President’s Pruning - October 2026

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: October 2026

A TRIUMPHANT FIRST SHOW AT THE CAROLINA CLASSIC FAIR

Welcome to October, everyone! October in North Carolina is truly one of the finest months of the year to be a rosarian. As the lingering heat of late summer finally gives way to crisp morning air and cooler evening temperatures, our roses are rewarding us with their long-awaited autumn flush.

Fair season is officially a wrap, and what a season it was! Our two rose shows at the Carolina Classic Fair, held on October 2nd and October 7th, were both a tremendous success. The exhibition room was overflowing with beautiful, high-quality blooms at each show, and we’re so grateful to everyone who exhibited, volunteered, and stopped by.

HANDS-ON LEARNING & VOLUNTEER GRATITUDE

Looking back at our last meeting, I am sure everyone took home a beautiful arrangement thanks to the wonderful guidance and expertise of Sydney Vaden. We are so grateful to Sydney for making the arranging process engaging, educational, and fun for our membership!

An event like our fair shows simply does not happen without that same great team spirit. I want to extend a massive thank you to our many volunteers who gave their time and energy to set up tables, manage entries, clerk, judge, and keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.

In particular, I want to give a special shoutout to Jimmy Speas for his tireless dedication and outstanding leadership in organizing Fall Classic. Jimmy’s hard work ensures our society shines on the fairgrounds every single year, and we are all deeply grateful for everything he does! From all of us, thank you, Jimmy.

LESSONS FROM THE GARDEN: MAINTAINING SPRAY CADENCE

Even as we enjoy the autumn beauty, our gardens continue to teach us valuable lessons. I learned a personal lesson recently about the importance of staying diligent with garden maintenance late in the season. I let my guard down on my spraying cadence for just a couple of weeks, and sure enough, black spot started showing up on some foliage.

With cooler night dews and falling leaves, fungal spores are looking for any opportunity to take hold – and they will find your roses, so, while you should have stopped feeding your bushes now so they can begin naturally hardening off for winter, keeping up with your fungicide spray routine is an absolute must as long as possible. Prevention right now keeps your foliage healthy until true dormancy sets in.

See at the next meeting

 Todd Day
 President, Winston-Salem Rose Society