, whipped cream, etc.) or cookies or brownies. Ultimately, we create the largest ice cream sundae bar in the City. For those with restricted dietary requirements we will even feature sugar-free ice cream and sorbet.
As an added attraction, our friend, Mike James, from Southwest Fertilizer will give a presentation on new gardening products that are on the market and demonstrate some new tools to make our gardening tasks much easier.
Bring a friend, and join us for a really fun evening!
There will be NO Grand Prix this month, but bring some roses for a Wacky Competition:
1. Exhibition rose having the thorniest stem
2. Ugliest Rose
3. Rose with the most black spots on its foliage
4. Rose with the most intricate bug damage on its foliage
5. Rose with droopiest stem
June, 2003:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, June 12, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Putting Your Best Rose Forward
By combining organic and chemical fertilizers, we in South Texas can grow some of the best roses in the United States. Through the practice of trial and error - and sharing the results of those trials, it is believed that a formula has now been found to grow those superior blooms.
Even if you are a casual rose lover, you too can triple the bloom production on your bushes and double your bloom size. For those who enjoy the competition of rose shows, a maintenance plan will be described which will increase your chances in the race to the trophy tables. No "secrets" will be withheld.
Art Davis, a retired teacher and member of the San Antonio Rose Society, will be our speaker at the June meeting. Art has grown competition roses for nineteen years and has won National, District and local awards for his outstanding blooms. Bring another rose lover to the meeting as this will be a night to share information on how to grow really good roses.
Consulting Rosarian for June is Robin Hough. Summer weather has already arrived. Questions about summer s heat are sure to be asked. Bring your rose related questions.
Grand Prix continues. Bring your best blooms, and enter the competition.
Feature of the Month: Matched Pair: 2 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures, of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
New Exhibitor Corner - Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn more about how to make your blooms more beautiful.
May, 2003:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society this month is on Thursday, May 8, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The ABC's of Landscape Design
If you have ever looked in envy at gardens featured in magazines and wished that your yard was as welcoming, you will not want to miss hearing our May speaker.
Ron Thompson, Thompson's Landscape Services, has had a successful landscape business in Houston for many years. He is a very popular speaker because he is happy to share the tricks of his trade to teach others the principles of landscaping that they may then use at their own homes.
The presentation will include (1) creating a garden design plan, (2) tips on plant placement, (2) rose varieties that are most successfully incorporated into a design by professional landscapers, and (4) the impact that color combinations have in the garden. Ron is even bringing with him a special door prize that will be given away at the meeting.
Regardless of whether you have one or one hundred roses, everyone will leave the May meeting with a better understanding of how to make your yard more appealing.
Consulting Rosarian for May is Mary Fulgham. Beautiful bloms and insects do not mix. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues. We have had plenty of beautiful blooms. Bring some to the May meeting and enter the competition.
New Exhibitors Corner. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. These same methods can also be used to make the blooms that you bring into your home look better.
April, 2003:
Those Marvelous Miniatures
If you are out of room in your garden, or live in an apartment or patio home, growing roses in containers is a viable option. Miniature roses are ideal for container gardening, as long as you employ some specific techniques to sustain the roses during extreme weather.
Our speaker for the April meeting is Deanna Krause. Deanna has been raising miniature roses for more than 20 years, and started her hobby with 100 mini roses in pots on her porch. Today, Deanna has more than 400 roses of all varieties and is an avid exhibitor. She is going to share with us techniques for growing miniature roses in containers, and show us some of the varieties with which she had the most success.
We will have a very special raffle item at the meeting. Tickets are $1 each, or 6 tickets for $5.
Consulting Rosarian for April is Denise Cope. With the first blooms, come many questions. Bring those questions to the meeting, and you will find an answer.
Grand Prix begins. Roses are very large and beautiful at this time of year. Bring your best 10 roses, and enter the Grand Prix. Competition is April through November, except July.
Feature of the month: Old Garden Rose Bouquet, 5 or more stems of one bloom or multiple blooms, in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
New Exhibitors Corner. Come at 6:30 pm, bring a few blooms, and learn how to groom them to enter the Grand Prix. These same methods can also be used to make the blooms that you bring into your home look better.
March, 2003:
Composting Made Simple
We have all heard about the benefits of incorporating compost in our rose gardens. Not surprisingly, there is a right way and a wrong way to compost. Join us in March and hear John Ferguson of Nature's Way Resources talk about how to build a compost bed, what garden and household wastes can be composted, how to maintain the compost bed. He will give us an overview of how the composting process works. No matter what you grow, finished compost is the ultimate soil amendment for your gardening needs.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Deanna Krause. As rose season really begins, and roses begin to grow, so do the questions. Bring your questions to the meeting or call a Consulting Rosarian listed on the back of every Rose-Ette. We will try to find answers to your questions.
Grand Prix begins in April. Plan now to enter the competition beginning at the April meeting.
February, 2003:
Let the Pruning Begin!
The number one question posed to rosarians is "How and when should I prune my roses"? Valentines' Day (February 14th) is when those of us along the Gulf Coast start pruning our gardens. Pruning is the most valuable service we give our roses. As such it is critical that pruning be done correctly and efficiently. Come let us show you how!
Our February meeting will be a hands-on pruning demonstration of all types of rose varieties. This is, by far, the most popular meeting of the Houston Rose Society - so don't miss your chance to see, up close, how expert rosarians prune actual bushes.
As an added bonus, all of the pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes at the conclusion of the meeting. This meeting is loads of fun so bring a friend.
We've all had several months to contemplate our gardens and make plans to make room for the new varieties we want to add this year. If you are going to eliminate existing bushes, don't give them to the trash man - DONATE THEM TO THE HRS. We desperately need bushes to use in our February 13th pruning demonstration. Simply dig up the bushes, put roots/soil in a plastic bag or pot and bring them with you to the meeting. PLEASE include a tag on the bush or on the pot identifying the rose (if you know it) or at least whether it is a hybrid tea, miniature, climber, etc. If you cannot come to the meeting, but have bushes you want to donate, contact Gaye Hammond 713/236-2600, 281/458-6116 or gayeh@oqlaw.com and she will make arrangements to pick up your bushes.
Reminder: 2003 dues are due.
January, 2003:
Roses & Their Companion Plants--The Great Debate
A debate has raged for decades among rosarians concerning growing companion plants in and among roses. On the one hand, some claim that adding other kinds of plants rob the roses of water and nutrients that would have otherwise been available to the roses. Others claim that growing the two together avoids monocultures that tend to invite pest and disease problems.
Mike Shoup, our speaker for the January meeting, is perhaps Texas' best-known expert on successfully combining roses with other companion and native plants. The fabulous landscaping and gardens at the Antique Rose Emporium's nurseries in Brenham and San Antonio are testament to his understanding of plant cultures and design attributes, while at the same time giving prominence to roses.
Mike will have copies of his book, Roses in the Southern Garden, to sell and autograph after the meeting concludes. You won't want to miss this opportunity to meet and hear this well-known author and rose expert.
Consulting Rosarian for January is Donald Burger. The new year has come and we are thinking about all those new roses that we want to plant. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Save pruning until February. Remember March 1st of last year. If you prune too early, a late freeze can damage new growth.
Reminder: 2003 dues are due.
December, 2002:
'Tis the Season to Have a Party!
This year's HRS Annual Holiday Party will be at Treebeards' Restaurant, a Houston tradition for 22 years. Gather with us at 6:30 for cocktails and other liquid libations from the cash bar. Dinner will be served at 7:30.
As a new feature to this year's celebration, Mary Rains and several of our members will be turning each of the tables into works of art. We are privileged to have Mr. Randy Lemmon, Host of the "Garden Line" radio show as our special guest speaker for the evening. We will also have the annual awards presentation (including some new awards that will be given for the very first time), door prizes, the installation of our 2003 officers, and of course - our holiday gift raffle!
Bring a wrapped rose-related gift ($5 - $10) to put under the tree for the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5. We always have fun drawing for gifts from fellow rosarians.
Tickets are $20, and pre-paid reservations are required. Send your check, payable to Houston Rose Society to:
Jerri Moseley
607 Golden Bear
Kingwood, TX 77339
Phone-281-359-2353 h
or 281-359-6909 w.
To see the menu and further details of the evening's activities, click here.
Your pre-paid reservation must be received no later than Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002.
HRS has reserved parking on the First Floor of the Kim Son Market Square Parking Garage located on the corners of Louisiana/Milam/Preston St. A shuttle bus will transport guests to the front door of Treebeards. Bring your parking ticket with you to the restaurant.
For directions to Treebeard's, click here.
November, 2002:
The Biggest and Best
Roses on Fortuniana Rootstock
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in November is on November 14, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Roses grown on fortuniana rootstock tend produce larger blooms and more vigorous bushes than those grown on the traditional Dr. Huey or other rootstocks that are commercially available in our area. Johnny Becnel, a rose grower from Louisiana, is famous for his show-stopping roses that he personally buds on fortuniana rootstock. Johnny will present a slide presentation on the rose selections that will be available in 2004, as well as share with us the secrets of how he achieves those gigantic blooms on his own bushes.
The ordered roses will be available for pickup in the Houston Garden Center parking lot from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. on November 14th (meeting day). Any roses not claimed by the conclusion of the meeting will be sold on a first-come, first served basis.
Consulting Rosarian for November is Baxter Williams. In November we still have larger blooms with more vivid color. It s time to begin preparing for winter.
Grand Prix Continues. Bring your best blooms, and enter the competition. This will be our last Grand Prix for 2002.
Feature of the Month: Miniature Bouquet. 12 mini roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
For directions to the Houston Garden Center, click here.
October, 2002:
The Lazy Gardener s Favorite Garden Plants
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in October is on October 10, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
If you watch Channel 8 or read the Houston Chronicle s garden section, you are familiar with Brenda Beust Smith s gardening the lazy way. Her mission is to take the work out of the process so you have more time to enjoy your garden. At the October meeting, Brenda will bring a bounty of her garden favorites and share their attributes (especially their heat and drought tolerance) with our members. Her selections will include native and pass-a-long plants, perennials and annuals (with a rose or two that she just can t do without).
Since October is the month when most of us will be dividing our perennials, bring a pot or two of your own favorite pass-a-long plants to donate in a plant exchange. At the end of the meeting we will have a drawing and give away all of the donated plants. (Be sure to label your plant so we know what it is and whether it is an annual, perennial, native or vine.)
Consulting Rosarian for October is Dan Moseley. As we await better blooms, bring your questions to the meeting and receive an answer.
Grand Prix Continues. Blooms are getting prettier. Bring your best blooms, and give others some competition.
Feature of the Month: Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora Bouquet, 7 or more roses, any variety or combination of varieties, one bloom per stem, no side bud(s), in container furnished by exhibitor.
NOTICE: 7:00 pm - New exhibitor workshop before the meeting. Come early, and learn how to make your roses look better. Demo roses are not provided: bring roses to work on.
September, 2002:
CARE FREE ROSES - WHAT A FIND!
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in September is on September 12, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Finally! Roses that thrive with almost no care. Texas A&M horticulturists have been conducting field research for several years in search of the most beautiful carefree roses ever developed to be grown in Southern climates. If you are looking for roses that are easy to grow and maintain, you will not want to miss next month's meeting. Our speaker for the September meeting, Dr. Steve George, Professor and Statewide Extension Coordinator of the "Texas Superstar" and "EarthKind" Roses programs will present information on the roses that, in Dr. George's words, "even a child can grow" because "you plant 'em and forget 'em".
As am added bonus, one of the roses receiving Texas A&M's "EarthKind" designation will be given as a door prize at the conclusion of the meeting.
Also, in anticipation of the October rose show, we will be offering another exhibitor's prep box that is fully stocked with everything an exhibitor needs to get their roses ready for the show table. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 each or 6 for $5.
After-Meeting Note: For an article on the eleven "Earthkind" Roses selected by Texas A&M, click here.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Deanna Krause. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues -- Bring your best blooms and enter the competition.
Feature of the month: Stages of Bloom: 3 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures of the same variety showing the three stages of development, displayed in separate containers.
Notice: 7:00 pm-- New Exhibitor workshop before the meeting. Come early, and learn how to make your roses look better. Demo roses are not provided: bring roses to work on.
August, 2002:
IT'S MORE THAN JUST DIRT!
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in August is on August 8, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Dirt is that concrete mass that is has permanently adhered itself to the pot containing last year's poinsettia. Soil, on the other hand, is a living, breathing medium that works very hard providing your roses with a safe and nourishing home. Our ancestors in the south learned a very hard lesson in using their fields year after year for the same crops. Gradual decreases in field productions taught us that we must change how we treat the soil if we expect high returns.
The same thing holds true in your gardens. If you treat the soil well, your garden will flourish. Come join us on August 8th and hear a real professional teach us how to upgrade our beds and keep our soil in optimum condition. Dan Lawlor, professor from Wharton Junior College's soil laboratory, will share with us tips and techniques for improving our soil, including recommendations on soil amendments.
July, 2002:
Annual Ice Cream Social
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in July is on July 11, 2002. The meeting begins at a special time this month only of 7:00 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This month we start early, at 7:00 pm, so we can talk and eat lots of ice cream. There are just some things that we all look forward to in the summer--and no, it's not the sweltering heat and diminished bloom size on our roses. Summer is a time for having fun with family and friends, and we are looking forward to having you join us for the annual "old fashioned" ice cream social.
The Society provides the ice cream, and everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite topping (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, whipped cream, etc.), or cookies, or brownies. Ultimately, together, we create the largest ice cream sundae bar in Houston. For those with restricted dietary requirements, we will even feature sugar-free ice cream and sorbet.
Nicki Thorne-Thomsen, Assistant Manager with Buchanan's Native Plants, will give a presentation about new gardening tools and gadgets that are on the market. She will also have some of the items, as well as several excellent resource books, available for sale.
Bring a friend, and join us for a really fun evening!
There will be NO Grand Prix this month, but bring some roses for a "Wacky Competition":
1. Exhibition rose having the thorniest stem
2. Ugliest Rose
3. Rose with the most black spots on its foliage
4. Rose with the most intricate bug damage on its foliage
5. Rose with droopiest stem
NOTE: At the meeting there will be a raffle of a fully stocked exhibitor's kit. Raffle tickets will be $1 each, or 6 for $5.
June, 2002:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in June is on June 13, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
One of the fun aspects of rose horticulture is that there is no one way to raise beautiful roses. Everyone does something a little different, depending on the amount of time dedicated to the hobby, the inclination to try new products and the horticultural practices implemented. Regardless of our level of experience in raising roses, we all enjoy learning tips and techniques from knowledgeable rosarians who have proven they can grow big, beautiful roses.
The June meeting is the time to harvest the knowledge of the Society's seasoned professionals who will divulge the secrets of their individual successes. Mary Flugham, Chair of Houston's Consulting Rosarian Program, will moderate a panel discussion to answer questions on all aspects of rose horticulture. Mary has been collecting questions and topics for the program since last year, and this will be a truly informative and interactive presentation. Bring a friend, and all questions you would like addressed, to the June meeting.
Consulting Rosarian for June is William Groth. William is one of our new Consulting Rosarians. Let's break him in with great questions.
The Grand Prix continues this month. Bring your best blooms and enter them in the Grand Prix. This is good experience prior to the real thing.
Feature of the month: Matched Pair: 2 Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures, of the same variety, with no side buds, displayed in separate containers.
May, 2002:
Propagating Your Own Roses
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in May is on May 9, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
At some point in our gardening efforts, we have all tried to root rose cuttings. Some have enjoyed more success than others. You can improve your rooting success rate by employing a few of the tips and techniques that will be offered at the May meeting.
Glenn Schroeter, our speaker at the May Meeting, is no stranger to propagating roses. He is personally responsible for more than a quarter million rose cuttings each year as the Production Manager for the Antique Rose Emporium. Not only does Glenn oversee the production of an army of cuttings each year, he also monitors each variety's fertility, pest and disease suppression, as well as the harvesting of the mature plants. He will go over the propagation techniquest employed at the Antique Rose Emporium, including use of a cloning gel rooting hormone sold under the trade name, Root-Tech, that they obtain from Airline Hydrophonics, (281/808-6970 ), which is located at booth 363 in Trader's Village, 7979 N. Eldridge on Saturdays and Sundays.
Consulting Rosarian for May is Patsy Williams. Bring some questions for Patsy!
The Grand Prix continues this month. Bring your best blooms and enter them in the Grand Prix. This is good experience prior to the real thing.
Feature of the month: Floribunda Bouquet: 5 or more stems (one-bloom-per-stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties, displayed in a container furnished by the exhibitor.
New Exhibitor class continues: There will be a learning session on "How to get your roses ready to show." You do not need to know anything about exhibiting. This will help you know how to enter the Grand Prix that we have each month, beginning in April. This session is especially designed for the novice rosarian. Even if you should never exhibit a rose, this information will be good for those roses that you bring into the house or office to personally enjoy. This session begins at 7:00 pm, just before the regular meeting. See you on the right side of the room.
April, 2002:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in April is on April 11, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
All gardeners have both beneficial and harmful insects in their gardens. The ability to recognize the good guys from the bad guys is critical in any pest management program.
Malcolm Beck, a noted authority on organic gardening practices, will share his presentation on "Understanding Texas Insects" at our April meeting.
Mr. Beck, commonly known as the "King of Compost," has made helping gardeners achieve their horticultural needs from a natural approach his goal in life--and he has been very successful at it. He is the author of The Garden-Ville Method: Lessons in Nature, The Secret Life of Compost and, along with Howard Garrett, Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening and the Texas Bug Book.
Mr. Beck is a most entertaining speaker and his talks are always both fun and educational. Please come join us for this "not to be missed" program.
March, 2002:
Roses from A Hill Country Perspective
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in March is on March 14, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Our speakers for the March meeting will be Carl and JoAnn Wagner. The Wagners are long-time rosarians with a wealth of experience in all aspects of rose horticulture. Carl has served on the Board of Directors of the American Rose Society and is an accredited Judge.
They will be sharing with us tips and techniques on how they overcame adversity in their hill country gardens, as well as presenting an interesting slide presentation on favorite varieties that have done well in their rocky climate.
Consulting Rosarian for March is Baxter Williams. Bring some questions for Baxter!
Also, beginning with our March meeting, there will be a learning session on "How to get your roses ready to show." You do not need to know anything about exhibiting. This will help you know how to enter the Grand Prix that we have each month, beginning in April. This session is especially designed for the novice rosarian. Even if you should never exhibit a rose, this information will be good for those roses that you bring into the house or office to personally enjoy. This session begins at 7:00 pm, just before the regular meeting. See you on the right side of the room.
Don't forget to renew your HRS membership if you haven't already!
February, 2002:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in February is on February 14, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The number one question posed to rosarians is, "How and when should I prune my roses"? Valentine's Day (February 14th) is when those of us along the Gulf Coast start pruning our gardens. Pruning is the most valuable service we give to our roses. As such, it is critical that pruning be done correctly and efficiently. Come, let us show you how!
Our February meeting will be a hands-on pruning demonstration of all types of rose varieties. This is, by far, the most popular meeting of the Houston Rose Society--so don't miss your chance to see, up close, how expert rosarians prune actual bushes.
As an added bonus, all of the pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes at the conclusion of the meeting. This meeting is loads of fun, so bring a friend.
Pruners:
Hybrid Teas: Earl Krause, Patti Lawlor, Dan Moseley, Baxter Williams
Miniatures: Robin Hough, Deanna Krause
Floribundas: Donald Burger, Dan Lawlor
Antique/OGRs: Mary Fulgham
Climbers/Shrubs: Doug Mitchell
Sharpening Shears: Rick/Robin Kohler $5.00 pair (Pruning Shears only)
We've all had several months to contemplate our gardens and plan to make room for the new varieties we want to add this year. If you are going to eliminate existing bushes, don't give them to the trash man - donate them to the HRS. We desperately need bushes to use in our February 14th pruning demonstration. Simply dig up the bushes, put roots/soil in a plastic bag or pot, and bring them with you to the meeting. It helps to have a tag on the bush or on the pot identifying the rose (if you know it), or at least whether it is a hybrid tea, miniature, climber, etc. If you cannot come to the meeting, but have bushes you wish to donate, contact Gaye Hammond 713-236-2600, 281 458-6116 or gayeh@oqlaw.com, and she will make arrangements to pick up your bushes.
Don't forget to renew your HRS membership if you haven't already!
January, 2002:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in January is on January 10, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome. The speaker is Ed Bradley.
Now that the holidays are over, we are able to direct our attention to planning, designing, building and expanding our gardens so that we are ready for the profusion of flowers that will come in April. At our January meeting, Ed Bradley, Past President of the San Antonio Rose Society, will teach us how to build better rose beds and share his step-by-step presentation on how to re-work existing gardens to make them more productive. We encourage you to bring your friends to hear this outstanding rosarian share his secrets and tips on building better rose beds.
If you were able to attend the Fall Rose Show, you saw countless examples of Ed's handiwork. Not only did he take home the King of Show trophy for his individual specimen of Classic Touch, he also received six of seven Court of Honor awards, and received the Sweepstakes trophy for winning the most blue ribbons in the standard rose classes. When it comes to roses, Ed really knows his stuff.
Take this opportunity to invite those who have enjoyed your roses to accompany you to this month's meeting. The learning experience will whet their horticultural appetites for more.
January Consulting Rosarian is Mary Fulgham. With the beginning of a new year, questions arise. Bring your questions to the meeting.
Don't forget to renew your HRS membership if you haven't already!
December, 2001:
Houston Rose Society
Annual
Holiday Dinner
Social Hour: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:30 pm
DoubleTree Club Hotel
2828 Southwest Freeway
PRE-PAID Reservations are Required
Make reservations to:
Jerri Moseley, 281-359-2353 home, 281-359-6909 work
607 Golden Bear Ln, Kingwood, TX 77339
$20.00 per Person
Money must be received by December 9th
The Evening includes:
Dinner Consisting of-
Sliced Roast Beef au jus
Baked Boneless Breast of Chicken
and
Tossed Green Salad, Rice Pilaf Steamed Vegetables
Hot Rolls and Dessert
Installation of 2002 Officers
Mike Kromer - ARS
Grand Prix Awards for 2001
HRS Annual Holiday Raffle
November, 2001:
In the early 1940's, A.J. Hodges, a pioneer conservationist, began a vast reforestation effort in west central Louisiana. Included was a 4,700-acre experimental arboretum, and within this area an abandoned stone quarry was discovered. Hodges recognized its potential and created a unique scenic garden utilizing the natural rock formations, and Hodges Gardens Park and Wilderness Area was opened to the public in 1956.
It may be hard to believe, but the 4,700 acres were once widely called the "most barren" in Louisiana. By the early 1900s, stonemasons and lumbermen had utilized and abandoned the land, leaving the area stripped and barren. It was the vision of A.J. Hodges, Sr., that turned this wasteland into the largest privately owned horticultural park and recreation area in the United States. Hodges is a beautiful combination of natural scenic areas and artfully designed formal gardens tucked in the rolling pinelands of West Central Louisiana. It offers over 50 flower beds, situated among rocks and waterfalls in an old quarry. A flowing stream meanders alongside walkways throughout the gardens. There are three formal rose gardens here, as well as a seven-mile scenic drive.
Mr. Leonard Veazey will bring his unique knowledge of the gardens and park to our November meeting and show us what has been captured on slides. In 1986 he completed his education in horticulture at Tyler Junior College and then operated his own landscape design firm for several years. The American Rose Center was fortunate to have him as its Garden Grounds and Center Director for almost eight years before he became Supervisor of Horticulture Operations at Hodges Park and Gardens. The gardens and park are located approximately halfway between Shreveport and Lake Charles, Louisiana, it is open year round.To visit their website click here.
October, 2001:
Kathy Adams Clark will take us through some photography basics, then toss in some intermediate and advanced techniques during our October program. Her years of college teaching experience are put to good use teaching photography classes & workshops, so she is well-prepared to help us become better photographers. You have probably seen some of her photos accompanying the weekly nature column written by Gary Clark for the Houston Chronicle entitled "Wonders of Nature". Look for the column in Friday's Feature Section and for more of Kathy's photos on her website at www.kathyadamsclark.com
Kathy is the owner of KAC Productions, which she started in 1995 after a career in human resources. Her photos have appeared in many places including Birder's World, Saveur, The New York Times and National Geographic Books. Kathy has provided photo and text packages for Bird Watcher's Digest, Birder's World, Texas Parks & Wildlife and other magazines. She has also provided corporate photography for Compaq Computer, South Texas Electrical Project, and The Woodlands Corporation. Kathy also leads tours and speaks frequently at association meetings and nature festivals.
So gather all your photography equipment together and dust off those lenses. Kathy will give us all a refresher course and help you figure out how to make those award-winning photos for our upcoming Rose Show on October 27.
September, 2001:
Many chemicals are designed to help us grow better roses and, just in time for our chemical sale in October, we have someone to help us figure out which chemicals to use, when to use them and what the proper dose is. We are privileged to have Travis Klosterboer speak to us on September 13 about the latest scientific findings on how insects and fungus harm our roses and what chemicals are effective for which problems. He will discuss the different kinds of fungicides, such as contact fungicides, systemic fungicides and local contact fungicides and how to use each. Travis will explain why some of your favorite chemicals are no longer on the market and what new chemicals may replace them.
Travis is the Ornamental Sales Specialist for Aventis EnvironmentalScience. In his job he gets the latest findings on the new chemicals on the market and how to best use the old ones. He is a noted speaker and authority on plant chemicals and the process by which the plant absorbs and metabolizes the nutrients from the soil to the rose.
Travis brings to us his unique knowledge of plant nutrition and methods of feeding, which beautify the garden and enhance the superior beauty of the rose. So take inventory of what you have on your shelves and note what you need to buy at our October chemical sale. Travis will give you the "insider's view" on the latest offerings.
August, 2001:
There's more to soil health than N-P-K! There are several million SPECIES of organisms, which typically require a microscope to see, that live in soil and around the roots of plants. The way that these organisms interact with each other and with plants is called the Soil Foodweb. This is a new model of soil fertility and management released by the USDA last year that works better and at lower cost than older outdated methods. A "best balance" among all the different kinds of microorganisms exists for each kind of plant to generate the best health for that plant. John Ferguson will explain the Soil Foodweb to us at this month's meeting and how it relates to the roses in our gardens. John is passionate about roses and will explain how soil amendments, fungicides, insecticides, mulch, compost, etc. affect soil microbes and ultimately the growth and health of our roses and all plants. Come learn about the seven primary benefits of a beneficial Soil Foodweb, and how to approach achieving these.
John is a soil scientist by degree and training (soil physics) and is the founder of Nature's Way Resources, Inc., a local composting company focusing on high quality mulches, soils, and composts. John's yard has been featured in several gardening textbooks and in national magazines such as "Better Homes and Gardens". He regularly gives talks and teaches seminars on soil science, mulch, environmental issues and related subjects as applied to gardening for Master Gardeners, Texas A&M Extension Service Workshops, Area University sponsored programs, Urban Harvest continuing education programs, and for many local garden clubs. John also serves on the state governmental agency, Houston Galveston-Area Council (HGAC) for solid waste management representing the private composting industry.
John has been kind enough to provide us with a list of references and sources he will talk about in his speech. To view this material click here.
July, 2001:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in July is on July 12, 2001. The meeting begins, this month only, at 7 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This month we start early, at 7:00 p.m., so we can talk and eat lots of ice cream and give away door prizes! We will not have a program speaker in July, but you will have plenty of time to visit with other members and get to know some other rosarians. HRS provides the ice cream and we ask each of you to bring homemade or store-bought ice cream topping you like best (fruit, nuts, sauces, candy, whipped cream, etc.), or cookies or brownies.
There will be NO Grand Prix this month. Instead, we will have a Wacky Competition! This is you chance to enter (and win) no matter what kind of roses you grow! Categories are:
1. Exhibition rose having the thorniest stem.
2. Ugliest Rose
3. Rose with the most blackspots on its foliage
4. Rose with the most intricate bug damage on its foliage
5. Rose with droopiest stem
Also, various vendors that support HRS will have tables of their wares or information for you, or will be available to answer questions. Here is a partial listing of vendors that will be at our July meeting as well as sponsors that will provide door prizes:
River Oaks Book Store - books for your table as well as your garden
Smith & Hawken - items to enhance your gardening lifestyle
Cabrera Farm Nursery - wonderful orchids and bonsai
Southwest Fertilizer - host of our fall chemical sale
Nitro-Phos Fertilizers - customized rose fertilizer for HRS
Woodale Gardens - natural twig trellises
Accents by Alma - rose decorated shirts, vests, aprons, and pillow shams.
Maria's Designs - rose-themed, hand painted and embroidered clothing, jewelry
and accessories
Rick Kohler - sharpens your pruners for $5 per pair
Last, but certainly not least, we will have a drawing for the hardback edition of the Peter Beales coffee table book, Visions of Roses. Retail value $40.00. 208 pages, filled with beautiful color photographs. No purchase necessary. All you have to do is show up and vote for your favorite start time for our meetings. Choices are 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, or 8:00 pm. One vote per person. This is yet another reason to attend this popular meeting.
Don't miss this month's meeting! See you there.
June, 2001:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in June is on June 14, 2001. The meeting begins at 8 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome. The speaker is Anita Nelson .
This month's program will let you in on approaches to integrating a water feature in your garden. A fountain or other water source just might add another layer of beauty to your garden, and it will introduce the calming sounds of gently moving water. Anita Nelson, of Nelson Water Gardens in Katy, will share her ideas and expertise on the elements of such a project. She'll start with why this is a good idea that you may not have seriously considered, then move on to where to place it in your garden, when the best time is to start such a project, how to plan and execute it, and what you might include in your water feature.
Anita is a founding member of International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society. She has served as a Guest Lecturer frequently to Botanic Gardens, Garden Clubs, and Professional Groups on various aspects of Water Gardening from Clear Water to Landscape Design and has appeared on the New Garden Television Show nationwide on PBS. Anita has published in American Nurseryman, Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Water Gardening Magazine, Pondkeeper, North American Gardener, Texas Gardener, Neil Sperry's Gardens n' More, The Water Garden Journal and more. She is a contributing Editor for Water Gardening Magazine & Pondkeeper Magazine. In 1996, Anita won the "Reel American Award" for outstanding Journalism on Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care and Landscaping.
Maybe it's time to replace or enhance that bird bath! So map out your gardens and bring your sketches with you to this month's meeting. You'll be sure to leave with some great ideas and ambitions.
May, 2001:
The monthly meeting of the Houston Rose Society in May is on May 10, 2001. The meeting begins at 8 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome. The speaker is Sue O'Brien .
Ms. O'Brien is the owner of Tiny Petal Nursery and a hybridizer of miniature roses. She is also the daughter of famous mini grower, Dee Bennett. As a special treat for the Houston Rose Society Ms. O'Brien has donated one of her special new roses for us to raffle off at the meeting. The rose is "White Chocolate. Only people attending the meeting will have a chance to see this fascinating rose. This is another reason to make this particular meeting.
As an ARS Consulting Rosarian, Sue has begun a crusade in recent years to educate novice rosarians about mini rose culture and to rescue them from disaster. Increased sale of mini roses through grocery stores and other non-nursery outlets has enabled thousands of first-time mini rose growers to commit "unintentional rosacide" out of ignorance and misinformation. Through Tiny Petals Nursery, Sue sponsors a program for young rosarians, between the ages of 4 and 10, called the "Tiny Petals Club," which has started over 500 youngsters growing mini roses. Many of these children are now rose society members and even winning exhibitors.
Our May meeting is a great opportunity for adults and children to learn how to avoid rose abuse and perhaps to inspire "wannabe" rosarians. Both you and your children will enjoy this program, so don't miss it!.
Consulting Rosarian for May is Randy Keen. It has certainly been an interesting spring. Bring your rose questions to the meeting.
Grand Prix continues. April was a good start for the Grand Prix. Bring your best blooms to the May meeting and enter the show.
Feature of the Month: Floribunda Bouquet: 5 or more stems (one-bloom-per-stem or sprays), any variety or combination of varieties, displayed in the container furnished by exhibitor.
April, 2001:
The speaker for the April Program for the Houston Rose Society will be Eddie
Garcia from San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Garcia is known throughout Texas for
his prize-winning roses. He is a regular participant in the Houston Rose
Society rose shows, and usually walks away with lots of ribbons and trophies.
Mr. Garcia will share with us his many tips on how to prepare your roses to
win your own blue ribbons. This program is especially timely because the
Spring Rose Show of the Houston Rose Society is scheduled for Willowbrook
Mall on April 21st.
March, 2001:
Dee Howell converted the Horticultural Services of the City of Houston to IPM fifteen years ago when she assumed responsibility for these services as Senior Superintendent of Horticultural Services. What is IPM? Integrated Pest Management. IPM attempts to reduce pest problems from the beginning by appropriate plant selection for the location, proper bed preparation, and monitoring the environment. As its next line of defense, IPM begins with the least toxic method of pest control with which we are all familiar - picking bugs off by hand -- and escalates up the spectrum from soaps and oils to toxic substances as a last pest control resort. Dee will take us through the IPM system in the March program, so be ready for her spirited and entertaining walk through our gardens. Bring your pencil and paper because you will want to take notes!
FEBRUARY, 2001:
Valentine's Day is the traditional time to prune roses in Houston. Although there are some good articles on how to prune, nothing beats watching an actual demonstration on a real rose bush.
At the February Meeting we will have tables set up around the room where Consulting Rosarians will demonstrate how to prune all types of roses. Our heat, humidity and (usually) mild winters call for special pruning techniques. What works in the cold North does not necessarily make sense in Houston.
We need you to bring in roses for this pruning demo, especially miniatures, old garden roses and climbers. Please bring your bushes in a pot, or wrap the roots gently, but firmly, in a trash bag. The bush that is your trash will help someone else learn to prune, and they may leave with a treasure!
Some of our pruners will be:
Miniatures ----- Theresa Anderson
Hybrid Teas ----- Baxter Williams, Robin Hough, Dan & Patti Lawlor
Floribundas ----- Paul Whelchel
Old Garden Roses ----- Earl & Deanna Krause
Climbers ----- Doug Mitchell
Sharpening (Pruners and Loppers only) ----- Rick Kohler ($5.00)
This is your chance to see pruning done by experts on the kind of roses you grow. This is one of the more popular meetings of the year. Don't miss it!
JANUARY, 2001:
The Making of a Rose Bed,
or, Fixin' 'em Up!
The January meeting of the Houston Rose Society is on January 11, 2001. The meeting begins at 8 pm at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
If you have ever wondered how good roses are successfully grown,
the answer can partially be found in this month's meeting. The topic
is Bed Building.
The program will include and examine the basics of
design, preparation and actual construction of a rose bed. We will
explore the contents of the bed and its maintenance, take a brief foray
into types of watering systems and consider the task of planting the
roses.
Rob Mock, a Consulting Rosarian and long-time member of the Houston Rose Society, has built and reworked many rose beds during 23
years of rose growing. He started with two roses and eventually ended
up with 350 plus roses. As time constraints have become a limiting
factor, his folly and fascination with roses has taken an exacting
toll,
and he has reduced his rose care tasks to a more manageable garden
size of about 50. Be present for this program as you plan your rose
beds of the future and hear Rob Mock explain the basics of bed building.
DECEMBER, 2000:
In recognition of the support of our membership and the hard work of all of the many volunteers who made the Texas 2000 World of Roses Convention an overwhelming success, the Board of Directors of the Houston Rose Society invites you to attend a special holiday party being given IN YOUR HONOR!
The Annual Holiday Dinner
and
Installation of Officers
of the
Houston Rose Society
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14th
J W Marriott Hotel
5150 Westheimer
Social Hour: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7:30 pm
Cost: $15.00 per person
Choice of:
Sauteed Pecan Crusted Chicken Breast with Dijon Mustard Sauce
or
Sliced London Broil with Wild Mushroom Sauce
(London Broil will be served unless specified in advance)
Pre-Paid Reservations are Required
Money must be received by December 9th
Mail your check
(payable to the Houston Rose Society) to:
Jerri Moseley
607 Golden Bear Lane
Kingwood, Texas 77339
Phone: 281 359 2353 (home)
281 359 6909 (work)
The evening will include:
An elegant sit down dinner
Installation of 2001 Officers
Grad Prix Awards for 2000
HRS annual holiday raffle
Musical entertainment
Don't miss this meeting!
For more information call Jerri Moseley at 281 359 2353 (home) or 281 359 6909 (work) or Gaye Hammond at 731 236 2600 (work) or 281 458 6116 (home).
November, 2000:
Monty Justice has been a champion rose grower, show judge, and rose society member for many years. He is a past president of the Louisville (Kentucky) Rose Society and has served as a judge for ARS sanctioned shows throughout the midwest. He originally created his secret formula for plant food for his own use and he shared it only with a few friends. But as the effectiveness of Monty's Joy Juice became more widely known, more and more people wanted to give it a try. Monty now makes his Joy Juice available to all gardeners looking for stronger plants, increased foliage, bigger fruit and larger blooms.
Many Houston Rose Society members were introduced to Monty's Joy Juice at our recent World Federation of Rose Societies Convention and have been enthusiastic about the results they saw in their gardens.
If you had the pleasure of visiting Monty's booth at the convention trade show you know what a great speaker he is. There was always a crowd around him as he regaled his audience with tales from the garden. Now is you chance to hear the inside story of Monty's Joy Juice and find out the many ways you can use it in your garden. You'll also have a chance to go home with your sample of Monty's Joy Juice. Monty is one of the best rose speakers in the country. Don't miss this chance to hear him in person. You can also visit his website at www.montysjoyjuice.com
Come join us at 8 pm on November 9th at the Garden Center in Hermann Park for this most interesting program. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
October, 2000:
Henry Flowers is currently the Display Garden Manager and Designer for the Antique Rose Emporium. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. degree in Horticulture and a Master of Agriculture degree in Floriculture. While at Texas A&M he also studied floral design in the Benz School of Floral Design under the direction of Jim Johnson. He has worked for the Antique Rose Emporium since 1990 and has been instrumental in the design and implementation of the display gardens in Dahlonego, Georgia, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as many of the gardens at the original location of the Antique Rose Emporium in Independence, Texas. He enjoys all aspects of gardening and loves to use flowers from the garden to create fun and creative floral designs. Some of his floral designs can be seen in the new book, Roses in the Southern Garden, by G. Michael Shoup.
September, 2000:
We all know that roses appreciate a well-prepared rose bed. The soil should be loose, friable and full of organic materials. Most of the soil in the Houston area is clay and can be greatly improved with the addition of organics. Organics can put life back into the soil, and increase plant health, beauty and abundance. They can also be called upon as protection from diseases and pest.
Peter Cangelosi with San Jacinto Environmental Supplies has worked in the landscape industry as a contractor, consultant, teacher and author. Come and hear him explain healthy growing made simple. Also, you can visit San Jac's website by clicking here.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Baxter Williams. Bring your rose questions and Baxter will find an answer for you.
Grand Prix Continues. Although the blooms are still small, bring your best blooms and enter the competition.
Mini workshops will begin at 7:15 pmto show novice exhibitors what they need to do to enter the Grand Prix. Robin Hough will explain arranging and Mary Fulgham, Theresa Andersen and Jim Boden will direct horticulture. Come early and gain the knowledge of these Rosarians.
Feature of the Month: Stages of Bloom: Three (3) Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, or Miniatures. All three specimens must be the same variety, showing the three stages of development. Correctly named and displayed in separate containers.
One, a bud, 1/4 open,
One, approximately 1/2 - 3/4 open or in its most perfect phase of possible beauty,
One, fully open bloom (stamens must show).
Come join us at 8 pm on September 14th at the Garden Center in Hermann Park for this most interesting program. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
August, 2000:
How attractive is your yard to birds, butterflies, and insects? Would you like to learn how to attract more of them to your yard? Just small changes in our landscaping habits can result in significant improvements in wildlife habitat. A Wildscape is a safe harbor in which wildlife can find the resources they need to survive: food, shelter and water. Through Wildscapes, Texas Parks and Wildlife encourages landowners to restore pockets of habitat in their own backyards and live in harmony with nature. Come and hear Diana Foss, from Texas Parks and Wildlife, explain the Backyard Habitat Program.
Diana is a seasoned Urban Biologist employed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. She currently works in TP & WD's Houston Office.
Consulting Rosarian for August is Denise Cope. August is a tough month for roses and rosarians. Bring your questions to the monthly meeting.
Gran Prix resumes: The blooms are small because of the heat; bring the best blooms that you have and enter the competition.
Feature of the month: Arrangement. A Standard or Miniature arrangement. Names of roses and type of arrangement (Line, Mass, Abstract, Moribana, etc.) must be on entry tag.
July, 2000:
There will be no regular program at the July meeting. This is the meeting to get together, have fun, and get better acquainted with our fellow members. The ice cream will be provided. We do ask that EVERYONE bring their favorite topping (fruit, nuts, candy, whipped cream, bought toppings, etc.) or bring cookies or brownies.
THERE WILL BE NO GRAN PRIX THIS MONTH, BUT BRING YOUR "BEST" (WORST) ROSES FOR THE "WACKY ROSE COMPETITION".
The categories include:
1. Worst case of blackspot on a single specimen
2. Most spent blooms on a single stem
3. Worst thrip damage to a bloom
4. Ugliest Arrangement
5. Most thorns on a single stem
6. Matched pair, with equally diseased specimens
7. Largest weed from your garden
8. Rose with the most insect pests on specimen
9. Photography category-rose specimen in worst focus or photography blooper of your choice (Thumb in picture, etc.)
Bring your sense of humor and be prepared to have a great evening!
FEATURED TABLES
Southwest Fertilizer Co - garden equipment and fertilizers.
Nitro-Phos Inc - fertilizers produced in and for Houston.
Buchanan's Native Plants-Old Garden Roses and native plants
Smith & Hawkin-gardening equipment, ornaments
Pruner Sharpening - Rick Kohler (bring those dull pruners).
River Oaks Bookstore - books on growing roses and other plants.
Living Earth Technology Co. - mulch, compost, enriched soils and growing mixes by the bag and in bulk, plus professional rose soil co-developed and endorsed by the Houston Rose Society.
New York Gold & Diamond - gold roses.
Texas Parks and Wildlife - Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program
Accents by Alma - rose decorated shirts, vests, aprons, and pillow shams.
Maria's Designs - rose-themed, hand painted and embroidered clothing, jewelry
and accessories.
Landscapes by John - your alternative to manual labor.
Wabash Antiques and Feed Store - plants, seeds and organic supplies.
Fiskars products, at a discount.
June, 2000:
Mary Herr is a landscape designer who incorporates biodiverse plants and organic practices to create a look that she likes to call "Texas Cottage Garden Style". As the owners of Herr's Lawn and Landscape, she and husband Mike co-host Weekend Gardening with Ben Oldag on Sunday mornings from 7 to 10 A.M. on KPRC AM Radio 9:50. Mary is also a member of the Texas Rose Rustlers and likes to use own root roses in the gardens of her clients
Mary will be the speaker for our June 8th meeting of the Houston Rose Society. She will discuss her techniques for incorporating roses into a garden landscape and for using perennials with roses. May, 2000:
The process of creating a new rose variety by applying the pollen from one rose to the seed of another is called hybridizing. This is the creative side of rose production and can be simpler than you think to accomplish.
Our speaker for the May 11th meeting of the Houston Rose Society will be Mary Fulgham. Mary has been growing roses for over 25 years and has been hybridizing them for 20 of those years . She will share her hybridizing techniques with us, so bring a note pad and be prepared to learn how to produce your own original rose.
Come join us at 8 pm on May 11th at the Garden Center in Hermann Park for this most interesting program.
April, 2000:
How many times have you gone into your rose garden a week after show and found that perfect "Queen of Show" rose blooming? With photography, you can capture that beauty to share with others.
Our speaker for the April 13th meeting of the Houston Rose Society is Mike Turner. Through the art of photography you can preserve the beauty of that bloom you spent all that effort to produce. Come learn the tricks of the trade for taking knock-out pictures of your roses.
Come join us at 8 pm on April 13th at the Garden Center in Hermann Park for this most interesting program.
March, 2000:
If you've had that perfect rose in your garden and had no clue how to get it to the show table with a blue ribbon, the March 9th meeting of the Houston Rose Society has the program for you. The meeting is at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park and starts at 8 pm. Admission is free and the public is welcome.
Deanna Krause has been growing and exhibiting roses for over 20 years, having won many awards at local, district and national shows, She took sweepstakes awards in both the hybrid tea and the miniature rose classes in the Houston Fall Rose Show and won Queen of Show. Her yard will be on tour during the Texas 2000 Convention in April.
Deanna will share tips for preparing roses for exhibition that have helped her become so successful at the show table. She and husband, Earl Krause, will demonstrate techniques for transporting your roses to the show; from the simple ice chest to the complex refrigerated system.
Deanna will explain our Grand Prix Series of mini shows that begins in April 2000. The Grand Prix serves as a training ground for novices to learn how to exhibit their roses.
February, 2000:
Valentine's Day is drawing near and love is in the air that time of year that Houston Rosarians love to cut the dead blooms off their rose bushes and prune their roses to begin the new growing season. At our February meeting, we will provide actual demonstrations on how to prune the different classes of roses and a demonstration on the proper methods for planting roses.
There will be tables set up around the room that will be manned by our pruning experts. This will be your opportunity to move from table to table and observe the various different pruning techniques that work for our experts. This is a meeting you won't want to miss!
ROSE PRUNING EXPERTS WILL BE:
Miniatures: Theresa Anderson, Jim Boden, Eunice Alleman
Hybrid Teas: Mary Fulgham, Baxter Williams, Robin Hough, Dan and Patti Lawlor
Floribundas: Paul Whelchel
Old Garden Roses: Earl and Deanna Krause
Climbers: Doug Mitchell
Planting: Rob Mock
Sharpening Pruners: Bring your dull pruners from home -Rick & Robin Kohler will sharpen them for you for only a five dollar donation to Texas 2000
Bring your rose bush discards that are worthy of a new home. Be sure that either the roots are wrapped or that the bush is in a pot. They will be pruned and given away as door prizes. Each attendee will receive a free ticket on arrival. Tickets will be drawn, and a winner then selects a bush from those pruned. Numbers will be drawn until the rose bushes are gone. Many will go home with a "new rose".
January, 2000:
It's not too late to build those rose beds for all the new roses you want this year. And well-known Rosarian Baxter Williams is set to reveal his tricks for building quick and easy rose beds in Houston at the January meeting of the Houston Rose Society at 8:00 pm on January 13, 2000.
Find out how wide to make your beds, how to custom blend your own rose mix or how to best use commercially prepared rose bed mixes. Discover how to avoid digging up the existing St. Augustine or other grass that is growing where you want your bed to be. Learn how to plan for an eventual watering system, how much sun is need for your rose beds and how to use landscape timbers to build your borders. Find out how far apart to space your roses and how many roses you can fit into your new beds. These and many other topics will be covered in Baxter's talk.
Baxter has over thirty beds at his home and he has helped build many beds for others in our area. This is your chance to put his experiences to use. Come to our January meeting and get a wheelbarrow full of tips on Building Quick and Easy Rose Beds in Houston.
December, 1999:
Our December 9th Meeting is our Annual Holiday Dinner at 2121 Allen Parkway Inn. We start at the special time of 6:30 pm for Social Hour with Dinner at 7:30.
Specify choice of Beef or Chicken when making reservations.
Cost is $19.95 per person.
Mail check (payable to Houston Rose Society) to:
Jerri Moseley,
607 Golden Bear Lane,
Kingwood, Texas 77339-2907
Home: 281 359 2353
Work: 281 359 6909
This is one of the most enjoyable meetings of the year. There are raffles, auctions, prizes, live entertainment and awards. The Allen Parkway Inn really decorates for the holidays and the food is exceptionally good. If you have never made a Rose Society Holiday Dinner, please give it a try.
Please call Jerri if you think your check might not reach her in time to be included in the reservations count.
November, 1999:
Although it seems that Houston's heat and humidity produce more than our fair share of problems with insects and fungus, there are many chemicals out there designed to help us grow better roses. But responsible chemical use requires that we figure out which chemicals to use, when to use them and what the proper dose is.
Our speaker for November 11th is Travis Klosterboer. He is the Turf and Ornamental Sales Specialist for Novartis Turf and Ornamental. In his job he gets the latest findings on the new chemicals on the horizon and how to best use the old ones. He will tell us about the latest scientific findings on how insects and fungus harm our roses and what chemicals are the most effective for which problems.
He will explain why some of your favorite chemicals are no longer on the market and what chemicals are hitting the market to replace them.
Come find out the state-of-the-art treatments for common rose diseases from spider mites and thrips to blackspot and mildew. Mr. Klosterboer will explain the different kinds of fungicides, such as contact fungicides, systemic fungicides and local contact fungicides and how to use each kind.
If you are going to use chemicals to raise those show roses, you owe it to yourself and the environment to get the latest scientific knowledge on what chemicals to use and how to use them. Come to our November meeting for an "insider's view" on the latest offerings. Don't miss this talk!
October, 1999:
Our speaker for the October 14th meeting is Mary Fulgham. Mary is the chairman of the Consulting Rosarians for the Houston area and has been growing hybrid tea roses for over twenty-five years.
Although hybrid tea roses were introduced in 1867, for many they are the epitome of the modern rose. In fact, the first plant of any kind to receive a patent was the hybrid tea rose, "New Dawn." Hybrid teas come in an astonishing variety of colors and range from scentless to a heavy fragrance. They usually grow one to a stem. Florist roses are almost always hybrid teas.
These beauties present their own set of problems in our heat and humidity. Mary will illustrate her experiences growing hybrid tea roses using a colorful slide selection. She will also cover pruning practices, fertilizing tips, disease problems and which hybrid teas have the most fragrance. She will share her evaluations of the many hybrid tea roses she has grown.
Everyone should grow hybrid teas. Come to our October program to get a basketful of tips on growing these favored roses in Houston.
September, 1999:
Every so often someone comes along who changes the direction rose growing is headed. Our speaker for the September 9th meeting is such a person.
Johnny Becnel is a new rose grower and rose seller from Belle Chasse, Louisiana. He has come up with new techniques for controlling blackspot, pruning your roses and growing roses for mail order sales.
At a recent Board Meeting the talk was all about Johnny Becnel and his fabulous roses. His roses are supposed to be bigger and healthier than roses grown the usual way. One reason is that Mr. Becnel uses a technique call "budding" on Fortuniana root stock. The results must be seen to be believed. And you can do just that because Mr. Becnel will not only demonstrate how to "bud" your roses, he will also have some of his favorites as door prizes.
But there is more. Johnny Becnel also has unique techniques for pruning and for control of blackspot. His roses are favorites of exhibitors from Beaumont to San Antonio. He also sells hard-to-find florist's roses. Seldom are experienced Rosarians as excited about new techniques as they are at the Johnny Becnel Way of Growing Show Roses. Come find out what all the excitement is about. This is a program you will not want to miss.
August, 1999:
If you have ever considered doing a soil test on your rose beds, you won't want to miss the August 12th meeting of the Houston Rose Society. Dan Lawlor, the Director of the Soil and Forage Testing Laboratory at Wharton Junior College will explain everything you always wanted to know about soil testing.
Find out the best time to take a soil sample, how many samples you should take, and how much you should expect to pay for the tests.
You will also learn how to pack your samples, where to send them and how to make adjustments to your rose beds based on the results you get back. You will find out what to add -- or stop adding -- to your soil based on the results of your soil test. There will be examples of what soil test reports look like and much, much more. You won't want to miss this interesting talk.
July, 1999:
NOTE: Time change (this meeting only) to 7:00 pm. At the meeting on July 8, 1999, we are going to celebrate the Fortieth Anniversary of the Houston Rose Society with birthday cake and ice cream. We will provide the cake and ice cream, but everyone is asked to bring their favorite topping for ice cream (fruit, nuts, candy, whipped cream, bought toppings, etc.), or some homemade cookies or brownies. We hope to see many of the "Root Stock" members at the meeting. Please join us for this special celebration.
Instead of the usual Gran Prix we will hold a Wacky Competition. Categories are:
1. Most spent blooms on a single cane.
2. Most thorns on a single stem (no stem-on stems, please).
3. Worst case of blackspot on a single stem (stem-on-stem allowed).
4. Ugliest Rose.
5. Ugliest arrangement.
6. Photography-picture of someone doing something "stupid" in a rose garden.
7. Largest weed from your rose bed (roots can be included).
Bring something for the competition, some cookies or an ice cream topping; and plan to have a few hours of totally-enjoyable rose fellowship and fun.
FEATURED TABLES
Southwest Fertilizer Co - garden equipment and fertilizers.
Nitro-Phos Inc - fertilizers produced in and for Houston.
Nelson's Water Gardens-water garden supplies.
Smith & Hawkin-gardening equipment, ornaments.
Pruner Sharpening - Rick Kohler (bring those dull pruners).
Convention 2000 Booth - Robin Kohler
Dried roses using a special dryer - Joyce Westerman
Soil Testing - Dan Lawlor
June, 1999:
Among the most popular roses are the miniatures. It's easy to see why. They can be grown in pots or in the ground. They can be started from cuttings or bare root. They are widely available both locally and by mail order.
If you want to learn everything you need to know to grow minis in Houston, do not miss our June meeting. Our speaker will be Deanna Krause, one of the acknowledged experts on minis in Houston. She will tell you which varieties are the most disease resistant, the special rules for fertilizing minis grown in pots and in the ground, how to start cuttings and all about the new miniature roses that have lots of scent! You'll learn all this and much, much more. Remember, there's always space for miniature roses.
Please join us at 8:00 pm on Thursday, June 10, 1999, at the Houston Garden Center to learn about How to Grow Miniature Roses in Houston.
May, 1999:
If you have ever tried to grow roses in Houston's gumbo soil you already know that there has to be a better way! And if you've ever been in the garage of an experienced rose-grower you may have marveled at the vast assortment of potions found there. Sacks and boxes of epsom salts, alfalfa pellets, fish emulsion, organic and chemical fertilizers, compost, bone meal, rock phosphates, sea weed extract, bat guano, Medina, slow release fertilizers, Super Thrive, Mills Magic Rose Mix, and containers of manure tea--all this and more will be explained by Darrell Westerman at the May meeting of the Houston Rose Society.
Darrell has tried most of the soil amendments used in Houston to grow better roses. He will explain how much to use, when to apply them and the different approaches necessary for miniatures and hybrid teas.
April, 1999:
If you ever wanted to learn about David Austin Roses, don't miss the April 8th meeting of the Houston Rose Society.
Joyce Westerman has been growing these beauties for several years now. Her program will be on growing and caring for David Austin roses in the cottage garden. She will explain which ones do best in Houston, how big they really get, which ones are fragrant and how disease resistant they are in Houston's heat and humidity.
David Austin Roses look great in the landscape, are free blooming and are very fragrant. Don't miss this program on these outstanding additions to your garden.
March, 1999:
Roses can't grow without water. Unfortunately, although we get lots of rain in Houston, sometimes it comes all at once or only after a long dry stretch. Roses need regular watering all twelve months of the year. During summer months a large rose bush can aspirate around five gallons of water per week! Getting the right amount of water to your roses on a consistent basis is vital to their good health.
Baxter Williams, along with his wife Patsy, grows approximately six hundred roses. He has tried all kinds of watering systems, from the nozzle at the end of a hose to the sophisticated system he has now, and almost everything in between.
Whether you grow one rose or six hundred, there is an irrigation system that will meet your needs. Baxter will show and tell us about the pluses and minuses of the major approaches, including lawn waterers, drip systems, soaker hoses, Dramm nozzles and others. This is your chance to hear of the first hand experiences of someone who has direct experience with most of the approaches to watering our roses in Houston.
February, 1999:
Valentine's Day is the traditional time to prune roses in Houston. Although there are some good articles on how to prune, nothing beats watching an actual demonstration on a real rose bush.
At the February Meeting we will have tables set up around the room where Consulting Rosarians will demonstrate how to prune all types of roses. Our heat, humidity and (usually) mild winters call for special pruning techniques. What works in the cold North does not necessarily make sense in Houston.
This is your chance to see pruning done by experts on the kind of roses you grow. This is one of the more popular meetings of the year. Don't miss it!
ROSE PRUNING EXPERTS WILL BE:
Miniatures: Eunice Alleman, Anne Guignon, Marcia Pollard
Hybrid Teas: Mary Fulgham, Robin Kohler, Baxter Williams
Floribundas: Paul Whelchel, Denise Cope
Old Garden Roses: Earl & Deanna Krause
Climbers: Doug Mitchell
Planting: Rob Mock
Pruners Sharpened: Rick Kohler for only a four dollar donation to
Texas 2000
Bring your rose bush discards that are worthy of a new home. Be sure that either the roots are wrapped or that the bush is in a pot. They will be pruned and given away as door prizes. Each attendee will receive a free ticket on arrival. Tickets will be drawn, and a winner then selects a bush from those pruned. Numbers will be drawn until the rose bushes are gone. Many will go home with a "new rose."
All types of roses are needed for demonstrations. We especially need an OGR or two, and a climber.
January, 1999:
You've spent the winter looking through the garden catalogues. You've made out your "wish list." Now come to the next meeting, and hear Houston's Lazy Gardener reveal her choices for easy-to-grow roses and other garden plants for Houston.
Our January speaker is local author, newspaper columnist and TV host, Brenda Beust-Smith, the Lazy Gardener. You've read her columns in the Houston Chronicle. You've seen her on Channel 8. Don't pass up this chance to experience her unique talk and slide program on easy-to-grow roses and super-hardy plants for the rest of your garden.
Brenda is the author of The Lazy Gardener's Guide, The 1999 Lazy Gardener's Calendar and co-author of Gardening With Dogs. She will autograph The Lazy Gardener's Guide and her 1999 gardening calendar after the program.
Don't miss this opportunity to see and hear one of Houston's premier garden experts on Houston-proof roses and other plants - the Lazy Gardener way!
December, 1998:
The December meeting of the Houston Rose Society was our Annual Holiday Dinner and Installation of Officers. It was held at a special time and place. It was held at 6:30 pm at the Alled Park Inn, at 2121 Allen Parkway. The evening included, in addition to a great dinner,
HRS in Review
Installation of 1999 Officers
Gran Prix Awards for 1998
HRS Annual Holiday Raffle
And More
November, 1998:
The November program was A Visit to French Gardens & Parks
Anne Guignon has visited many gardens and parks in and around Paris, France over the past couple of years. Come and enjoy such well known gardens as the Bagatelle, famous for its annual rose competition, the formal rose gardens at the Rodin Museum, Josephine Bonaparate's Malmaison, and the Luxembourg Gardens. You'll also get a peek at lesser known gardens tucked away in Paris. The French have had a love affair with flowers and gardens for centuries. You will delight in the beautiful blooms, elegant garden architecture, and varied landscape designs.
Anne Guignon, Program Chair
October, 1998:
The October program was Rose Exhibiting: From Transportation To The Trophy Table
Do you ever wonder how those garden beauties get to the trophy table? The Houston Rose Society is very fortunate to have a number of seasoned exhibitors who have won trophies at local, district and national rose shows. A number of our members will have individual tables set up to demonstrate how they transport their roses to show sites and what special rose grooming trick they use to bring an exhibition specimen up to trophy quality.
Our exhibitors for the evening's program are: Connie and Paul Whelchel, Earl and Deanna Krause, Theresa Andersen and Jim Boden, and Mary Fulgham and Randy Keen.
Showing roses is a lot of fun. This is an excellent opportunity to sharpen your skills for the HRS Fall Rose Show and the South Central District Rose Show!
September, 1998:
The September program was Creating Magic with Garden Architecture
Garden architecture is a hybrid between traditional architecture and landscape design. It can either marry a home's interior to outdoors, create a free standing structure, or design structural features in a garden setting. Gazebos, pergolas, arbors, temples-of love, aviaries, summer houses, Chinese pagodas and Japanese tea houses are all examples of traditional garden architectural structures. These independent and free structures often function as useful outdoor enclosures; other times they serve as simple follies intended only for sculptural effect. Attached structures, like porches, verandas and breezeways, extend useful spaces of the home into the garden.
We are very fortunate to have R. Michael Lee, A.I.A., a Houston architect, share some of his thoughts and creations about garden architecture. He was responsible for the beautiful transformation of Rosemary and Bernie Minard's garden that was on our spring garden tour this year.
Consulting Rosarian for September is Deanna Krause. As with all good things, such as the rain, something less desirable is right behind (fungus). Bring your rose questions to our September meeting.
August, 1998:
The August program was Exploring Several Methods of Propagation
Join us at the August meeting to explore several methods of rose propagation. Grandma's rose is still blooming out at the old home place, and you want to get a piece of it started in your own yard before something kills it. But you're afraid that you might kill the mother-plant, or fail to have the cutting grow, after making the long trip. Would you like some help from the expert?
Patsy Williams is just such a helper-person, and has grafted plants onto a very vigorous heat-tolerant rootstock. Be on-hand on meeting night to learn the subtleties of successful propagation techniques. Then go and get Grandma's rose.
Be on hand, as this information will not be in the newsletter, and she would rather not answer one-on one questions by phone on the presentation.
Consulting Rosarian for August is Mary Fulgham. We are having a very hot, dry summer. There, surely, will be many questions.
Gran Prix continues - The competition resumes this month. Bring your best blooms, and enter Gran Prix. Competition is only fun when there are several entering.
Feature of the month - Photography: 4 x 6 (or 5 x 7) inches, photographs to be displayed in holders supplied by HRS. Photos may be of single blooms, sprays, bushes or rose gardens.
July, 1998:
July is our fun meeting. There will be no regular program. It is a time to get better acquainted and to have fun. NOTE: Time change (this meeting only) to 7:00 pm. The ice cream will be provided. Everyone, however, is asked to bring their favorite topping for ice cream (fruit, nuts, candy, whipped cream, bought toppings, etc.), or bring some homemade cookies or brownies - finger food. There will be NO Gran Prix this month, but bring some roses for the "Wacky Rose Competition. Listed below are the classes to enter:
1. Most blackspots on a single specimen
2. Most spent blooms on a single stem
3. Greatest number of rose afflictions on a specimen
4. Worst thrip damage to a specimen
5. The oddest couple
6. The ugliest arrangement
7. The worst rose to have in your garden - written entries accepted
8. The biggest rose fib - written entries accepted
9. Most par-boiled specimen
10. Collection of three, each with a different rose malady
Featured Tables for your browsing convenience:
Joyce Westerman - Dried rose crafts
Southwest Fertilizer - Fertilizers, chemicals and tools
Rick Kohler - Pruner sharpening ($3.00 donation for Conv. 2000)
Living Earth Technologies - Rose soils and mulches
Nitro-Phos - Rose fertilizers and products
Condon Gardens - Garden decoratives and companion plants
Margaret Sinclair - Rose water colors.
Smith & Hawkin - Garden tools and decoratives
Dan Lawlor - Soil testing
Garden-Ville Square - Organic rose foods and soil
Gateway Ace Hardware - Antique Roses
Note earlier meeting time!
June, 1998:
The June meeting of the Houston Rose Society was Thursday, June 11, 1998, at 8:00 pm at the Garden Center at Hermann Park.
Building and Maintaining Healthy Soil
Garden-Ville was begun in 1957 by Malcolm Beck and his family as a family farm which operated without using any toxic pesticides or chemicals. Their attempts in organic gardening proved successful, after much trial and error. Word spread about the wonderful produce, but more importantly people wanted the compost Beck was making and using on the farm. Garden-Ville has become a leader in composting and recycling, and developed the 6-2-2 organic fertilizer, Soil Food.
We are delighted to have Malcolm Beck come and share his insights on building and maintaining healthy soils, which is so important to our rose growing. Attention will also be given to ways we can conserve and maintain moisture in our soils, through composting.
"Mother nature is your best teacher; she has much to reveal and has never-ending patience. There is no limit to the heights of education in her University." Malcolm Beck, 1991.
May, 1998:
The May meeting of the Houston Rose Society was on Thursday, May 14, 1998, at 8:00 pm at the Garden Center at Hermann Park.
The program was
A New Look at Old Beauties
Antique, or old garden, roses are becoming increasingly popular in today's gardens. Mike Shoup, founder of the Antique Rose Emporium, located near Brenham, Texas, will discuss the many benefits of these old beauties and companion plantings in the garden.
The Antique Rose Emporium and Mike Shoup are known worldwide for their efforts to rescue and re-distribute old garden roses, as well as to educate the public on numerous horticultural subjects. In addition to being featured in The Smithsonian and National Geographicmagazines, Mike and Liz Druitt co-authored Landscaping With Antique Roses. He has also served on the board of the Heritage Rose Foundation.
Mike holds a Bachelors degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Trinity University in San Antonio, and a Masters degree in Horticulture from Texas A & M University. Don't miss this opportunity to hear and see how antique roses bring us such pleasure with their beautiful forms, colors, textures, shapes and fragrances.
April, 1998:
The April meeting of the Houston Rose Society was on Thursday, April 9, 1998, at 8:00 pm at the Garden Center at Hermann Park.
The program was
Let's Have A Meal
It is a well-known fact that humans are healthier when they eat well-balanced meals. Your roses behave that same way, producing more and better blooms, when fed regularly and with the right nutrients. Our April meeting will feature the basics of feeding our plants, and will, perhaps suggest ways to improve your feeding program now in use. Our speaker for the evening is Baxter Williams, ARS Life Consulting Rosarian, and ARS Horticulture Judge, whose garden includes over 600 plants. While he will tell you quickly that Patsy does most of the work in their garden, Baxter also is knowledgeable about rose feeding principles. While there are as many approaches to rose feeding as there are persons who apply them, there are some basic principles that apply to any program. It makes a lot of sense to equip yourself with information about chemical and organic approaches, and to understand the benefits and pitfalls of each. Come ready to ask questions.
March, 1998:
The March meeting of the Houston Rose Society was on Thursday, March 12, 1998, at 8:00 pm at the Garden Center at Hermann Park.
The program was
Helpful Hints From Local Rosarians
Do experienced rosarians use little tricks to make their rose growing more fun? Are there any tips to make gardening more successful and less of a hassle? The answer is YES! Join us for a round table discussion of little ideas that make a BIG DIFFERENCE. . . a "Hints from Heloise" for Houston gardeners and their roses.
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