Welcome
Who We Are
FORT VANCOUVER ROSE SOCIETY CELEBRATES 70 YEARS OF SPECTACULAR ROSES!
We are the rose society in Vancouver, Washington, established in 1953, and a proud member of the American Rose Society (ARS). Join us at our next general meeting and let's talk roses! Our General Membership Meetings are 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, February through June,
and September through December.
In July of 1953, the Fort Vancouver Rose Society was founded through the inspirational efforts of Helene Schoen, Judge Eugene Cushing, Florence Talbot and Bob Broeren. The society consisted of 133 charter members.
The Fort Vancouver Rose Society encourages the interest in and the cultivation of the rose. It is affiliated with the American Rose Society and endeavors to spread the love of the rose whenever and wherever possible.
The Fort Vancouver Rose Society is very active throughout the community and is open to all who wish to grow in their understanding and enjoyment of the rose. Our present public service and educational activities include planting, pruning and caring for the roses each year at the Esther Short Park Rose Garden and the Covington House Rose Garden. Additionally, the Fort Vancouver Rose Society provides consulting services at the O.O. Howard House Heritage Rose Garden.
The society also holds public rose pruning demonstrations (rose care seminars) each spring and an annual rose show. The show attracts exhibitors and visitors from the Pacific Northwest.
The first meeting of 2023--OUR 70TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR--was Thursday, February 2, with featured speaker Dr. Charold Baer on "Hazards in the Garden." Next the society held its annual rose show fundraiser at the General Membership meeting on Thursday, March 2. We raised nearly $1,755 with the auction of 35 donated roses. Thanks to all the donors! In April, our April 6 meeting was postponed to April 20 due to Holy Week observances at our meeting venue. We enjoyed an excellent member and guest turnout on the 20th, our guest speaker Master Rosarian Gretchen Humphrey and a fun silent auction sale of vintage FVRS apparel.
The May 4 meeting of the Society was a whirlwind! So much happening and so much fun for everyone. The FVRS Board hosted an Ice Cream Social and, while enjoying ice cream, those in attendance placed bids in a well-organized Silent Auction of 47 generously donated items--an exciting mix of artwork; vases; Mason bee houses; floral-themed books, frames, crafts, and trinket boxes; a Lenox piece; a basket of mystery books; and much more. There were a number of truly remarkable items donated for the auction, including a handmade garden bench, a large handmade planter box and large framed art pieces. And, while all of that was happening, there was a sale of FVRS apparel taking place, garden tool sharpening and garden soil testing for pH levels.
Our June 1 meeting was an excellent review of "everything you need to know" regarding preparing to exhibit roses at our 68th Annual Rose Show, June 24, in the gymnasium at the First Evangelical Church, 4120 NE St. Johns Road in Vancouver.
We're now into full summer growing season and the months of July and August are meeting-free for the General Membership. We enjoyed a marvelous summer 2023 Garden Tour on Sunday, July 23. Thank you to our four rose garden tour hosts and everyone who helped organize the tour and provided food for the tour meal.
Our September 7th meeting was a wonderful "welcome back" gathering from the summer break. It was also a celebration of our 70th anniversary with cake and a toast to another 70th years! The evening's activities also included our annual in-house rose show and a special Taco Bar, enjoyed by all.
FVRS members and guests enjoyed the presentation of featured speaker Deborah Erickson, Ph.D., at the October 5 meeting. Dr. Erickson spoke on how to grow roses in pots, explaining the different types of containers, suggestions on how to plant top-grade roses in containers, watering tips and winter protection. She also showed an entertaining video that demonstrated how motion detectors worked in her garden to discourage and keep away plant predators (deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc.). Dr. Erickson has been growing roses for 30+ years, starting with tree roses in pots. She has won multiple horticultural and arrangement trophies and has served as past president of the Olympia Rose Society. Dr. Erickson is an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian, Horticulture Judge, Arrangement Judge and the America Rose Society-Pacific Northwest District Webmaster.
FVRS membership and guests enjoyed another guest speaker at the General Membership meeting on November 9. Ryan Tilley, our guest speaker that evening, is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian, Master Gardener, former Greater Atlanta Rose Society President and Vice President. In Atlanta, Ryan's personal rose garden included over 300 rose bushes and was featured on the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Connoisseur Tour and at both ARS National Rose Shows and conventions held in Atlanta, Georgia. Ryan and his wife Wendy moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2018 where he now tends his garden of approximately 250 roses. Ryan continues to receive accolades about his garden and even recently received the coveted "Queen of Show" award for his Neptune hybrid tea rose at the Portland Rose Society 2022 Rose Show. Ryan writes a newsletter, turned magazine, called The Crazed Rosarian. His "Meterology 101 for Rosarians" presentation was well received. It was everything you wanted to know about dew point, and then some!
Our last meeting of the year was our annual dinner meeting on Thursday, December 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Old Spaghetti Factory. An enjoyable evening of visiting and a delicious meal was enjoyed, and the 2024 duly-elected FVRS Board officers and members-at-large were installed.
The society will hold its first meeting of 2024 on Thursday, February 1, 7 p.m. at St. Luke's-San Lucas Episcopal Church in Vancouver. We're looking forward to our 71st year of bringing rose enthusiasts together!
LOCATION OF MEETINGS
St. Luke's-San Lucas Episcopal Church
426 E. Fourth Plain Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98663
Directions to St. Luke’s ~ San Lucas Episcopal Church: St. Luke’s is west of I-5 on Fourth Plain Boulevard, just 1.3 miles north of the Columbia River. Our parking lot is reached from Fourth Plain Boulevard by driving north on “F” Street and then driving west on East 27th Street. The lot is posted. There is no parking on Fourth Plain.
I-5 Southbound Directions Take exit 1D, keeping right onto Fourth Plain Blvd Westbound, Turn right at the first light onto “F” Street, Turn left at the first intersection onto 27th Street and into our parking lot.
I-5 Northbound Directions Take exit 1C/1D keeping left and following the signs to Fourth Plain Blvd, Turn left onto Fourth Plain Blvd. Westbound, Turn right at the second light onto “F” Street, Turn left at the first intersection onto 27th Street and into our parking lot.
For additional information, contact FVRS representative (see our Contact page).
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