Santa Barbara Rose Society Newsletter

The Santa Barbara Rose Society is on a Summer Break

Next Newsletter September, 2010

Next Meeting – Thursday, September 9th

At the June, 2010, meeting our own Robert Funai spoke on

“Buds, Blooms, Birds and Beaches:
Springtime in New Zealand”

On Thursday evening, June 10th, we had a trip Down Under!
In the fall of 2009, SBRS member Robert Funai fulfilled a 35 year dream and traveled to the southern hemisphere for a seven week tour of New Zealand. While there, he traveled 8000 kilometers by car through both the North and South islands. His journey took him through many of New Zealand’s major cities as well as some of this lovely country’s most wild and remote areas. Along the way, he was able to visit 10 beautiful rose gardens, some planned for and others found along the way. The slide show of his travels featured not only the rose gardens but many of the natural wonders of this wild and rugged country that were experienced along the way. It was great to see the beautiful roses and scenes of New Zealand.

Come to our meetings to learn all about roses!

7:00 PM Refreshments - 7:30 PM Program

Louise Lowry Davis Center - 1232 de la Vina – Santa Barbara
Corner of Victoria and de la Vina - parking lot access is from Victoria

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Please bring roses to the meetings - not to be judged -
but for the little rose show we have at the beginning
for others to see, learn and enjoy.

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We encourage
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ROSE GARDENING

The Santa Barbara Rose Society encourages the use of environmentally friendly methods of growing and caring for roses. Chemical sprays pollute the soil, the water, and the air we breathe. The traditional chemical fertilizers and pesticides reduce the effectiveness of excellent organic supplements such as Wormgold. Chemicals also rid your garden of beneficial insects while eliminating your pests. The Rose Society Newsletter and this website include articles and tips on organic gardening, organic methods to fight pests and disease, and some simple and effective ways you can have an environmentally friendly garden. Please use them.

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Rose of the Month

Snowbird

This rose crept into my list of favorites after owning it for two years. The first year I got it, it grew slowly but steadily and did not bloom much. I admit, I started to ignore it a little bit. The second year it grew into a good-sized shrub but still did not bloom much but when it did, POW, watch out, those blooms packed a punch! The third year, the bush is covered in buds and blooms and is continuing to bloom its heart out.

It was the first rose in my garden to bloom in the spring, so it may have been a slow starter but not anymore! Right now in the first of May, it is covered in over 25 buds/blooms, so many, I lost count. And they are drop dead gorgeous white flowers with a dollop of cream at the center. Elegant and classic are the words that come to mind when describing ‘Snowbird.’ For those of you who love a white rose with wonderful fragrance and that will perform well as a cut flower, then this rose is for you. This older hybrid tea was bred in 1936 by Robert Marion Hatton in the United States. Just think, this gorgeous rose was bred during the Depression!

It has a strong rose fragrance with double petal bloom form, approx. 17-
25, though it looks like more. It grows to a height of 2’ to 3.’ Mine is in a
container and is 3 years old and has a height of 3 feet exactly and a width of 4
feet. Its parentage is ‘Chastity’ x ‘Louise Crette’. It rarely produces hips.
Snowbird is not a common rose to find growing anymore in gardens, though it should be. It is still available commercially and I highly recommend it.

Rose author and aficionado Carolyn Parker states on helpmefind.com “I don't know why breeders don't mass market this rose. It's that good.” Give it patience though for its first year or two and you will be well rewarded. Nurseries who list it for sale are: Rogue Valley Roses, Burlington Rose Nursery, Vintage Gardens, Hardwood Roses, Roses Unlimited and Wine Country Flower Farm, Inc.
(All the nurseries’ contact information can be found on the internet. If you do not
have easy access to the internet, please give me a call and I will get the contact information for you.)
~Text and photo by Holly Hagy

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Rose Checklist…

For helpful information about what you should be doing in your rose garden each month, become a member of the Santa Barbara Rose Society. You'll receive the monthly (except for July, August and December) Newsletter by mail filled with all sorts of advice and tips. And, you’ll enjoy attending the monthly meetings to hear renowned speakers and have access to expert advice from fellow members and consulting rosarians plus the opportunity to visit members' gardens. Go to http://sbrose.org/joinnow.htm and join today!

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A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden News
Robert Funai, Volunteer Coordinator

Hello to all SBRS members,
It’s another windy day on Sunday May 22 and I’ve just watered my potted roses at home as many are in bloom and suffer in prolonged wind. The Postel garden’s roses have been handling the windy weather fairly well and are still producing quality blooms and plenty of new buds.

The last month has seen a wonderful show of blooms as each of the gardens 240 varieties began to bloom at slightly different times according to their genetic clocks. Many have completed their first bloom and are moving toward a 2nd bloom as others are just beginning their first.

With the help of 59 returning and 14 new volunteers, spent blooms, that are rapidly setting hips behind the active metabolism of the plants, are being deadheaded by the volunteers to signal the plants to divert their attention from seed production back to the production of new buds. The cooler weather has brought forth several of the usual diseases rust, black spot, and powdery mildew, especially to those types with poor disease resistance. Treatment of these diseases follows the SB City Parks integrated pest management plan of using least toxic methods of control first. This involves the participation of parks staff and volunteers who become involved in performing physical care such as fertilizing and watering as well cultural chores such as the removal of diseased leaves and opening the bushes up for better air circulation which inhibits the formation of disease. Should City Parks decide that spraying is necessary, it will be done with a least toxic product, likely the OMRI (Organic Materials Research Institute) approved product known as Neem Oil.
With the help of all, we hope to have lovely show of roses for Memorial Day and the I Maddonari chalk festival and, mother nature willing, well into the summer. Next newsletter in September. Have a great summer!

Robert A. Funai
Volunteer Coordinator,
A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden

Summer tips- open up your bushes for air circulation, liquid feed in hot months, light prune and dry organic fertilizer in mid-August for fall bloom.

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPS MAKE THE SB ROSE SOCIETY HAPPEN EVERY MONTH AND FOR OUR SPECIAL EVENTS.

WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!

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