Wouldn't miss it for the world and can't wait to see you!

Sue

I'm going to try to get up there too, unless we've already moved up (which is beginning to seem likely to be later rather then sooner, given the economic/housing news), in which case I'll for sure be there.

Sue, can you be there on The Day this time? You can come help me sell roses!!!

Jeri

Jeri, I'll be there on The Day, yes. And I'd love to help sell roses, but I'm probably committed to Anita first since she's putting me up the night before. I'm actually planning a humongous road trip of about two weeks, starting with Janet Inada in OR, down to Sacramento for The Day, then on to the Bay area to see Bluesibe and Luanne, pick Marji up at the airport and then on to Hearst Castle. I'll head up to Pamela's garden afterwards and would love to get to San Jose, and go see Joyce Demits in my old stomping grounds of Mendocino. And have to have a good visit with the boys in Petaluma and Carolyn Sanders in Albany. I'm glad I'll get to see you in Sacramento! I'm stopping to spend some time with Barbara Oliva on my way home...it's so hard to leave CA anymore with all the wonderful rose friends I have down there. Wish we could afford to move. I guess the poodles won't know me anymore when I get home. There you go, probably more than you ever wanted to know.

Sue

Sue, it sounds like it will be a marvelous trip. I look forward to seeing you, very likely on more than one of your stops.

Rosefolly

Paula, will the kumquats be ripe in April? Also, I'm growing out some heirloom tomatoes for Tom and will bring them with me. Can't wait to see you!

Sue

Probably. We have kumquats about ten months of the year. I'm not sure when they rest. But I'll pick some for you if you remind me. I keep meaning to make kumquat marmalade but get busy and forget. Tom will be so pleased about the heirloom tomatoes. I'll tell him right away.

We won't have mandarins. They all come ripe at once, and are now all done for the year. We had them last month, Satsumas, so good. Right now we are eating the navel oranges and waiting for the Valencias to come ripe. I think the Valencias are sweeter. I've also been planting table grapes but it will be a couple of years until they start to bear fruit. If you come visit in the middle of summer we will have mulberries, hands down the sweetest fruit I've ever eaten, and on and off the figs. Ooops -- wrong forum, all this is for Fruit and Orchard. Forgive me, rosey friends. I grow bits and pieces of all kinds of things.

I'm so glad that the date for the SJRG open house was moved. This way we can go to the HRF events and see this lovely garden, both.

Rosefolly

Sue, if you are willing to help Jeri sell roses, that would be a wonderful way to help out!
Anita

It would be an honor.

Sue

Michael and I are planning on coming. We'll see you all there.

Sue, if you are willing to help Jeri sell roses, that would be a wonderful way to help out!

*** I like to take a little time off periodically to relax, or take a tour (Judy Eitzens last year was WONDERFUL).
But selling roses is one of the most enjoyable parts of the day, for me.
It's such a wonderful opportunity to introduce people to these roses.
And it's wonderful to see how unimportant a registered name and provenance is to the average gardener.

Jeri

Anita, I am going to miss the open garden by a week! I really wish I had more time in California. It sounds wonderful.

Carol

Thanks! I have written this on my calendar. Cannot wait to see the roses and buy them too.

Jeff

we have marked our calender too! I've been wanting to do this for so long I'm excited we'll finally be able to make it! yea :o) - the girls are going to have so much fun.

Aprille

Carol - and everybody - if you are ever in Sacramento, come by the cemetery, whether or not you are there on "The Day" of Open Garden. And let me know, so I can meet you there if at all possible. There is always something in bloom, and something of interest, even if it's mostly hips and colorful foliage and how the roses are growing. My favorite part of volunteering in the garden is sharing it with others. Looking forward to seeing all of you who can come on Apr 12. I tend to be really busy, but be sure to say "hi."
Anita

Anita--How are the roses doing? Will they be blooming in time for the April 12th Open Garden?
Looking forward to the day!
Joanne

I'm sorry to say that I will be missing this event after all. It turns out that this is one of my busiest Aprils ever. For every event I am going to there is another to which I had to say no. It's a luxury l to have such a richness of experiences available, but greedy me, I wish I could go to them all.

The Sacramento Open Garden is an exceptionally nice event, one I will be sure to return to again and again. But not this year, alas. I look forward to hearing from those who do go. And perhaps, pictures?

Rosefolly

The roses are doing really well, and we will definitely have a good display for the Open Garden. Right now, the banksiae are just about in full flower, and many of the teas and chinas are blooming. It's to be a little bit cooler, so I can't really predict just what will be blooming, but it should be lovely. We're hoping for sunshine, but we'll have the event, rain or shine.

We've updated info about the event on our website. I'll be doing two tours, and the curator, Barbara Oliva, will do another.

Paula, sorry you're going to miss it - and Sue isn't going to make it, either - April is the cruelest month for a California rose person, because you simply can't be everywhere that you'd like to be!
Anita

Here is a link that might be useful: Open Garden Details

It's true what you said about April Anita and May too for that matter then poof it's all over except for the watering.

So how was the Open Garden? I'm back from my trip to Georgia (where I visited dogwoods and azaleas at Calloway Gardens) and I'd love to hear the news and see the pictures.

Rosefolly

I'd love to hear the news and see the pictures too, Paula. I honestly have no idea how the day went! When you are putting on an event, and leading tours, the day goes by much too quickly. I took not a single photo, and hope that folks who did come are willing to share.

I saw Daun, and Michael AT, and several of the Vintage friends, so folks certainly turned out. If Aprille was here, I didn't get to meet her.

From my perspective, it was a great day, although it was quite hot. The roses loved it, and many opened obligingly throughout the day. Many people bought roses, and I think that we are set with enough money in the budget for another year's operations. Heartfelt thanks to everybody who came to help (Jeri and Clay for the great catalog, especially) and everyone who came for a lovely day.

The folks who stayed overnight are planning to meet up tomorrow morning for just a little more time in the cemetery. It's hard to tear away...
Anita

Paula we had a wonderful time. Bella really enjoyed meeting a lot of rose people as well - we took her with us. I took a ton of pictures and am uploading them into an album as we speak - they will be in the antique gallery in a little while if you want to check back. It was my first time there and what an experience it was! Did not know anyone though - but we did run into Luanne on her way out, so we got to say hi which was nice :o)

Anita - I had a question. Would it be ok if I were to post some of the pictures I took of the roses on HMF? I noticed that they don't' have many pictures of some of the roses grown at the Cemetery and though I'd put some on there, specially as I got some whole bush shots as well. You guys do such an amazing job there - I'm really truly in awe of how magnificent the rose are. My favourite was Mutabilis and Fortune's Double Yellow - wow talk about breath-taking!

Aprille

The day was perfect. I especially enjoyed seeing the spring flush at a slightly different stage than in previous years. Certain roses were at their peak, and in the next weeks, other roses will be at their peak. I will probably to go back again to see the rest of the flush. This garden grows roses much closer to their natural sizes than most collections. It is a national treasure. I don't know how to express my appreciation for the hard work of the volunteers who maintain this garden, except to show the beauty of their garden. With apologies to those of you on dial-up, I uploaded a few large images to convey a sense of the extravagance of bloom.

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I have a few more and will start a thread in the Gallery, where I promise faster uploads.

Cass

Thank you Cass for the pictures. The banksias were unbelievable!!! What the lovely picture of Fortunes double yellow does not show you is that the bush was the size of a large SUV.
I looked at the Napoleon china several times but missed the tags so I am happy to now know the name.

Bill and I brought Luanne with us so we timed our arrival for maximum shopping prospects.
I bought Madame Lombard (there were several mature, deeply fragrant bushes to see).
I also bought Cramoise Superiure a nice red china that will love my yard.

Luanne managed to snag 5 roses but I forgot who.

A BIG THANKS to Anita, the crew and all the "working guests from the Pen". Also the weather gods. It was a gorgeous day.

Hi to Aprille & family (including the amazing Bella) and to Cass. It was so nice to see a good sized crowd.

Karen

Cass--Baretta St. Amber is glorious. So are all the other roses, but I have a soft spot for whites with yellow-apricot tinted centers (like Devoniensis). I could not make it there this year for the open garden, but I plan to visit in the next week or so. I hope they will have cuttings of BSA for next year's open garden. I would love that rose!

Thanks for posting the pictures.

Joanne

Aprille, so glad that you made it. I led two tours, and think that was a mistake - didn't have enough time to meet people and mingle.

Anyone who would like to post photos on the Sacrament Historic Rose Garden website is welcome to do so. Cass, Jan and Da Kernel did that a few times already, and we appreciate it.

It's amazing how quickly the roses are opening in this current heat wave. It's going to be hard to be out of town next weekend for Hearst Castle, when the roses are so spectacular here.

I appreciate the thanks. The chance to preserve these roses and share them with others is what it's all about.
Anita

Anita, I'm so glad the weather was perfect and it sounds like everyone had a great time. Cass thanks for your spectacular pictures, oh for a bit more room in my garden.
I hope to be back next year.

Carol

I led two tours, and think that was a mistake - didn't have enough time to meet people and mingle.

* Anita, Clay said he followed one of your tours, with Jacob on a leash, he said he loved it, and you were great!

We're stopped for the night en route home.
Even with two big dogs, you'd be surprised at how good it can smell inside a motorhome with several blooming roses.

Thx for the scones and coffee this a.m. That was a perfect way to wind things up.

Jeri