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Rose Ecstasy
a feeling of overpowering joy, passion, great delight
Number 4
NEXT MEETING
Sunday, April 10
2:30 P.M.
How to Grow
The Best Roses
Featured Speaker
SCOTT KLITTICH
Scott Klittich will be talking about
how Otto & Sons Nursery grows the
best roses and how you can apply
those techniques to your garden.
Scott received his Bachelor’s Degree
in Ornamental Horticulture from Cal
Poly, San Luis Obispo. He has
worked at the family nursery Otto &
Sons for over 25 years and is
currently general manager. There
they grow thousands of roses of all
types on 22 acres.
APRIL 2011
AROUND THE WORLD WITH ROSES
hhhhhhhhhhhhh
Part 3 – Barcelona and Rome
By Steve Jones, Master Rosarian, [email protected]
hhhhhhhhhhhhh
Later in the day we went to the
airport and flew to Barcelona via
Istanbul. I wanted to spend a few
extra days in Istanbul, but we had to
be in Barcelona for the rose trials.
4 Door Prize
Sign in for free door prize chance
4 Rose Raffle
Raffle tickets are 3/$1 or 20/$5
4 Little Rose Show
Free raffle ticket if you bring a rose
4 Refreshments
Free raffle ticket if you bring a snack
Red Rose Month
HHH Meeting At HHH
SCV Senior Center
22900 Market Street, Newhall
Bring a Friend!
Visit Our Website:
www.scvrs.homestead.com
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
Kitty Belendez, Editor
Climbing Rose at Parc Cervantes,
Barcelona
PHOTO BY STEVE JONES
Volume 20
Publication of the Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Susie and I both agree that Barcelona
is one of our favorite large cities in the
world. The town has a good feeling
and the people are so nice. Traffic is
nothing compared to China. That
night we listened to an invigorating
speech by Jose F. Ballester Olmos on
“Roses: Art, Technique and Society.”
He is a member of the Spanish
Association of the Rose and a
professor
of
gardening
and
landscaping at the Polytechnic
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
University of Valencia, Spain. The talk
centered around the roses of
Catalunya, especially those of Pedro
Dot. The next day we were bused to
Parc Cervantes for the rose trials.
Susie and I got our scorecards and
headed off to judge 68 roses. We were
very impressed with the mini climber
CHEWsunnyblue (which ended up
winning best climber). It had great
color with semi-double 2” blooms,
purple edging with a pink/cream
center and a nice fragrance. The plant
was vigorous and very clean, a
definite keeper. The Parc Cervantes
Rose Garden is large with 10 acres and
has 10,000 rose bushes of 2,000+
Continued on Page 2
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APRIL HIGHLIGHTS
Underlined text links to articles
Around the World
Cover
April Rose Care
2
President’s Message
3
Calendar of Events
3
Consulting Rosarian Q&A
4
This Old Rose: Gallicas
5
5
Call for Trophy Sponsors
Rose Auction Announcement
8
8
New Members
8
ARS $5 Trial Membership
Little Rose Show Schedule
9
10
Miss Kitty’s Rose Blog
Garden Tours
11
Little Rose Show Info
12
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 1
AROUND THE WORLD
from Page 1
CHEWsunnyblue
PHOTO BY STEVE JONES
varieties. The garden rambles up a hill
with nice views at the top. Each time
you walk and turn around, you get a
whole new sight. Many of the old
garden roses were in full bloom and I
took over 200 pix here of individual
blooms plus a 100 more of the
gardens. I need to get a new memory
card! The roses were often
interplanted with companion plants.
The roses that caught my eye
included the shrub Apricot Bells,
hybrid perpetual Baron Gonella, and
hybrid teas Pare Mananet, Sant Felieu
de Llogobrent, Centro de Lectura, and
of course, Gaudi. Afterwards we went
to the Pedralbes Monastery which
dates back to the 1300s. We had an
excellent lunch at the gardens where
they handed out the trophy winners.
The winning roses were announced at
lunch. J&P won the best mini with
JACifeve, Tantau won best hybrid tea
with Midsummer, Meilland won for
best floribunda with AM-807-FL-POL,
and Reuter won best fragrance with
REUmine, and Chris Warner with
CHEWsunnyblue.
For the next three days, we walked
around the town and visited many of
the buildings designed by Antonio
Gaudi. It was pretty remarkable. He
was into garish, hence the word
gaudy, and he didn’t like straight
lines. His work is like if you imagine a
house designed by Disney for a
children’s park. The Casa Batllo was
the best, with the roof on Casa Mila
the next best. The cathedral, Sagrada
Familia Cathedral, which he never
completed before he was killed by a
tram car, is still under construction.
The insides are a marvel. We stopped
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
and saw many other cathedrals in the
city, each truly amazing including
high ceilings, artwork dating back to
the 1300s, and stained glass windows,
all much older than any US building.
We visited the Picasso Museum which
gave a good view of his progression
from a classic artist to cubism.
However, his better known works
were not in this museum, just his
lesser known works, mostly of
children. We walked down to the
beach and really loved Barceloneta
which is a mall area near the port full
of cafes and stores. We really enjoyed
this area and it was nice walking the
beach and people watching. Nearby
we went to the top of the Columbus
Memorial and had a great view of the
port and city. Not many people realize
that Columbus sailed from Barcelona
to the US back in the 1400s. One day
we took a trip up the hill in an aerial
tram to Montjuic, the site of an old
fort and the Barcelona Botanical
Gardens. The gardens used to be part
of a slum area and an old landfill. We
didn’t see too many roses here, but
they did feature plants from
climatically
similar
areas
as
Barcelona, including California. The
hill was also the site of the 1992
Olympics, which are still in excellent
condition. During this trip we
traveled to four former Olympic sites:
Barcelona, Rome, Beijing, and home
in Los Angeles.
The next day we took a train to
Figueres to see the Dali Museum.
Unfortunately I misread the days it
was open, so we took some pictures of
the artwork on and outside the
building. We loved his face with a TV
in his forehead and doll’s heads in his
eyes. Pretty weird but cool artwork.
For lunch we took the bus over to
Roses, naturally, a low key beach
resort. After walking the beach we
headed back to Barcelona. The train
ride to Figueres was crowded and we
had to stand most of the way. If you
go, make sure you take the MD line
and not Regional. Going back we took
the MD and it was not crowded, had
plenty of space, plus fewer stops. The
metro system in Barcelona is top
notch and inexpensive.
The food and wine was very good
in Barcelona. They make cava, a dry,
APRIL ROSE CARE
Continued on Page 6
By Kitty Belendez
4 Feed Those Hungry Roses
Now that our roses are coming into peak blooming season, feed weekly
with rotated feedings of Fish Fertilizer and Grow More Magnum Grow water
soluble fertilizer. Kelloggs, Dr. Earth, and Mills Magic are great choices for
adding organic materials to your garden, including roses, fruits, veggies,
and other plants. At month-end feed your roses with iron chelate (for dark
green foliage), zinc (for bloom color), and epsom salts.
4 Mildew is Preventable
Spray every 7 to 10 days with fungicide to prevent mildew. When you see
aphids, you might want to spray with an insecticide. Spray in early morning
to avoid leaf burn, and before it gets windy (to avoid getting chemicals in
your face). Bayer Advanced All-in-One granules may be an alternative to
spraying, as it includes fungicide, insecticide, and fertilizer. Read the label
instructions, and wear protective clothing, respirator and gloves.
4 Watch Out For Spider Mites
Spider mites love warm weather. They are tiny and can be barely seen
with the naked eye. If you look on the back of the rose foliage, spider mites
look like salt and pepper. Spider mites can be prevented with daily washing
of the foliage on the undersides with a Dramm Rain Wand, or by using a
miticide such as Floramite or Avid.
WEB LINK TO DETAILED ROSE CARE CALENDARS
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 2
President’s Message
Susan Savage
Spring is in the Air
Spring is just around the corner, and like all of you I am ready for it. The bulbs
in our garden are giving quite a show this year. Many have multiplied over the
past several years, and I am glad I planted them. They are a good cover as the
“rose sticks” come back to us each year. Some of my roses are not where they
should be by now. That of course can be blamed on the freezing weather we
experienced. It is the price I paid to see Promise with her tongue sticking out and
catching snow on it and building her first snow person and of course the snow
angels, and that as any parent or grandparent can tell you is surely worth a few
not so perfect roses.
Suzanne Horn, our speaker for the March meeting, gave a great presentation
on the micro-mini roses. I was excited as this means I do have room for more
roses! I was amazed at the variety there is to choose from. Good job Suzanne, and
thank you. [Pacific Rose Society will be selling micro-minis at their rose show.]
Our guest speaker for the April 10th meeting will be Scott Klittich from Otto
and Sons. Scott received his Bachelors Degree in ornamental horticulture at Cal
Poly. He has been with Otto and Sons for 25 years. He always has good
information for us, and I am happy he is able to speak to us.
We are all looking forward to our rose garden tour on May 1st. Starting at the
Kale garden in the morning, and ending with the Belendez garden in the
afternoon. The Kale garden even has a small rose garden just for their
granddaughter, and I am looking forward to seeing it in bloom as all the other
roses they have throughout their property. What is there I can say about the
Belendez garden? Kitty lives and breathes roses and her love for them is evident
at first glance of her home. Her sweet and dear husband Bob is such a help to
Kitty, always right there with her supporting all that she does. Bob is also the one
who does the budding as is shown on YouTube. They are a great team, and I am
so happy to know them both.
We still have some openings for trophy sponsors, and for as little as $20.00 you
can be a trophy sponsor. Your name will be published in our newsletter, on the
website, in the rose show schedule, and signage at the rose show. Please send
check payable to SCVRS, to Kitty Belendez, 21133 Kingscrest Dr., Santa Clarita,
Ca, 91350. Please include your choice of rose type that you would like to sponsor.
I would like to thank Jan Parsoneault, also Jim and Jane Delahanty for kicking
off the sponsorship with $100.00 each. Jan is sponsoring the Dowager Queen
Waterford, and Jim and Jane are sponsoring the Polyantha Waterford trophy.
Thank you so much for your generosity. Another thank you to Jan for assisting
Kitty with the rose catalog. There are about 70% different roses than last year and
gathering all the information (class, color, breeder and the introduction date) that
is a lot of work, plus Kitty had to change the pictures of the roses in the template.
Thanks to Bob and Kitty, and many thanks to Jan for being there to help Kitty.
A news update on Hospitality Coordinator: we now have a team effort going.
Sharon Chefalo at [email protected] and Suzanne Bourg are the new team
members and they are going to be doing our regular meetings. Barbara Grimm
is still with us but because of some of her R.V. traveling she will be doing our
larger events. So for our potluck at the rose auction you will contact Barbara.
Congratulations to Barbara for winning the $50.00 gift certificate from Heirloom
Roses. It is all good! See you at our meeting!
At our April meeting we will have a $25 Gift Certificate from David Austin
Roses as the featured item on our raffle table (NOT eligible for the door prize).
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Calendar of
Events
Sunday, April 10
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Regular Meeting
2:30 P.M.
SCV Senior Center, Newhall
April 9-10
PSWD/East County Rose Society
Judging School
Info: [email protected]
April 16
San Fernando Valley Rose Society
Rose Show
Sepulveda Garden Center
E-mail: [email protected]
Info: (818) 886-4047
April 23-24
Pacific Rose Society
Rose Show
Arboretum, Arcadia
Info: [email protected]
April 30
San Diego Rose Society
Rose Show
Ronald Reagan Center
Info: [email protected]
April 30-May 1
Otto & Sons Rose Days
Fillmore
Sunday, May 1
Santa Clarita Rose Garden Tours
9:00 a.m. to Noon
Kale Garden, Valencia
12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Belendez Garden, Saugus
See flyer on page 11
Sunday, May 15
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Rose Auction & Pirate Party
2:30 P.M.
Garden of
George & Karen T.S. Gubert
Auctioneer: Bob Martin
Saturday, November 5
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Show
Hart Park, Newhall
VISIT OUR WEB SITE
scvrs.homestead.com
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 3
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CONSULTING ROSARIAN Q & A
By Kitty Belendez, Master Rosarian
Rose
enthusiasts
often have questions
about growing roses.
If you have any
rose-growing
questions, please feel
free to send an email to me at:
[email protected]
Chip Budding
A: I saw your excellent YouTube
video on chip budding and have a few
questions.
1. Is the tape you use parafilm and
what is the source of 1/2" parafilm?
2. Do you think I can use the
technique using a dormant or nearly
so multiflora understock with
imported, refrigerated and hopefully
hydrated rose cane sticks? I live in
Maryland.
3. I have seen chip budding with
the understock flap below rather than
above like you demonstrated. Does it
make any difference and does the
upper flap result in increased number
of takes.
4. How long should I expect for the
bud to take, if the root stock is taken
inside to a greenhouse and allowed to
begin to grow?
5. How long after the take should I
cut off the top of the understock after
the bud takes?
6. Would you recommend pinching
the growing scion after it reaches a
certain length? I have heard - pinch
when it gets 2-4" long.
you
recommend
7.
Would
supporting the growing budded
portion after it reached a certain
height to prevent it from coming
loose? – Nick Weber
A: Our web page should answer
most of your questions:
http://scvrs.homestead.com/BuddingUltimate.html
The tape is 1/2" parafilm and we
got it from Organic Growers Supply
(they can be found on the Internet).
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
Yes, we pinch the new growth, which
helps to prevent stress on the bud
union, to help prevent it from
breaking off. As the new growth gets
taller, it’s best to keep the plant
staked.
Need Rose Help in Australia
Q: Hi, my husband Andrew
recently e-mailed you about his
appreciation of your web site. He is
new to roses and is not getting as
much assistance here as he had hoped
for. I realize you must be very busy
and not have time to correspond with
him by e-mail but wondered if you
sold any DVD’s based on your
YouTube work as I really would like
to help him out. I would really
appreciate any assistance you can
give me. Thank you. – Jane Carrington
A: I wish I could help you and your
husband more than I already have,
but since you live thousands of miles
away from me (you in Australia, me
in California), there isn’t more that I
can do except what I have already
provided on my website and my
YouTube videos. I have no plans to
produce any DVD’s since I am still
currently working full-time at my
regular job. (Roses are just my
volunteer hobby.) I urge you to
connect with the folks of the
Queensland Rose Society, as I’m sure
they have many knowledgeable
rosarians who can help you better
since they are more familiar with your
local growing conditions. Perhaps
you could contact Paul Hains of the
Queensland Rose Society there in
Australia, and either he could assist
you or he might suggest somebody
else who could. Here is his e-mail
address: [email protected]
Need Rose Seeds for Jewelry
Q: I was wondering if you could
help me out with some information. I
am a jewelry designer from
Pittsburgh, PA who had been using
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
especially treated ‘Si’ mini rose buds
in my jewelry designs. I was getting
them from a woman in the Pacific
Northwest who grew and treated
them with a special process that made
them durable enough to be used in
jewelry designs. The problem is I can
no longer find her, after writing her
and finding she no longer lives there,
I have done extensive googling with
no luck. I was hoping you may know
of another supplier of this product. If
not, do you happen to know of the
preserving process I mentioned and
perhaps a source of the ‘Si’ mini-roses
buds. Any information would be
appreciated. Thanks! – Kim, Lindsay
Lee Creations
A: Sorry, I know nothing about it,
but it does sound like an interesting
project.
Rose Consult
Q: I live in Valencia and was
wondering if you offer consultation
on rose growing and garden selection.
And do you know if Zephirine
Drouhin Antique Climbing Rose will
grow in Santa Clarita? By the way, I
love all your roses and pictures!
Absolutely beautiful!! :)–Jennie Lund
A: I’m glad you enjoyed our
website. There is lots of information
included there on many aspects of
growing roses. If you have a specific
question not covered there, I would be
happy to give you my best advice.
Zephirine Drouhin should grow well
in Santa Clarita, as most roses do
grow well here, except perhaps the
gallicas which need cold winter to
bloom best. As to garden selection
that is such a personal preference in
many ways, that the decision of what
to grow is best left up to each person.
My advice is to grow what you like
best, and it’s okay to change your
mind as you add to your garden. You
need to decide on which colors, bloom
forms, plant size and type, and
fragrance, that you want. Stop by and
visit us at our next meeting at the
Senior Center in Newhall. We would
love to have you join our rose society,
or simply subscribe to our awardwinning newsletter. The membership
form and our event calendar are
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 4
This Old Rose
GALLICAS
By Steve Jones, Master Consulting Rosarian
Hybrid gallicas are the oldest of the
“bred” old garden rose families. Until
recently, they were classed as gallicas.
Hybrid gallicas were popular from
the 1700s through the first half of the
1800s. These are once-blooming roses
that have fine to hair-like thorns,
grow to about four feet tall, have
rough, furrowed leaves, and very full,
fragrant blooms in all colors except
yellow. Gallicas come in white, pink,
red, mauve, purple, crimson, and
blends of these. Because of their wild
colors, they were called the “Mad”
gallicas. The famous gardens in
Malmaison, Josephine Bonaparte’s
home, were largely gallicas. Insects
did most of the crossbreeding till then
when it was found that man can also
breed roses by hand. Modern Roses 12
lists 690 hybrid gallicas, which is close
to the number of gallicas listed in
William Paul’s first edition of The
Rose Garden (1848).
Hybrid gallicas, like many other
once bloomers, are winter hardy and
need a lot of chill hours to bloom well.
They do very well in our climate
(Santa Clarita) because we can get
down to 21 degrees, while people in
the San Fernando Valley can’t grow
them. The exception is Rosa Mundi,
the striped sport of Apothecary’s Rose
seems to bloom regardless. Hybrid
gallicas on their own-roots tend to
form thickets, so it is best to get
budded plants. If you have on ownroots, consider growing in a pot.
Hybrid gallicas are pruned after
blooming, but can also be pruned
going into the winter months. The
plants are prone to powdery mildew,
so keep them in well-ventilated areas,
or use a fungicide.
My favorite hybrid gallicas:
Duchesse de Montebello (1824) –
This rose is gallica like, but not typical
of the family, but I love it anyway.
Very full, light pink, 2-3 inch blooms
with a strong fragrance, and a pip
center, blooms during the month of
May. Often the bloom cycle lasts until
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
June. This rose should win dowager
more often. I rate this gallica a “10” in
my yard.
Assemblage des Beautes (1823) –
Another of my favorite gallicas. The
strongly scented, 2-3 inch, very full
purplish-red blooms come on a wellbehaved plant. Good bloom cycle.
d’Aguesseau (1836) – This gallica
was a favorite of Dean Hole, father of
the Royal National Rose Society, and I
agree. Very full, deep pink blooms
with a great fragrance!
Rosa Mundi (<1581) – One of the
best known of the gallicas, now
classed as Rosa gallica versicolor, a
species. Red and white striped, this
rose blooms in most climates. The
plant will often revert back to its
parent, Apothecary’s Rose (now Rosa
gallica officinalis), so it isn’t
uncommon to see both roses on the
same plant.
Charles de Mills (<1790) – This is a
temperamental rose in our climate,
loves more chill hours than we have.
Whether it blooms each year or not
depends on the weather. Super full,
large, purple blooms, top show
winner in northern states. Bad
mildewer, not for the novice, but
when it blooms, wow!
Tricolor de Flandre (1846) – a small
plant with very full, small, about 2
inch, pink and white striped blooms
with a pip center. Also very fragrant.
Should win more at shows.
Tuscany (<1598) and Tuscany
Superb (<1837) – This duo of deep
purple red blooms are excellent roses.
They grow about 4-foot tall, and the
blooms are wonderfully fragrant.
Nestor (1834) – My favorite gallica
that I don’t have, but have been
meaning to get it. Medium pink, very
full, fragrant blooms. I have seen this
rose in other gardens and I love it!
Belle de Crecy (1829) – A lovely
rose with larger blooms than those
previously mentioned. Medium pink,
very full blooms with a strong
fragrance. Growth more spreading.
CLICK ON UNDERLINED ROSE
NAMES TO SEE PHOTOS
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
CALL FOR
ROSE SHOW
TROPHY SPONSORS
18th Annual Rose Show
Our 18th Annual Rose Show is on
November 5th. Kitty Belendez is
our Rose Show Director. We will
award Waterford Crystal for the top
nine prizes, other fine crystal
giftware for the novices and judges,
and cash prizes for all the other rose
show classes.
For $20 you can be a trophy
sponsor. Your name will be
published here, on the website, in
and signage at the rose show.
Please specify which type of rose
you want to sponsor (Hybrid Tea,
Miniature, Miniflora, Floribunda,
Shrub,
Old
Garden
Rose,
Polyantha, or Climber).
Please send check payable to
SCVRS, to Kitty Belendez, 21133
Kingscrest Drive, Santa Clarita,
CA 91350.
Thanks to our
Rose Show Sponsors:
PLATINUM $100+
Bob & Kitty Belendez
Jim & Jane Delahanty (Polyanthas)
Kellogg’s Garden Products
Jan Parsoneault (Dowager)
William S. Hart Park
GOLD $50+
Green Thumb, Newhall
Linda Hinz
SILVER $35+
Your Name Here
BRONZE $20+
Your Name Here
hg
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 5
Susie Jones at Parc Cervantes
PHOTO BY STEVE ONES
light white sparkling wine which is
excellent. The Priorat wine region is
just south of town where they
produce some of the finest wines in
the country, although we tried wines
from all regions of Spain. Here, there
is really only one type of wine by
name, tinto means tinted or red wine.
If you don’t ask for tinto, then you get
white. We also fell in love with the
Iberian hams. Firm, flavorful, we ate
plenty every morning at the breakfast
buffet (I know, aka continental
breakfast).
Much
better
than
prosciutto any day! Spain is big on
tapas, or small plates for a snack. That
is okay, but if you are hungry, it will
cost you. We weren’t real hungry one
night and ate at a top rated tapas bar.
You get a small serving, two to three
bites, for about two dollars US each.
You can imagine the tab will pile up
quickly. We got six servings and a
bottle of wine which was fine. The
manchego cheese was our other
favorite! The ham, cheese, and a bottle
of good wine… life just doesn’t get
any better. One interesting thing we
noticed in Barcelona was the lack of
fast food restaurants. Apparently they
do not do well here other than to feed
the tourist. Also, there were no health
clubs, gyms, etc. No wonder we like
this place!
Heading to Rome
The next day we headed to the
airport early as some airports were
closed or flights cancelled due to the
ash from the Iceland volcano reaching
Spain a few days before. Our flight
was still okay in the morning. One
thing I found out the hard way was
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
the airline we took required you to
present the credit card you charged
the flight with, which I left at home.
So we had to go to ticketing, refund
the other ticket and buy new ones.
Luckily the cost was the same. But
because we had new tickets, we
weren’t in the system and had a heck
of a time getting our seats and
boarding passes. After 20 minutes and
dealing with two managers, we
finally got our passes. All for a lousy
credit card; forget I was a frequent
flyer with that airline and we had our
passports. We settled in and about a
half hour before our flight, when we
should have been boarding, we found
out it was cancelled. We finally found
an information booth and were put on
another flight three hours later. They
did give us a voucher for lunch
however. We got two stories about the
cancellation, one is the plane was
grounded for mechanical problems
and the other was due to the ash. Our
plane arrived ok, but was delayed
again due to heavy air traffic. We
finally got on the plane and arrived in
Rome five hours after our original
flight. We missed our scheduled limo
Parc Cervantes
PHOTO BY STEVE JONES
AROUND THE WORLD from Page 2
ride to the hotel and took another van
to the hotel. What a long day!
Our hotel in Rome, Nerva, was
very nice and centrally located to the
ruins, with two excellent restaurants
nearby, Mario’s and Corte del Grillo.
A warning when dealing with fresh
fish in these restaurants; they sell the
fish usually for 5-10 euros per 100
grams. So a two-pound fish could cost
80 euros (about 100 US). The first day
we walked the town ending up with a
tour of the Vatican. We saw the Trevi
Fountain were the water was running
(last time I went it was closed for
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
cleaning), the Pantheon, several
churches, other ancient buildings,
then to lunch before meeting our tour
guide. Our favorite church was San
Giovanni Fiorentini. It is off the
beaten path, and the artwork,
sculptures and marble floors were
amazing. We signed up for Presto
Tours as they specialize in small
groups. We ended up with just the
three of us as the others didn’t show.
Our guide came from San Diego,
married an Italian and now lives just
outside of Rome. She was a gem and
full of history (and dirt). It was
interesting that all of the “mixed”
marriages we noticed in Italy were
Italian men with women from outside
the country, largely from the US. I
asked our guide why, and she said
have you met an Italian woman?
Enough said. The Vatican is a place
you have to experience once in a
lifetime. The Sistine Chapel redo was
done and looked great. No pictures
were allowed with or without flash. It
seems a Japanese company paid 50
million for the restoration and as part
of the deal they get exclusive rights to
all of the paintings for 50 years. One
stubborn Italian gentleman was
escorted out of the Chapel after
repeated warnings not to take photos.
The next day was the Coliseum and
Palatine Hill tour again with Presto
Tours. In this group there were five of
us total. Our guide was also a gem
and she was from Italy. She told us she
was one of the few Italian guides
because of the “academic” lateness
common in Italy. In the Palatine area
we saw several small rose gardens
and climbers. From the top of the hill
you can look across Circus Maximus
and see the Roseto where we will be
judging Saturday. The ruins and
Coliseum were awesome, so huge,
ancient, and well built. Afterwards
Susie and I walked to the Roseto.
There was a lot of bloom here. One
gate had two large white Lady Banks
(Rosa banksiae banksiae) growing
over each side. The park was closed
but I went in and talked to the
gardeners who reluctantly let us in
since we were jurors. We will have a
lot of work to do tomorrow judging!
They were cleaning up the weeds and
making the garden look nice for us.
Volume 20
Continued on Page 7
Number 4
Page 6
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
pretty wet and the wind was strong
enough it destroyed my umbrella.
Lunch ended up a stand up affair
under canopies. Eventually the rain
slowed down and we made it back to
the hotel. We stayed in since it was
still raining and we saw most of the
local sights by then. That night they
took us to the main garden
headquarters. There were about 500
people and they were dressed to the T.
The event started at 8 and let out
about midnight. I was able to spend
Centerpiece at Rome Trials Dinner
Judging the Rome Trials in the Rain
my suit pants wet. Most of the other
judges found this amusing as I was
serious about my “job.” Each rose was
judged based on a 0-30 point scale. It
was interesting to see the permanent
judges’ scores up to 38 which were
actually on our scorecards. It is
known Italians always give extra
points for scoring if they like the rose,
aka the rules don’t apply, which is
common throughout most of Europe.
Generally, the higher scored roses we
rated high as well, but not 100%. As
we finished judging and walking
around and enjoying the garden, the
skies opened up and we were getting
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
PHOTO BY STEVE JONES
The gardens didn’t officially open
until Sunday. If you recall my talk on
our trip to Rome in 1992 when SCVRS
first formed, the gardens were in
terrible shape. They have improved
quite a bit, however, many of the
older roses were either not named or
misnamed. What a shame. I saw
several roses that I may have to get,
including the shrub Gentle Maid, and
hybrid teas Meiceille and People
Princess. We then walked back to the
hotel off the beaten path and found
some other amazing churches, parks
and buildings. Our favorite was San
Giovanni o Paolo which had wooden
ceilings.
The next day we switched hotels to
the Domus Sessoriana, the host hotel
for the jurors and where they would
pick us up for the events. It is an
interesting hotel, part of a working
church, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme,
and the rooms were once a part of a
monastery. The church is marvelous,
like so many of the churches in Rome,
with staggering artwork and very
opulent. Next door was a stringed
instrument museum, the Museo
Nazionale degli Strumenti Musicali. It
was interesting, and they had pieces
dating back many centuries. Down
the street was another excellent
church, San Giovanni in Laterano, one
of our favorites for sculptures and
artwork. On the other side of the hotel
we walked to an old cemetery, the
Cimitero Monumentale del Verano,
the largest in Europe. Talk about
elaborate! There were many marble
crypts for the families, and in the
Quadriportico there were huge
sculptures of people, families, etc.
Above each statue (most were 12-20
feet tall) were paintings done from a
well-known local artist. While we
walked among the monuments, I
found several examples of rose
carvings on the graves, plus some
sections, which were covered with
roses. I found many species, which
were most likely the rootstock of the
original rose, plus several tea roses.
Most of the graves in this area dated
back to the 1920s, so I am sure they
could be the original plants. Although
I could have spent a day there, it
started to rain so we walked back to
the hotel before the skies opened up.
That night they drove us across town
for an elaborate dinner at a well
known fish restaurant, Checco dello
Scapicollo. Susie wasn’t thrilled
because each course had some fish,
but she was a trooper and tried
everything. Thank goodness for bread
and wine. It was an interesting
evening; the room had about 100
people, mostly from the city
government.
Bright and early the next morning
they took us over to the Roseto. It
started to rain early in the morning,
but we continued and judged 65
entries. Luckily we had enough
bloom to judge most of the classes,
with miniatures being the exception,
only two blooms on nine entries. In
addition we judged the roses for
fragrance. Now most European roses
during this time of the year are about
12-18 inches high, and for me and my
6’2” body to stoop down to smell the
blooms was quite a task, especially
since it was raining off and on. I
figured out if I laid my umbrella on
the ground, I could put my knee on it
so I could smell the roses and not get
PHOTO BY STEVE JONES
AROUND THE WORLD from Page 6
some time visiting with an old rose
friend I met almost 20 years ago,
Helene Pizzi, who lives in Rome. The
food was excellent and they had waltz
dancing in Louis XIV costumes most
of the evening. It was pretty weird.
The winners were announced with
great fanfare. Even the mayor of
Rome attended and spoke. We really
think this is the social highlight of the
year. For floribundas, Poulsen’s
Charlottenburg won the gold, Keisei
from Japan won the gold hybrid tea
with KSR293, Interplant won the gold
for their shrub (groundcover) INT
B142-04, Dalla Libera won the best
climber (which we really loved) with
24-CGL-16, and NIRP won the best
miniature, fragrance and best overall
rose with NIRPaylux, NIRPcrazy, and
NIRPerfu respectively. We loved the
strong fragrance of NIRPcrazy and it
has a beautiful bloom (HT).
Volume 20
ef
Number 4
Page 7
oy !
Ah teys
Ma
Santa Clarita Valley
Rose Society
Rose Auction &
“Caribbean Pirates Party”
WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS
Joe Manuel
Orchard Park, NY
Sunday, May 15, 2011,
2:30 pm
On the “Good Ship Gubert”
22374 Homestead Place, Saugus, CA 91350,
Auctioneer: Bob Martin “The Dread Pirate Robert”
Manifest & Cargo Developed by: Kitty & Bob Belendez
First Mate: Susan Savage -- Deck Hands: Bob Belendez, Jan Parsoneault
Booty Collectors: Candy LaChance & Kitty Belendez
SCVRS members and their guests are welcome to attend. Members of other
rose societies are also welcome. Please RSVP and bring food to share.
RSVP to Barbara Grimm at (661) 257-1764 or e-mail her at
[email protected] by May 9th. Attendees bring choice of appetizers, main
dish, side dish, salad, or dessert. The Society will furnish grog, plates &
utensils. Feel free to dress like a pirate.
COMPLETE AUCTION CATALOG COMING SOON.
Jennie Skoglund
Garden Grove, CA
Featured Raffle Item:
$25 Gift Certificate
for
David Austin Roses
at April 10th Meeting
Join the American Rose Society
For Just $5!
4-Month Trial
Membership for $5
To Join Today
Call Laura at 800-637-6534
4-month trial membership includes:
l 2 issues of American Rose magazine, a $16
value
l Discounts of up to 30% at merchant
partners
l Free online access to four quarterly
bulletins, a $45 value
l Free or reduced garden admissions, a $25
value after just 3 uses.
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 8
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
LITTLE ROSE SHOW SCHEDULE
For 2011 Monthly Meetings
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
Class 5
Class 6
Class 7
Class 8
Class 9
Class 10
Class 11
Class 12
Class 13
Class 14
Section A
Hybrid Teas & Grandifloras
One Bloom Showing Exhibition Form
One Spray
Fully Open Bloom
Section B
Floribundas & Polyanthas
One Bloom of a Floribunda
One Spray of a Floribunda
One Spray of a Polyantha
Section C
Shrubs, Climbers, & Ramblers
One Bloom or Spray of a Shrub
One Bloom or Spray – Climber or Rambler
Section D
Miniatures or Mini-Floras
One Bloom Showing Exhibition Form
One Spray
Single-Petalled or Fully Open Bloom
Section E
Old Garden Roses
Dowager (introduced prior to 1867)
Victorian (introduced 1867 or later)
Section F
Most Fragrant Rose
One bloom of any type of rose.
Section G
Rose Color of the Month
A Special Prize Will Be Awarded Each Month
Class 15
Any Type Rose
April: Red
September:
Yellow
Orange, Apricot
May: None
October:
June: Pink
November:
White
Annual Trophies
Trophies will be given at the annual Holiday Party in
December to the best in each section, based upon the
most awards accumulated in each section throughout the
year. Also, there will be a Sweepstakes Award given to
the person winning the most 1st place awards overall.
SHOW RULES
1. Please bring your own vases.
2. Wedging (aluminum foil, plastic wrap, rose foliage and
stems, or plastic foam) may be used, but must not
protrude above the lip of the vase.
3. Please arrive one-half hour early to prepare your roses
for entry. All entries must be placed by the exhibitor
5 minutes before the meeting is scheduled to start.
4. All entries must be labeled with ARS exhibition names.
5. Use official ARS entry tags with the rose variety name,
class, and exhibitor’s name written on the top portion of
the tag only. Fold the tags closed.
6. The roses may be of any variety, type or color, except
as noted. All roses must be grown in the exhibitor’s own
outdoor garden.
7. This is an alphabetically-arranged show.
8. Only ONE exhibitor (or one team) from any one
garden may enter each Class. More than one entry of the
same variety in a Class will disqualify both entries.
9. Reasons for disqualification:
a. Misnamed
b. Misclassed
c. Mislabeled or unlabeled
d. Misplaced
e. Stem-on-stem (except OGR’s and shrubs)
f. Foreign substance on foliage,
stem, or bloom
g. Not disbudded when required
h. Violation of show rules
10. Entries will be judged by ARS Accredited Judges, and
the appropriate 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th awards will be
indicated.
EVERY MONTH, EACH PERSON WHO ENTERS A
ROSE IN THE LITTLE ROSE SHOW WILL GET ONE
FREE RAFFLE TICKET. SEE THE RAFFLEMASTER.
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
The Point Scoring System
Form
25 Points
Color
20 Points
15 Points
Substance
Stem & Foliage
20 Points
Balance & Proportion
10 Points
Size
10 Points
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 9
Miss Kitty’s Rose Blog
Excerpts from “Kitty’s Rose Blog” at scvrs.homestead.com/LogKB.html
3-25-11 Now that my clemmies are tucked safely away and growing in their little pots, and we have planted a bunch
of petunias here and there all around the front yard, my attention now turns back to the stars of my garden ... ROSES!
There are no roses blooming yet (I don’t count the rogue bloom tucked inside a bush). But it’s time for me to get serious
about weekly feeding and spraying of my roses. Remember now, I am a rose show exhibitor, so I’m very intensive in
my rose care. I do not advise this level of rose care for the home gardener who just wants to enjoy their roses. I don’t
criticize what other people do, or don’t do. I just do what I need to do to be competitive at the rose shows. The first
show is coming up on April 16th, then April 23, then April 30. Three weeks in a row. I hope the weather starts warming
up soon otherwise there may be no blooms to take to those rose shows.
3-24-11 Oh boy! I received my six new baby "clemmies" today. So you ask ... what the
heck do clematis have to do with roses? Well, roses and clematis complement each other
and live together quite happily. Now, I wonder how long it will take me to kill these
new babies, because I’m a novice when it comes to growing clematis. I know very little
about them, but I’m willing to learn. Reminds me of when I first got hooked on roses
back in 1985. Some say I’m an expert at growing roses, and I suppose I am, but still I
learn something new every day. By the way, I am very pleased with these clemmie
plants that came from Brushwood Nursery in PA. They were packed very well, and the
pots were larger than I anticipated, they look to be about quart size. One even has a
bloom on it.
Clematis Multiblue at Brushwood
3-20-11 Pouring down rain, so spent most of the day indoors on the computer today, finishing our Rose Auction
Catalog, designing our Rose Garden Tour flyer, and working on the April Rose Ecstasy newsletter. Then had a little
spare time (needed a break anyway) so I ordered six more "weeds" online at Brushwood Nursery. I’m getting Clematis
Multiblue, Clematis Daniel Deronda, Clemantis Jackmanii, Clemantis Fireworks, Clemantis Bees Jubilee, and
Clemantis Ragamuffin. Love that name!
3-16-11 The foliage on my rose bushes looks dark glossy green and really quite pretty. At least until I came up closer
to take a better look. Uh oh! Apparently there is a lot of frost and freeze damage on some of the roses. There will be no
spring St Patrick blooms as there is too much freeze burn and very short stems. We have not had so much winter
damage in many years. We’re not going to stress over it, because it is what it is. Mary Rose has very short 3-inch stems,
not the usual 15-inch stems. Affirm has nothing but blind shoots (no buds on the ends of the stems). I suppose there
will still be plenty of blooms for the garden tour, but I’m sure glad we planted petunias as filler.
3-13-11 We bought 60 petunia plants this morning at Green Thumb Nursery in Newhall. We will interplant them
among the roses in the front yard to add a splash of extra color for our May 1st garden tour. I favor the purples, blues,
burgundys, and dark pinks. Some are bi-color with white edging or white stripes.
3-11-11 Planning continues for our May 15th Rose Auction. Still lots of things to do, but attention is now focusing on
decorations for our "Caribbean Pirates" theme party in conjunction with our Rose Auction. President Susan is scouting
about for some fun decorations and Jan Parsoneault is helping. She’s still looking for a cussing parrot, but I keep telling
her she already has Bob. LOL! Our list of roses on auction ain’t too shabby either. Ahoy Mateys!
3-9-11
Disbudding of our hybrid teas has officially begun, and looks like ‘Miss Kitty’ is the first little filly out of the
chute. We usually only disbud hybrid teas, not the other types of roses, because I like to see a lot of clusters in the
garden. Sometimes I might remove the central buds on certain floribundas, but mostly not. I also like to see sprays on
the miniatures, but will disbud the minifloras. The shrub roses are usually left alone. "Disbudding" is simply removing
the small side buds from the larger central bud on a long-stemmed hybrid tea. On a floribunda cluster (spray) it’s the
central bud that is removed if desired. The purpose of disbudding is for rose shows, so it certainly isn’t necessary for
the casual gardener.
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 10
The Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society Invites You To A
Tour Of Two Private Rose Gardens
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Free of Charge • Bring Your Friends & Family
These private gardens will be open to the public on this day only (free-of-charge), so bring your friends and family
for an enjoyable visit. Light refreshments will be served, but we suggest that you bring your own lunch to eat along
the way. Please be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and a sun hat. Cameras are welcome. See you there!
TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon
Garden of Harvey and Sharon Kale
25711 Whispering Trees Way, Valencia CA 91355-2436
(661) 259-8657, E-mail: [email protected]
Directions: Near the I-5 Freeway, take McBean, turn south on
Tournament road, go a half mile and continue on Golf Course Road,
then turn left on Whispering Trees Way.
Our garden evolved from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. At that time, our
backyard was a swimming pool. The earthquake damaged it so bad that we
had to make a decision: major repair or bury the pool. We vacillated for six
months, and after visiting some gardens in Montreal, we decided that with our daughter leaving for college, the pool wasn’t for
us. So we decided to bury the pool and put in landscaping...but because we love water, we left the pump/filter and created a
waterfall. The back yard only included 10 roses, and our front yard had only 4 tree roses. Harvey loves working in the
garden...and decided that he wanted to grow roses since it was one of the only plants that bloom over and over again. So little
by little, each area of the front and back yard that had some "free space" became a home for a rose. Over the years, the initial 14
roses became over 150 roses. Some of Harvey and Sharon’s favorite roses are Nicole, Brandy, Centennial Gold, Moonstone,
Veterans’ Honor, and Perfect Moment. Of particular interest to garden visitors is a special pair of roses named George Burns and
Gracie Allen. A lot of Harvey’s ideas, motivation came from the SCVRS, including a couple of visits to the Belendez’ home during
the rose tours. “They have a beautiful yard OF roses. We have a beautiful yard WITH roses.”
h FREE BOUQUET of roses given to NEW members who join SCVRS at the Belendez Rose Garden on May 1st.
TIME: 12:00 Noon to 3:00 p.m.
Garden of Bob & Kitty Belendez
21133 Kingscrest Drive, Saugus CA 91350
(661) 296-5033, E-mail: [email protected]
Directions: Go north on Bouquet Canyon Road, turn left onto
Urbandale, go three blocks then turn right onto Kingscrest Dr.
Bob and Kitty grow about 350 roses of all types. This includes approximately
75 hybrid teas, 60 floribundas, 40 minifloras, 75 miniatures (mostly grown in
7-gallon pots), 30 old garden roses, 30 Austin shrubs, and a few polyanthas
and climbers. Mostly hybrid teas and floribundas are in the front yard, while
the antique roses, shrub roses, miniature and miniflora roses are in back. Arches and trellises lead along the side yard to the rear
yard where a natural rock waterfall hugging the swimming pool captures the attention of visitors. Look closely and you will see
a rose in the pool. Favorite roses include the intensely fragrant antique rose ‘Yolande d’Aragon’, and Kitty’s discovered roses the
light pink floribunda ‘Puanani’, the orange floribunda ‘Cristina Lynne’, and the white hybrid tea ‘Miss Kitty’, all of which she has
registered with the American Rose Society. There are several clematis including a handsome specimen of the dark purple ‘Viola’
that grows on the shady north side of the yard. Our summers are hot and dry, with temperatures often reaching 100. Humidity is
rare. Our winters occasionally dip down into the 30’s at night, with averages in the 50’s during the days. We do not need to winter
protect. Kitty and Bob are Consulting Rosarians, and love to exhibit their roses at rose shows.
April 2011
Rose Ecstasy
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 11
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY
ROSE SOCIETY OFFICERS
President
(661) 259-8441
Susan Savage
E-mail: [email protected]
1st Vice President / Rose Show Director
(661) 296-5033
Kitty Belendez
E-mail: [email protected]
2nd Vice President / Membership
Carolyn Monday
(661) 252-2127
E-mail: [email protected]
3rd VP / Ways & Means
Bob Belendez
(661) 296-5033
E-mail: [email protected]
4th VP / Programs
Elissa Siefert
(661) 259-6989
E-mail: [email protected]
Secretary
Beverley Wexler
(661) 259-8277
E-mail: [email protected]
Treasurer / Historian
Steve Jones
(661) 254-7741
E-mail: [email protected]
Board of Directors
Ingrid Gonzalez
[email protected]
Karen Gubert
[email protected]
Candy LaChance
[email protected]
Charles Maness
[email protected]
Jan Parsoneault
[email protected]
Suzanne Miladin
[email protected]
Bulletin Editor, Webmaster & Publicity
Kitty Belendez
[email protected]
Event Coordinator
Barbara Grimm
(661) 257-1764
E-mail: [email protected]
Rose Ecstasy
‘Marriotta’
SANTA CLARITA, CA
PERMIT NO. 316
The Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society is a non-profit
educational organization serving the needs of rose gardeners.
SPECIAL NOTE TO E-MAIL RECIPIENTS: Click on underlined
text throughout this bulletin for hyperlinks to web sites, e-mail
addresses, and more photos and information on the Internet.
Bring your best rose blooms (all colors, any type of rose) to our April
meeting, because we will begin our Little Rose Shows, which will
continue each month through the end of the year. We encourage beginners
to bring their roses to learn how to exhibit.
A complete Little Rose Show Schedule can be found inside this
newsletter (it’s the same as last year). We will have categories for hybrid
teas, grandifloras, floribundas, polyanthas, shrubs, climbers, miniatures,
and old garden roses. All roses must be correctly named. Please bring
your own vases (or bottles). We will furnish the entry tags.
If you would like help in preparing your roses for placement, we
recommend that you arrive a half-hour early to each meeting. Your
entries will be judged by an ARS Judge, and winners will be announced at
the refreshment break. A free raffle ticket will be given to every
exhibitor and class winner. Prizes will be given at our December Party to
the persons winning the most awards in each section during the year.
Here are a few tips for beginners:
• Do NOT remove the thorns and foliage.
• Wipe the foliage clean, but do not apply oil or other material.
• Keep the blooms on long stems when cut, at least 6” for miniatures,
and about 15” to 18” for hybrid teas.
• For hybrid teas and miniatures, the blooms should not be too tight,
nor too fully open. The blooms should be fresh, symmetrical and about
half open, but the stamens should not be visible, unless for open bloom.
Also, there will be a special section for RED roses this month.
Rose Ecstasy
PAID
Kitty Belendez, Editor
21133 Kingscrest Drive
Santa Clarita CA 91350-1934
MONTHLY LITTLE ROSE SHOWS BEGIN
April 2011
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U. S. POSTAGE
Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
SCV Rose Society
Membership Dues
Annual dues are $20 per calendar
year with e-mailed newsletter, plus
$10 annual mailing fee for printed
newsletter. Please send check
payable to SCVRS, to:
Kitty Belendez
21133 Kingscrest Drive
Santa Clarita CA 91350-1934
© Santa Clarita Valley Rose Society
Published monthly except July, August and
December.
The information contained herein is
based upon the research, ideas,
experiences and/or opinions of the
authors. The SCVRS, its officers, directors
and editor accept no responsibility for any
commissions, errors, or omissions.
When reprinting material from this
bulletin,
please
include
author,
photographer, editor, publication and date
from which the material originated.
Affiliate of the
American Rose Society
Volume 20
Number 4
Page 12