We believe that roses are for all seasons – especially now.
It’s not just their beauty, they are well known for their health benefits too.
Something we think about a lot more these days.

We are looking forward to 2021 with all the promise that a new year and a new season can bring! While we hope that soon the cancellations and limitations of 2020 will be moving behind us, we are making plans that can be enjoyed virtually … or in-person when we can safely do so. Regardless of how we meet, we are committed to bringing great opportunities for learning more about gardening with roses and wonderful friendship.

Our meetings take place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month starting in January. As always, our events are open to the public and you are invited to attend! If you would like to attend and need the

 

UPCOMING 2021 MEETINGS . . .

 

TUES, JAN 12, 6:30 PM / ZOOM MEETING

Watch YouTube recording of this meeting HERE.

SPEAKER: GAYE HAMMOND
Gaye is the Past President of the Houston Rose Society and an international lecturer and writer. She is involved in a number of rose trials around the country. She is also a contributing author to A Garden Book for Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast and The Sustainable Rose Garden. Don’t miss this dynamic speaker!

PROGRAM: COLOR AND THE WOW FACTOR: From Drab to Dramatic in the Rose Garden 
The use of color can make or break a landscape. Like an artist creates a masterpiece on canvas, the use of color in the landscape is one of the most important design elements to create the “WOW” factor that we strive for. Color can be used to lighten up a dark shady corner or calm an overly bright one. Come learn the tips, tricks and trends employed by landscape designers in using color in the landscape to make a property pop!

Gaye’s Handouts:

COLOR CHART

Color and the WOW Factor

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

 

TUES, FEB 9, 6:30 PM / ZOOM MEETING

Watch YOUTUBE recording of this meeting… HERE

SPEAKER: CARRIE BERGS
Carrie is the Blogger and Web Administrator of the ARS North Central District and Past President of the Greater Milwaukee Rose Society. She and her husband Joe grow about 20 different varieties of OGR’s in their Wisconsin rose garden of 350 roses. Joe and Carrie are also award winning rose exhibitors. Their garden will be featured on tour during the 2021 ARS National Convention next September in Milwaukee. Convention details here.

PROGRAM: MY PINK LADIES 
Carrie will share her favorite and hardiest OGR’s, you will hear the stories of these gorgeous, fragrant roses as well as how they grow them, prune them, winter protect them and exhibit them.

TUES, MAR 9, 6:30 PM  / ZOOM MEETING

SPEAKER: MARILYN WELLAN

Marilyn Wellan is a 37-year member of the American Rose Society, and served 29 of those years on its Board of Directors. She is a Past President (2003-2006), Horticulture and Arrangements Judge, Consulting Rosarian and Master Rosarian. She was awarded the ARS Gold Honor Medal in 2017, and earlier the Silver Medal and Bronze Medal. She was named a “Great Rosarian of the World” in 2009; and recognized in “Decades of Women” in 2017.

PROGRAM: GREAT GARDEN RESTORATION OF AMERICA’S ROSE GARDEN

In early 2017, a five-year Master Plan was approved by the American Rose Center Committee and the ARS Board of Directors which set the path for the Great Garden Restoration, and for success in the future. The plan outlined these major Immediate Goals: 1) consolidation of the many gardens into a “core garden” with visual impact; 2) clearing of many trees; 3) deer fencing; 4) new walkways; 5) soil testing and amending; 6) creating an exciting new design for the gardens (see above image).

By the end of the year 2018, the Immediate Goals of the Master Plan had been achieved; $570,000 was raised in cash, services, in-kind gifts and pledges. The Great Garden Restoration Project is well underway, and promises to create a garden that is a major attraction for visitors from around the world, is visitor-friendly, reduces maintenance, is respectful of the environment, is educational in nature, and that is capable of increasing earned revenue to support the gardens. Images and additional information here.

TUES, APRIL 13, 6:30 PM / ZOOM MEETING

SPEAKER: DIANE SOMMERS
Diane currently serves as the Vice President of the American Rose Society. Diane will be installed as President at the Cream City Roses Convention in Wisconsin in September and you are invited to attend. Details here.

About Diane’s garden…

Diane’s garden is a collage of color and rose varieties, currently holding about 150 varieties. She likes to have a lot of color and bloom all summer long, so she has been adding more floribundas and shrub roses lately, while still maintaining a good selection of hybrid teas for exhibiting. Six years ago, she moved into a new home and the rose garden had to start over.  Starting over is a lot more work than she ever imagined and there are many days she wishes she had the soil and roses from years ago! She is fortunate to have a lot of room and plans on adding 20 – 30 roses each year. Other plans for the garden are learning about other plants to enhance the gardens, and controlling the darn deer.

PROGRAM: DRY WRAPPING ROSES.

Have you ever admired a rose in your garden and wished that it could have waited a few days or weeks to bloom? Drywrapping is one technique that you can use to store your rose without water, rehydrating at a future date. This technique is simple to do with many different varieties.  The arrangement pictured here won the 2016 ARS National Arrangement Trophy with the rose “Joy”, where many of the blooms were cut two to three weeks earlier.  In this program we will discuss the steps to successful Drywrapping.

 

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Check back as we are busy working on additional plans for 2021!

Members will receive updates via our newsletters and eblasts. If you would like to become a member, read on here.

If you have questions or concerns about Zoom meetings, we would be glad to help!

We look forward to having you join us!

 

2021 IRS BOARD:

Eloisa Garza: President
Trudy Struck: 1st Vice President
Teresa Downham: 2nd Vice President
Marilyn Ferguson: Secretary
Humberto DeLuca: Treasurer
Linda Kimmel: Newsletter Editor
Teresa Byington: Immediate Past President and Webmaster/Social Media