Serving Rose Growers in South West Central Ontario including Sarnia, Chatham, Clinton, Stratford, Woodstock, Tillsonburg, Aylmer, St Thomas, Port Stanley, London and points between Recent/Upcoming Event: Summer 2009 Date: June, 2009 Gardeners in this part of the province have experienced a long, cold winter and spring. After a slow start, rose bushes are now growing vigorously probably helped by plenty of moisture. Early-bloomers started the last week of May. Some of the tender roses are already showing colour in their buds. New provincial regulations came into effect in April which have limted the range of chemical controls for home use. This will certainly further encourage the adoption of pest and disease resistant rose varieties. - President Richard W. Cartwright Rose Garden Tour and Picnic Members along with their friends and family are invited to visit the property of Roland and Carol Craig on Saturday, 4 July 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Roland has created a rose garden featuring four hundred rose cultivars. It includes almost every David Austin rose which is available in Canada. The garden beds also feature sixty dahlias. Their home, Rosehaven, is at 8733 Reily Drive in the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc. Take the Longwoods Road between Melbourne and Delaware, turn south at the Muncy Road and go about 1.4 km. then east onto Burwell Road and travel about 0.4 km., and east onto Reily Drive and go about 0.5 km. A barbeque and firepit will be available. September Meeting Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at Degroots Nursery, 1840 London Road, Sarnia. Wm. Saunders Rose Society Award The society sponsors an award at the regional shows for “Highest Points for Roses, Any Type, Entered by a Novice”. Winners receive $10.00 and a one year membership in the society. Rose and Flower Shows Wednesday, 24 June 'Lambeth Bicenntennial: 1809 – 2009' Lambeth Horticultural Society, Lambeth United Church, 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Information: (519) 680-3521 Saturday, 27 June 'I am a Canadian' St.Thomas & District Horticultural Society, St.Thomas Community Christian School, 77 Fairview Avenue, St.Thomas, 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Information: (519) 782-3291 Neem Oil With the limited variety of fungicides and pesticides on the store shelves, gardeners are looking for alternatives. One of the most promising natural remedies is neem oil. It is a vegetable product extracted from the fruits and seeds of the Neem (Azadirachta indica), an evergreen tree native to the Indian subcontinent which has been introduced to many other areas in the tropics. It is perhaps the most important of the commercially available products of neem for organic farming and medicines. Neem oil is generally light to dark brown, bitter and has a rather strong odour that is said to combine the odours of peanut and garlic. It is hydrophobic in nature and in order to emulsify it in water for application purposes, it must be formulated with appropriate surfactants. Neem oil also contains steroids and triterpenoids of which Azadirachtin is the most well-known and studied. Diseases such as black spot, powdery mildew and rust, can be controlled through the use of neem oil. It acts against insects by smothering and disrupts their ability to reproduce, and is absorbed into the plant. Neem oil is often sold diluted as a leaf shine but concentrate is available. A small bottle of neem needs to be heated in hot water first, before measuring the amount. This is to ensure that the thick oil mixes better and pours out of the bottle easier. Pure neem oil should be diluted at the rate of 5.2 millilitres per litre (1 teaspoon per quart or 4 teaspoons per gallon of water) and used as a foliar spray. It can be used as a soil drench at the rate of 1litre per square metre of soil (3 ounces per square foot). Adding ordinary liquid dishwashing soap greatly enhances its ability to cling to plant leaves. The dishwashing soap should be added at the rate of 3 millilitres per litre (1 tablespoon per gallon). It can be mixed in an ordinary spray bottle for small applications. Mix neem, warm water, and the dish detergent. Shake the mixture and spray both sides of the leaves. Keep agitating the bottle once in a while as you are spraying. If any liquid is remaining, try watering the plant with this solution as it gets absorbed into the roots and through the plant. With properly timed sprays, only three applications generally are needed to keep even highly susceptible roses disease and insect free. Neem oil will kill beneficial insects such as bees. Avoid spraying when they are active in your garden. Before use, move ladybugs to another plant. - Ciscoe Morris, King County Master Gardener; Gardening in Canada Forum; Wikipedia. The March Bulletin This past January has brought record amounts of snowfall to the region. Without severe or prolonged low temperatures (below -20°C), the snow cover has stayed longer than usual. There was no usual January thaw. Only in mid-February did the daytime highs get above freezing with any rain. We are now entering the dangerous time with periods of alternating freezing and thawing This will test new rose varieties for their degree of cold hardiness. With municipal regulations limiting the use of chemical sprays, it has become more important to find disease resistant varieties. European nurseries have been working on the problem for years but we can now look to North American companies to market similar roses. - President Richard W. Cartwright Memberships Are Due Individual $10.00 Family (same address) $15.00 Send your dues along with your name, address, telephone, FAX, and Email to: Treasurer Wm. Saunders Rose Society 10 Torrington Crescent London ON N6C 2V9 The Heather Farm and Classic Miniature Roses View roses at The Heather Farm March Meeting Saturday, 7 March at 1:00 p.m. in the Carnegie Room, downstairs at the St.Thomas Public Library, 153 Curtis Street, St.Thomas. The subject will be 'Gardens of the World'. Parking is available across the street, to the east of the Engineers Building (north of City Hall on Talbot Street). London Civic Gardening Complex The Friends of the Civic Gardening Complex are offering tours on Sunday, 19 April from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. A variety of gardening groups, including the Wm. Saunders Rose Society, will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice. For more information, contact Stan Campion-Smith at (519) 680-3521. Palatine Nursery Members receive a 10% discount. Order before March 15 for spring pick-up or mail order. See Palatine Roses Pickering Roses Nursery Order by March 15 for spring delivery. Their website is at Pickering Nursery Wm. Saunders Rose Society Award The society sponsors an award at the regional shows for “Highest Points for Roses, Any Type, Entered by a Novice”. Winners receive $10.00 and a one year membership in the society. Black Spot Resistant Roses The Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University has posted at their website (www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/weeklypics/3-22-04.html) an article about black spot tolerant rose cultivars. The fungus Diplocarpon rosae is the cause of one of the most important leaf problems for roses in Indiana. As we have noticed in Ontario, the disease spreads during hot, humid weather. The accompanied leaf drop lowers the plant's energy resources and interferes with flower production. For prevention on susceptable varieties, repeated applications of fungicide is necessary. Resistant cultivars would repeat flower better and lessen the need for chemicals. These roses may still become infected but experience less damage. Unfortunately, the black spot fungus can adapt so that some varieties would lose their resistance. The following is an excerpt of rose lists from evaluations done in Virginia, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Washington. Large-flowered roses: Alecs Red, Brides Dream, Canadian White Star, Chrysler Imperial, Dainty Bess, Duet, Electron*, Elina, Elizabeth Taylor, First Prize, Frederic Mistral, Granada, Helmut Schmidt*, Just Joey*, Keepsake*, Lady X, Las Vegas*, Marilyn Monroe, Marijke Koopman, Mikado, Miss All-American Beauty, Mister Lincoln, Olympiad, Otto Miller, Pascale, Peggy Rockefeller, Peter Frankenfeld*, Pink Peace, Polarstern*, Portrait, Precious Platinum*, Princess of Monaco, Pristine, Sheer Bliss, Silver Jubilee*, Smooth Lady, Sunbright, The McCartney Rose, Tiffany, Uncle Joe, and Voodoo*. Cluster-flowered and grandiflora: Angel Face, Betty Prior, Bonica*, Brass Band, Carousel, City of London, Class Act, Escapade, Europeana*, First Edition, French Lace, Goldilocks, Gruss an Aachen, Hot Cocoa, Iceberg*, Impatient*, Ivory Fashion, Lavaglut, Livin Easy, Love*, Matangi*, Montezuma, Nearly Wild, New Year*, Orangeade, Pink Parfait, Playboy*, Playgirl*, Pretty Lady, Prima Donna, Prominent, Queen Elizabeth, Razzle Dazzle, Regensburg*, Parade, Sexy Rexy*, Showbix*, Sonia, Sun Flare, Sunsprite, Tournament of Roses*, Trumpeter*, and Viva*. Shrub roses: Alba Meidiland, All That Jazz, Belinda's Dream, Carefree Beauty, Carefree Delight, Distant Drums, George Vancouver, Harrisons Yellow, Knock Out, Prairie Sunrise, Robusta, Sea Foam, Simon Fraser, The Fairy, Wanderin Wind, and Winter Sunset. Climbing roses: Dortmund*, Dublin Bay*, William Baffin. Miniature roses: Always a Lady, Beauty Secret, Black Jade, Cinderella, Green Ice, Gourmet Popcorn, Loving Touch, Magic Carrousel, Minnie Pearl, Rainbows End, Red Cascade, and Work of Art. Rugosa hybrid roses: Blanc double de Coubert, F. J. Groodendorst, Linda Campbell, Rugosa Alba, Rugosa Magnifica, Roseraie de l'Hay, and Therese Bugnet. An asterix denotes resistance also to powdery mildew and rust. 2009 Officers and Board of Directors President and Bulletin Editor: Richard Cartwright V.P.: Roland Craig Secretary: Harry McGee Treasurer: Allan Whitfield Directors: Ken Barks, Sophia Borowski, Tom Cox, Bill Lovelock, Liz Taylor Bulletin for the Annual General Meeting, November 2008 The September Quarterly Meeting in Sarnia exceeded expectations with a stunning educational rose display. It was quite a surprise as the roses kept coming and coming and more tables had to be set-up. It was a kaleidoscope of colour complemented by a rich variety of fragrances. Importantly, members were able to study and compare 256 rose entries. This exhibit allowed one to finally see a variety that they might only know from photographs in books and nursery catalogues. Certain roses are considered to have an intense fragrance but everyone does not have the same sense of smell. The same can be said for colour. Rose lovers were allowed to judge these qualities for themselves. The Peoples Choice went to Basil Kelly for a bloom of ‘Touch of Class’ (Kriloff, 1984), a coral-pink blend. He also received the second highest number of votes with the pale apricot-coloured ‘Marilyn Munroe’ (Carruth, 2003). Because of the outstanding success of this display, there are plans for one in the Fall of 2009. - President Richard W. Cartwright November Meeting Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday, 1 November at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Anglican Church at the southwest corner of the main crossroads in Lambeth. Parking is available at the lumberyard next door or across the street. Shirleyann English will give a floral demonstration of modern designs incorporating roses. Ms. English has the honour of being invited to compete in the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. The Canadian Explorer Roses A collection of articles written by Dr. Felicitas Svejda for the Journal of National Roses Canada was published this June. The Journal’s editor, Harry McGee, has created a fifty-eight page, soft cover book. There are beautiful full colour photographs of each cultivar mentioned in the book. Some photographs have been provided by members of our own society. Included in the book are pedigree charts of each cultivar drawn by Dr.Svejda. The editor has provided short biographies of the explorers that the roses are named after. Mr.McGee has helped to create is an important work which details the development of the Explorer Series of hardy Canadian roses. Because the information comes from the breeder herself, it clears up mistakes which have made their way into other books, nursery catalogues, and websites. With the existence of the world-wide internet, websites can quickly distribute the wrong information. Dr. Svedja tells us in her own words what actually happened. Rosarians of today and tomorrow will have an accurate record of the accomplishments of one of Canada’s most significant female rose breeders. To obtain a copy of the book, contact Harry McGee at (519) 652-5728. Palatine Fruit & Roses Nursery Members receive a 10% discount. Order before 15 March for spring pick-up or mail order delivery. Pickering Roses Nursery Order by 15 March for spring delivery. The September Bulletin This year, because of the calendar, the St.Thomas & District Horticultural Society hosted the oldest rose show in the area earlier than usual on June 21. Choosing that date caused a certain amount of stress on the organizing committee – they worried whether there would be enough warm weather at the right time to bring the roses out. But there were plenty of entries, particularly by our own members who also picked-up several trophies. Hopefully in the coming weeks, this year’s growing season will continue for a good autumn flush of roses in our gardens. - President Richard W. Cartwright September Meeting Our fall Quarterly Meeting will take place on Saturday, 6 September at 1:00 p.m. at De Groots Nursery, 1840 London Line in Sarnia. This meeting will include a display of members’ roses. Everyone can bring as many nice blooms as they like, but this time come a quarter or half hour earlier than the usual 1:00 pm meeting time. Outside the meeting room will be a row of tables on which to leave each of your blooms in a small vase of your own. Make sure your name is hidden on the bottom of the vase. Then go into the meeting room for a regular meeting and a PowerPoint demo by Roland Craig about his rose experiences. When the meeting concludes, everyone will return to the roses and vote for their favourite. Once the votes are cast, the winner will receive a cash prize. Maybe it will be your rose! Maybe you have never put a rose on display before. And maybe you will be brave enough to do it again next year, and again and again. Mayerthorpe Donation Early this year, we contributed $100.00 to our federation, National-Roses-Canada, to buy roses to plant at the Mayerthorpe Memorial to the four Mounties who were killed by an outlaw three years ago. The monument was completed and the site officially opened on July 4th. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was at the ceremony. The N-R-C purchased over thirty hardy red roses with donations received and Paul Olsen of Edmonton ordered them and went to all kinds of trouble keeping them until they were needed. Then he planted them and they were blooming for the statue unveiling. He said the planning committee was very happy to have the donation of the roses. The Wm. Saunders Rose Society’s Marian Obeda knew one of the fallen officers, Peter Schiemann, when he was a little boy in a London Sunday School. She was deeply moved at the news of his death and sponsored the motion three years ago to have the Society contribute to the fund managed by National-Roses-Canada. Roses at the R.B.G. The first All-Canadian Rose Show took place on June 21 and 22 in the atrium of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. Roland Craig, Harry McGee, and Bill Lovelock represented the Wm. Saunders Rose Society and National-Roses-Canada with a rose display outside the atrium. On sale were potted roses donated by Pickering Nurseries of Port Hope, memberships, and rose books. The Wm. Saunders Rose Society received a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the roses. November Meeting The Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Anglican Church (southwest corner at the main intersection) in Lambeth. Parking is available at the nearby lumberyard. London Garden Club member Shirleyann English will create innovative modern floral arrangements incorporating roses. Ms.English has the honour of representing Canada in the floral design section at the prestegious Chelsea Flower Show near London, England. Tea and refreshments will be served following the meeting. For more information, contact Richard at (519) 633-3939.