BUTTE ROSE SOCIETY

Our annual MOGT was amazing this year.  Some members remarked how wonderful it was to be back together, without masks, and having a meal together.  It was a balmy 76 degrees.

The photo shows the three organizers, Kathy Brooks, Bonnie Smith, and Denyse Gonzales. However, it was the 61 members who attended and brought the delicious luncheon that enhanced the event. There was a team to bring their conference tables and chairs, another team for food management to keep the buffet arranged correctly, and of course the clean-up team.  And we can’t forget the dozens of small rose bouquets that adorned the tables.

The following were the volunteers who signed up for such tasks: Cindy Hutchins, Rosie Compton, Joanne and Rick Lester, Ron and Kathy Brooks, Al and Denyse Gonzales, Linda Henderson, Loretta Norberry and Gene Petrie, Mary McCormick, Lisa Freeman-Wood, Galand and Bernice Hallowell, Alicia Stewart, Steven Schoonover, Laura Urseny and Gwen Quail.  Freddie Shockley was busy taking photos of the attendees. There were also others who helped make this event memorable. Thank you.

This year Terry and Jean Miller, Jim and Leslie Wood, Russ and Jan Burnham, Carol Mordock, and Romeo Espinoza showed their beautiful gardens.  Bonnie Smith hosted the luncheon in her immense yard that had newly been renovated.  Each of these gracious volunteers wrote a short story about how their garden came into existence to put in Kathy Brooks’ tour booklets.  The driving directions were located on the inside covers.

Our MOGT’s budget was set at $350, but the tour only cost us $188.71. The low expense was caused by having the 61 members help defray the cost of the food.  

Another remarkable memory was that TWELVE newish members were brave enough to come to the tour and mingle with our crowd. They were: Jean Atkins, Celeste and Gratis Cobeen, Rosie Compton, Marilyn Everett, Ann Murphy, Russell and Alisa Rasmussen, Anne Murphy, Annelle Reed, Celeste Reinking, Ryan Wynia, and Freddie Shockley. We love new people!

Each year we have a fantastic tour for our members. This event alone is enough to be worth the membership dues. Maybe you better start thinking about showing your garden next year. We would love to see your garden.  Many thanks to all who participated…...acknowledged here or not. You know you did!  Kathy

HERE IS THE 2022 INVITATION FOR OUR MEMBERS TO COME TO OUR ROSE TOUR. 

Spring IS COMING and our roses will be blooming.  The tour will begin at 9 am at Miller's home and end with a luncheon at Bonnie Smith's garden in Chico. Deadline for the luncheon is April 15, 2022.

Here is the official invitation without the location listed.  Call Kathy Brooks at 530-514-8099 for a complete invitation with the addresses listed. If you are NOT a member of the Butte Rose Society, you can join for $25 /annual dues and come with us on the Members Only Garden Tour. New memberships must be at least one week before the tour.  You will find the BRS application on this website along with Linda Henderson, Membership Chair at that site.  

We have five (large and small) gardens to enjoy. It was be a great time to pick out our favorite roses to buy for our own garden. Photography was welcomed! Booklets (see below for cover) will describe the gardens and will be handed out at the Terry and Jean Miller's home. There were blank pages so you were be able to take informational notes.

   

THE MEMBERS ONLY GARDEN TOUR WAS HELD APRIL 27, 2019 STARTING AT 9 AM. WE HAD 68 MEMBERS JOIN FOR THE TOUR AND LUNCHEON.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND FOR NEXT YEAR. PLEASE SEE THE APPLICATION TAB TO JOIN. 

WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU BE APART OF THE BUTTE ROSE SOCIETY. See the descriptions of the five gardens below.

Call Kathy Brooks at 530-514-8099 or email: macchug@gmail.com for further membership information.

Besides Growing Roses

By Judy Frederick, Master Rosarian

While I certainly wanted to look at roses, stop and smell the roses, and photograph the roses on the recent MOGT (Members Only Garden Tour), I also gleaned from those gardens, other ideas – beyond growing roses.

Garden 1: Bill and Pat Reynolds This was an opportunity to revisit their garden after the removal of about half of their rose collection. Yes, roses like additional air, sun, and room to grow roots. But wait! If you remove a tree, you gain a seating area. What a nice vignette that created.

Garden 2: Sandy and Amber McMahon This garden was the newest and was a fine display of No Lawn to Mow. Neatly labeled roses including “Unknown, wish I knew”. Right up my alley, as I recently renewed my Premium Membership in www.helpmefind.com. I want to identify this medium yellow and fragrant rose!

 Garden 3: Jim and Leslie Wood The Wood’s garden began with a charming mailbox and a backdrop of red hybrid tea roses. The motion of the curved driveway was the framework for a rainbow of roses including ‘New Day’. Not the McMahon’s mystery rose – no fragrance noted. The take-away idea was planting roses in an area rife with oak root fungus. Jim had planted his roses, pot and all, to still have roses against his evergreens and fence. ‘New Zealand’ is shown with the edge of a black nursery pot just above soil level.

Garden 4: Mike and Dona Bertain The Bertain garden had many examples of using structures to support their garden from raised beds for both vegetables and roses, to arbors for vines and roses, and an obelisk to grow a shrub rose with a climbing habit, ‘Lady of Shallot’. I especially liked how ‘Flutterbye’ was grown with a vine on an arch to frame the view to the backyard swimming pool.

Garden 5: Linda Henderson This was my first time to see the Henderson garden. I loved the shade bed with the Wishing Well and really beautiful hosta and abutilon specimens. There were sweet peas on a free-standing trellis as well as boysenberries and evergreen clematis on similar trellis supports, and walk-on ground cover called Creeping Jenny. The horsetail was corralled in a container and showed me that it grows like bamboo. This week I moved my new horsetail plant, Equisetum hyemale, from the ground to a container before it can become invasive. I still want to grow it for flower arrangements.

My vote for best “stop and smell rose” was ‘Sugar Moon’ seen in several gardens. Second “most fragrant’ was another white hybrid tea, ‘Pope John Paul II’.

 LAST YEAR'S: 2018 MEMBERS ONLY ROSE GARDEN TOUR

This year's garden tour was held on April 28, 2018 starting at 9 am.  There were five interesting gardens planned for the event, as well as a potluck luncheon at the end of the tour. This handout was out with the description of all five gardens.There was no charge for current members, but you must be a member if you wish to attend the tour.  See above tab: 'Application' to join our fun event.

SUMMARY:  Well, we didn’t have rain after all for the Members Only Garden tour this month.  Just cool breezes.  Or would you call it downright wind?  Everyone seemed to enjoy the variety of gardens.  It was an informal atmosphere with members visiting with each other as they stopped and smelled the roses. Pammi and Bir started the garden tour with special treats and coffee.  Pammi planted their massive garden from bare dirt just a few years ago.  Mark and Debbie had lots of yard art to stimulate the senses! There were many changes from the last time they were on the rose tour. Julie had her son and friend help guide us through her interesting/full garden. Alicia and Bill had a serene, lovely garden with lots of roses.  And of course, John Winfield was a trooper! He had his huge yard/garden all spiffy for us where we enjoyed the luncheon.  A HUGE thank you for all these members who worked long hours to prepare for the rose tour.  We couldn’t do it without you! 

Another thank you…a BIG thank you to Rick, who cooked the amazing tri-tip steak for our main dish.  I had lots of help at the luncheon, too many to name, but it makes putting on a luncheon easier when so many participate.  Special kudos to Linda Henderson, my co-chair and Joanne Lester, who always was nearby to help!  Another year, another successful Members Only Garden Tour.

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR PICTURES YOU TOOK ON THIS TOUR AND I WILL PUT THEM IN THE PHOTO GALLERY.

Call Kathy Brooks, MOGT Chair, for more information 530-514-8099 on how you can help next Spring.  Maybe you will be brave and volunteer your garden to be on the tour???

LAST YEAR'S MEMORIES:  2017 MEMBERS ONLY ROSE GARDEN TOUR

This year’s Members Only Garden tour was a huge success.  There were 69 members who attended the five gardens. A big thank you to Linda Henderson, Jan Burnham, Marion Ware, Jane Etz, and of course George Augustine for volunteering their gardens.  Their families/friends are also to be congratulated for enduring the pressure/stress/expense of making their gardens presentable for the tour.

The winter rains created spectacular gardens with happy blooming roses.  It was an incredible experience for all.  With the welcoming invitations, the detailed gardens stories in the hand out booklets, and the gardens themselves, all those members who attended had a rewarding experience on that ‘perfect weather’ Saturday.

The food was plentiful and delicious at the luncheon.  Thank you for all those who participated.  The Beverage Man came through again with his rich coffee and famous sour tart punch. Neva brought two huge bouquets for the food tables, and Ann, Alicia, Joanne, and Kathy brought the 16 small bouquets for the other tables.  All the tour expenses came under budget.

George and Monika worked hard the day before to set up, so they were relieved they had the help of the 10-member clean-up committee.  Ann & Joe Wright have to be commended for being new members who signed up to help take down George’s 14 tables and 65 chairs.  It takes many people to put on an event like MOGT.  Thank you for your willingness.  If you didn’t attend, don’t miss out next year!

PHOTOS ARE IN THE PHOTO GALLERY........See last TAB at the top.

Only members and no guests will be allowed to attend.  Please see the Application Page on this website to join our local rose society NEXT YEAR!  All are welcomed to join!!

Click on the Application tab above on this website page, print out the application, and mail it to our BRS post office box. O

Please make check payable to BRS and mail to:    

Butte Rose Society 

Attn: Membership

PO Box 8888

Chico, CA  95927

2016 MEMBERS ONLY ROSE GARDEN TOUR

The Butte Rose Society's Members Only Rose Garden Tour for 2016 was held on May 14, 2016. 

Spring was in the air and our roses were still blooming.  The roses were in full bloom just in time for May 14th’s Member’s Only Rose Tour!  The tour began at 9 am and end with a potluck luncheon at Mike and Dona Bertain's garden in Durham.

We had five (big and small) gardens to enjoy. It was be a great time to pick out our favorite roses to buy for our own garden. Photography was welcomed! Booklets (see below's cover) describing the gardens were handed out at the first home. There were blank pages so you were be able to take informational notes.

If you took pictures of the tour, please send the photos to Kathy Brooks at chicopair@comcast.net.  She will add them to this website.

2015 MEMBERS ONLY ROSE GARDEN TOUR

The Butte Rose Society's Members Only Rose Garden Tour for 2015 was be held on May 9, 2015. There were five beautiful gardens to enjoy. Nancy McBeen was the Members Only Rose Garden Tour's Chairperson this year.  Here are some photos taken at the MORGT gardens.

MEMBERS ONLY ROSE GARDEN TOUR

Standing Rules

(Approved February 13, 2012)

1.  The Members Only Rose Garden Tour is one of the most popular events that is put on by the Butte Rose Society each year.  The purpose of the Members Only Rose Garden Tour (MORGT) is to provide an opportunity for members to share their rose gardens with other Butte Rose Society (BRS) members.  The event would also provide an opportunity for members to have a chance to socialize and get to know one another better.  The event would be free to BRS members.

2.  It is not the intention to ever have the rose tour become a competitive function nor a white glove garden party type of event.  It should be casual and fun!

3.  Participation in the MORGT is limited to current BRS members only.  NO GUESTS are allowed.  Anyone wanting to take part in the tour must be a currently paid up member.  This ruling should be strictly enforced by the Committee Chair and the Committee.  Guests would be charged $20.00 to join the society and payment must be made in advance by contacting the Membership Director.  A list of tour attendees shall be submitted to the Membership Director prior to the event to verify that all participants are current members of BRS.

4.  Members only shall be allowed to have their rose gardens on tour - in part because of insurance requirements.

5.  Garden Selection - Gardens selected should use roses in some area of the landscape.  Determine the number of gardens to be included on the tour based on the number of roses at each location and the distance between the various gardens.  5 to 6 gardens should be selected depending on the above mentioned factors.  Selection shall be non-political.  Remember that not everyone can afford to live in a professionally cared-for landscaped mansion, so it would also be good to have smaller rose gardens included on the tour with practical ideas on growing roses that could be used by the ordinary rose enthusiast in his/her own yard.  

6.  No rose garden shall be on the tour for two years in a row.  There should be at least a one year break in between.  The tour needs to be kept fresh and interesting by having new gardens showcased every year.

7.  Selection of rose gardens shall be handled by the tour committee.  Members can be encouraged to volunteer their garden.  It is strongly suggested that the committee offer personal invitations to members whose rose gardens they would like to see on the tour.  Most people are shy regarding this matter and have the idea that their garden would not be worthy of being on the tour.  They must be encouraged.  The Committee is encouraged to tour all of the potential rose gardens before the final selection is made.

8.  It is suggested that the tour be held during the morning hours during the spring and followed by a free BBQ/Potluck lunch for attendees around noon or 1 p.m.  Depending on availability of funds, meat for the BBQ and beverages would be provided by the Society with members furnishing the salads and desserts, etc.  The committee could be creative in their approach to planning a gathering at the conclusion of the tour.

9.  The site selected for the BBQ/Potluck would ideally be the last rose garden on the tour.  There should be sufficient areas of shade (trees, patio or deck covering, etc.) to provide attendees with some relief from the sun.  Attendees can be asked to bring their own chairs.

11.  It is suggested that the Committee ask each garden owner to write a short description about their garden to be included in a tour booklet.

12.  At the conclusion of each garden tour, the committee should have a final meeting at which time suggestions for future tours can be discussed as well as a critique of the just completed event.  Afterwards the committee chair must complete a written final report for the Board of Directors of BRS.  A copy of the final report along with all other pertinent information regarding the recently completed event should be added to the binder for the use of future committees. 

The Butte Rose Society's Members Only Rose Garden Tour for 2014 was held on May 17, 2014. 

Due to the drought, we were thrilled to have ANY roses.

1.  First Garden: Burnhams:

2.  Second Garden: Fraziers:

3. Third Garden: Warren

4.  Fourth Garden: Woods

5.  Fifth Garden: Wright

Spring is in the air and the roses are all starting bud out.  The roses will be in full bloom just in time for May 17th’s Member’s Only Rose Tour!  The tour will begin at 9 am and end with a potluck luncheon at noon.  We have five (big and small) gardens to enjoy. It will be a great time to pick out your favorite roses to buy for your garden. Photography is welcomed! Booklets describing the gardens will be handed out at the first home.  There will be blank pages so you will be able to take informational notes.

At the February, March, & April's general meetings, be sure to sign up that you will be attending the rose tour.  The deadline for the tour will be May 12th. 

If you aren't a member yet, this is a perfect time to join.  Annual membership dues are only $25 for your household.  Don’t delay.  Treat a friend to a membership and invite them to come along with you on the tour.   See our Application tab on this website to fill out a membership application. 

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