Hello all GRS members and friends:
Well, it’s now time for us to start up our fall meetings, of which most will be held at the Tower Road (75th Street) County Library.
I hope you all had a good summer in spite of the record-breaking summer heat. I sure could not take being out in it for very long. I tried to keep our roses sprayed to ward off insects and diseases, but with it being so hot, the rose leaves got real bad spray burn effects, so they really look awful. I hope after cutting them back in mid-September, the new growth that follows will be nice and green again.
Tip of the month -- do not let up on watering. Even if you keep a record of rain fall as I do, our roses still can get very dried out this time of the year. Roses should get a good three inches of water each week. Another suggestion is to get a fall feeding done by mid-September. This will give ample time for granular fertilizer to break down and become available to produce those nice beautiful blooms for the fall. In our case, we try to time this feeding and cutting back to correspond with the fall show dates.
Our VP, Jean Giesel (Program Chairperson) is working on meeting programs and events. You will enjoy the September program. See Jean’s notes in this letter. Many of us know Mark and enjoy his wealth of knowledge and fun programs.
I would like for us GRS members and friends to start bringing in a sample bloom from your garden each month. Let’s tell a little bit about that rose, how you came to grow it, what you like or dislike about it. Perhaps this will help members in selecting new roses for their gardens or pots. Let’s make it fun.
Now is the time to pay our GRS membership dues for the year (2025-2026). Please bring your check, payable to GRS to the 9-14 meeting, or send it by mail if you are not able to make the September meeting. Don’t forget, we now have five Consulting Rosarians for questions. Please utilize their knowledge to help you with your questions and issues. If we don’t know the answer, we will research and get and answer for you.
In the meantime, stay cool and well hydrated.
I hope to see you on the 14th.
