The Presidents Corner

THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER
By Joan Stoffer
It is that time of the year when we meet again for our annual Rosarian picnic which will take place on Tuesday July 19 at 6:00 pm. There is a bit of a change this year so take note: we are giving Jan and Dan Powell some much needed respite from their usual position as hosts, and the annual event will be held at my home, 2205 7th St. NW. Directions for those of you who have not been here are to take Covell Rd. which runs between Leonard NW and Lake Michigan Dr. NW. 7th St. runs off Covell about ½ mile from either Leonard or Lk. Michigan Dr. and is West off Covell Rd. about 2 city blocks. If you get lost use your Cell, my phone # is 453-0102 and I’ll send rescue to escort you.
We are planning a potluck, so please bring a dish to pass – we usually have around 20 people. Beverages, dessert, and chicken will be provided. We will begin eating by 6:15 to get ahead of the mosquitoes as I live in a “woodsy” area. For those of you acquainted with my two beastly Chihuahuas, I will try to jail them for the evening so you need not fear getting chewed up.
My gardens are not looking their best, having lost my daughter-helper to a broken ankle this year. Her husband then became my favorite son-in-law (he is my ONLY son-in-law) when he pitched in to spread 14 yards of mulch. On July 4th he took a fall and sprained his foot which has left me all alone in my little acre of weeds. But friends always overlook those imperfections so I know you will all come over and have a good time. Hope to see everybody! Please call me by July 16, so we know you plan to come!

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GVRS Spring Show Results 6/18/11

G. V. R S. Spring Show
June 18, 2011
At Meijer Gardens.
Horticulture
Class 1: Master Collection
Bill & Irma Blok
Class 2: Triple Collection:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 5: Komar Challenge:
Suffolk: B. & I. Blok.
Class 6: Floribunda Trio:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 7: Broersma Challenge:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 9: Hi-Lo Challenge:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 10: English Box :H.T.
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 11: English Box: OGR/Shrub:
Jan Powell.
Class 12: English Box: OGR/Shrub/Same.
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 13: Rose In A Frame:
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 14: Floribunda Artist’s Palette.
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 15: OGR/Shrub Artist’s Palette:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 16: Bouquet Bowl:
Karen Fitz Labarge.
Class 20: Mini Master Challenge:
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 21: Mini Rose Collection:
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 22: Mini Rose Collection (sprays):
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 23: Mini American Heritage:
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 24: Mini Cycle of Bloom:
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 25: The Konrad Veit Challenge:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 27: Mini English Box- Same
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 28: The American Box:
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 29A: Mini Artist Palette: Open:
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 29B: Mini Artist Palette: Exhib.
Harlan & Kay Schumaker:
Also Best Palette.
Class 35: One Bloom Hybrid Teas:
Queen: Gemini
King: Color Magic.
Princess: Veteran’s Honor.
Court: Andria Stelzer, Olympiad, King of Hearts, & Cajun Sunrise.
All by Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 36: Single Hybrid Tea:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 37: Hybrid Tea Sprays:
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 38: Grandiflora Sprays:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 39: Fully Open Hybrid Tea:
Joan Stoffer.
Class 40: One Bloom Floribunda:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 41: Floribunda Sprays:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 42: Polyantha Sprays
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 43: Climbers:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 44: OGR, Dowager:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 45: OGR: Victorian:
Jon & Lois Wier
Class 46: Modern Shrubs:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 47: Classic Shrubs:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 48: Species:
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 49: 1- Bloom Mini’s Exhib.
Queen: Soroptimist Int.
Jon & Lois Wier.
King: Fancy That:
Princess: Sweet Melody.
Court: Erin Alonso, & Pierrine, by
H. & K. Schumaker.
Court: Fairhope, & Miss Flippins by
Jon & Lois Wier.
Class 50: 1-Bloom Minifloras-Exhib.
Queen: Double Take:
King: Tiffany Lynn
Princess: Butter Cream
Court: Luscious Lucy, Flawless, Star Ship, and Power Point.
All by Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 51: 1-Bloom Mini Singles
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 52: Single Mini Sprays & Best Miniature Spray.
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 53: Mini Sprays- 12+ petals
Baby Boomer
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 54: Miniflora Sprays
Bill & Irma Blok.
Class 55: Fully Open Miniature:
John & Rose Kelbel.
Class 67: Rose Bowl- Exhibition
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 68: Rose Bowl-Open:
Jan Powell.
Class 69: Brandy Snifter
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 71: Mini Rose Bowl-Exhib.
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 72: Mini Rose Bowl-Open
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 73: Miniflora Rose Bowl
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 75: Mini/Miniflora Brandy Snifter:
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 76: Boutonniere:
Art & Joan Wiley.
Class 78: Mini End of Trail
Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Class 87: Best Judges Award
Thomas Conklin.
Best of Show: Lavaglut: Bill & Irma Blok.
Best Red (H.T) Veteran’s Honor:
Bill & Irma Blok.
Hort. Sweepstakes:
Large: Bill & Irma Blok
Small: Harlan & Kay Schumaker.
Arrangements
Joan Wiley: ARS Royalty, ARS Duchess, ARS Silver, ARS Bronze, ARS Mini Gold, ARS Mini Silver, ARS Mini Royalty, ARS Mini Duchess, and Large and Mini Arrangement Sweepstakes.
Rose Enders: ARS Oriental, ARS Artist, and ARS Gold.
Irma Blok: ARS Mini Bronze, and ARS Mini Princess.

What a Rose Show!

What A Rose Show!
Despite the slow start to our rose growing season, our gardens still provided a rich supply of rose beauty for our June 18-19 Spring Show at Meijer Gardens. Although our late blooming roses, such as Touch of Class, Folklore, Moonstone, and Mavrik, missed our show by a few days, we did have plenty of other roses. The exception may have been in the miniature roses, where we were down in numbers, due to the absence of the Otters, and the decision by the Bloks to concentrate on entering the larger roses.
The sweep of all 7 award positions in the Queen of Show competition by your Editors, was especially unusual. Previously we have swept all three Royalty positions (Queen, King, & Princess), but I am not sure we have ever won all 4 Court positions too.
The fact that we were able to sweep the Queen competition, together with most of the hybrid tea challenge classes, shows we had lots of good hybrid tea roses. We also did well with the floribundas, winning the 1-bloom, the Spray, and the Floribunda Trio classes. Our Lavaglut spray was also chosen as the “Best of Show”.
Due to our distraction with the larger roses, most of our potential miniature and miniflora entries stayed in our cooler, but we did enter 2 miniature sprays, and one miniflora spray. The result was that we won both the Best Miniature (12+ petals), and the Best Miniflora Sprays.
Harlan & Kay Schumaker were strong again in the miniature rose class, and sweeping all positions in the Miniflora Queen competition. The also won the Sweepstakes Award for the smaller roses.
Jon Wier won the Mini Queen, and dominated the OGR and Shrub classes. He also scored in a number of miniature challenge classes.
The Wileys won in their usual Hot Tamale box classes, the Boutonniere, and in various bowl classes. Just to keep in practice, they also swept in to capture the Hybrid Tea Spray. Joan Wiley simply dominated the Arrangement section of our show.
Thanks also to Karen Fitz Labarge, Joan Stoffer, John and Rosemary Kelbel, and Jan Powell. You all contributed by taking part as exhibitors, and although you did not win many, we hope it was a learning experience that will lead to more success in days to come. You added to the quality of our show!
Thanks also to all of you who found time to help with our show. Thanks especially to Harlan & Kay Schumaker for all the hours you donated to keep our Hospitality and Sales going during our show.
Our rose sales were also a success in that we sold out all the remaining Nor’East roses. Since we had an above average inventory left at show time, we priced them more realistically, and they sold out. Hooray!

National Champions!

National Champions
In the weekend following our Spring Rose Show, Harlan and Kay Schumaker traveled to New York to compete in the National All Miniature Rose Show. For the second time in two years, the Schumakers won the National Hall of Fame Challenge Class with 5 different Hall of Fame miniature roses. They also won Mini King with Soroptimist International, placed a miniature in the Court, and won a National Bowl event.
Good work, guys!

The Washout

The Washout
Although I have said that in about 25 years of going to Rose Garden Tours, I can’t remember one that was a complete washout because of rain, I can’t say that anymore. Of course all but the last 2 years of tours were in July or August, a dryer part of the summer.
Our tour started 10 or 15 minutes early, when Harlan and Kay arrived. They were soon joined by another couple from our church when an event there was canceled because of storm warnings. We had about 15 minutes to look around before the storm hit. That gave Harlan some time to take some pictures before the rain arrived. You may get to see some of those pictures later in one of Harlan’s excellent programs.
After sitting out the main part of the storm at our house, both the Schumakers and the Bloks drove up to the Vander Male’s. We were joined there by the Powell’s. After a short walk through their rain soaked garden, the 8 of us spent an hour or so of fellowship, and enjoyed the refreshment in their garage.

THEY are here!

Editor’s Notes:
They are here! We saw our first Japanese beetle in our garden on July 1. Now, a week later, they are plentiful. Any hope we would be skipped by the beetles this year has passed us by. They also seem especially fond of Irma Jean, especially of her leaves. Her bush in our front yard seems to be the fuel up place for newly arriving beetles, since her leaves are really in taters. We only hope the beetles will cycle out early this year.