By Stuart Dalton, President

Getting involved I know many of you signed up to take part in the PRS rose show May 5th as well as setup and cleanup. I think I’ve signed up to give a talk on mid-year rose care as well as setup and cleanup. If you did not get a chance to sign-up at the meeting you can call or email to Barbara Todd to see how you can help. And of course, everyone can invite friends and neighbors. Please tell them there are two talks and two raffles as well as roses to see and smell. Please post the event on Nextdoor if you use that service.

As those of you who attended the last meeting heard we are starting to look at possibly hosting an American Rose Society district meeting in Fall 2020. This would include a judged show and would attract a crowd of excellent exhibitors from around the district. The event would also include a business meeting of the Northern California Nevada and Hawaii District. It may be possible to get other local rose societies as cosponsors like the San Mateo Rose Society to help with organization and logistics, making it easier for both societies. Two of our directors are looking at possible venues. One a church venue and one Filoli venue are current candidates thanks to work by Judy Webster and Patti Spezzaferro. One of the issues we face is the cost of motels and hotels in the area which are higher than other areas.

We do have planned events now and volunteers to support these are needed for the Mother’s Day event 2-3 pm on May 12th at Hassett Ace Hardware in Redwood City, and May 18th at Foothill College in Los Altos with the horticultural club 10-12. This includes providing membership and general Rose information to attendees. The topic for both talks is mid-year rose care.

In the garden

Aphids are starting to show up in my yard. But so are leatherwings, ladybugs and insect-eating birds. I mentioned before that I use water spray to knock off aphids and the beneficial insects and birds can also help with many pests. So, continue to walk the garden and check those plants and beneficial critters.

As we start our monthly shows you want the rose foliage and flowers to look their best. See the Consulting Rosarian article this month to get more tips on preparing to exhibit roses. This talks about what to do in the garden in advance, how to cut, condition and prepare the blooms. Don’t forget to bring in roses for our first show. We have a special two-draw raffle for those who do. If you bring in roses you get tickets. One ticket per stem for horticultural entries. Five tickets for each arrangement. This is as an incentive to bring in entries. The prize is a $5 Wegman’s Nursery gift card.

Happy gardening,

Stu