This Sunday, January 14 from 11am to 1pm Mr. Ed will conduct our annual “hands-on” rose pruning seminar at Red Morton Community Park, 1400 Roosevelt Ave., Redwood City. Come prepared to prune roses. Bring your pruning shears and gloves because you will practice what you learn! If it rains, wear rain gear and water-resistant shoes. Mr. Ed will demonstrate pruning hybrid tea, floribunda, shrub and tree roses. He will also outline fertilizing and spray schedules. There will be instructional handouts to take with you.

Dress weather appropriately for both events as they are outdoors. We will serve light refreshments at both events and there is of course no cost.

Plan to come to this informative demonstration!

Wegman’s has been chosen to receive a limited supply of the Jackson & Perkins John Paul II commemorative rose. The John Paul II rose, a 2007 rose, is available only in limited quantities.

This rose is a magnificent flowering tribute to one of the world's most beloved leaders. This elegant rose now grows in the Vatican private garden, and you can enjoy it in your garden, too! Among the finest white roses ever, the Pope John Paul II rose produces pure, luminous white, lavishly petaled blossoms with a delightful, fresh citrus fragrance. This exceptional new hybrid tea has received top ratings for vigorous growth, disease resistance and perfect bloom form.

There are 2 opportunities for you win one of these prized Pope John Paul Roses!

Come to the Rose Pruning Demonstration this Sunday at Red Morton Community Center and receive a ‘raffle ticket.’ The raffle ticket is placed in the jar at the Nursery and we will choose a winner on the morning of Tuesday, January 16 and announce the name in our newsletter next week. You can receive a second ‘raffle ticket’ by purchasing something at the nursery after the demonstration or on Monday, January 15.

Moondance
As ethereal and lovely as its name implies, Moondance is a floribunda characterized by large trusses of creamy white, beautifully formed flowers contrasted by very glossy dark green foliage. Upright and well branched, it is an extremely vigorous and tall plant with stems that are typically 14-18 inches long. Rose buds are pointed and oval-shaped, leading to high-centered flowers which open flat to about 3½ -inches in diameter and consist of approximately 25 petals each.
Moondance has an exceptionally delightful spicy fragrance for a white floribunda. In addition, its impressive long stems can also be arranged into an elegant bouquet for displaying in the home. Moondance is highly resistant to black spot, mildew and rust.

Moondance is hybridized by Keith Zary and introduced by Jackson & Perkins of Medford, Ore.

Strike it Rich
A modern version of the classic 1950 AARS award-winner Sutter's Gold, Strike It Rich resembles its famous ancestor with strong spicy fragrance and elegant buds of deep golden-yellow swirled with ruby red. Yet this contemporary cousin is much easier to grow because of its great disease-resistance and strong natural vigor. This true grandiflora bears loads of long-stemmed blossoms offset by very dark green leaves and unusual deep red stems.
A medium-tall upright bush, Strike It Rich boasts clusters of voluptuous double and informal flowers that are up to 5-inches in diameter with approximately 30 petals each. The flowers are long-lived and retain their blend of gold, orange and red tones to the very end. The blooms are stunning in a bouquet or in the landscape.

Strike It Rich is hybridized by Tom Carruth and introduced by Weeks Roses of Upland, CA.

For Friday through Monday nights the prediction is for very cold nights—with Friday night predicted at a low of 26° and then warming to 32° by Monday! With this mind take some time to take care of your plants!

A number of products available at the Nursery to protect your plants during this frost season.

Cloud Cover is an anti-transpirant which will place a protective coating on the leaves of your fruit trees and other tender plants to keep them from losing water and protecting them from frost.

Frost Cover - A shower cap for plants! It retains warmth and is ideal for potted plants, pot groupings, window boxes and in-ground plants. Available in a variety of sizes from $11.99.

Trivia Question: What two trees are also herbs?

Question, answer, and winner from December 14th edition:

Question: Is rice a grass or a grain?

Answer: Rice is a grass -- a type of aquatic cereal grass.

Winner: Maneesh Jain