Calendar of Events
2026 WJRS Calendar of Events
In-person meetings are held on the 3rd Saturday of the month at the Maple Shade Municipal building, 200 Stiles Ave. Maple Shade, NJ 08052 in the Senior’s room, 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Virtual meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, starting at 7:00 pm.
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(Click Here for Penn-Jersey District Calendar of Events)
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2026 PROGRAMS FOR WEST JERSEY ROSE SOCIETY
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WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2026- VIRTUAL MEETING AT 7:00 PM. GOTOMEETING VIRTUAL
MEETING AT 7 PM
An invitation will be emailed with the link and invitation. Gaye Hammond “Fertilizer: Right Time, Right
Reason, Right Product” is NOT the typical ARS program given to CRs on plant nutrition. It is a look at the historical development of fertilizers; types of fertilizers on the market, how environmental factors affect the plant’s ability to use fertilizer; when different types of fertilizers are best applied for optimal/economic use; and what can happen to plants with misuse.
Gaye Hammond is the Past President of the Houston Rose Society. She is a life member, of the American Rose Society and currently serves as the Chair of the Membership Committee, a literary judge and has served as the chair of the Development Committee. Since 2002, Gaye has been the study liaison between the Houston Rose Society and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in connection with the Earth-Kind Rose Research Program, a scientific study originally designed to identify the most carefree disease resistant roses for Southern gardens. With the financial and other support that Gaye was able to secure, Earth-Kind Rose Research has expanded to an international level and is perhaps the largest environmental research study on roses conducted in the U.S. Gaye is also one of the founding
directors of the American Rose Trials for Sustainability, a regional scientific trial whose mission is to identify the hardiest modern roses for specific regions of the country. Gaye is an entertaining speaker and an avid writer of more than 300 articles that have been published in local, state, national and international magazines and newspapers.
Friday, February 27, 2026 - Penn-Jersey Mid-Winter Convention on February 27-March 1, 2026.
It will be held in downtown Gettysburg, PA, in the historical Hotel Gettysburg. Please reserve rooms by Feb 6, 2026. Rooms are $125 a night.
More details can be found: https://pennjerseydistrict.org/ under Events.
Saturday, March 14, 2026 – Rose Arrangements, Principles of Design.
A virtual discussion with Catherine Button.
Saturday, March 21, 2026 – WJRS Annual Business meeting and presentation on Pruning.
In person meeting at Maple Shade Municipal building. Annual business meeting (1pm-2pm) will be held with updates on WJRS board, finances, membership, and calendar of events. All members should make an effort to attend.
Pruning Roses for Beautiful Blooms: 2:00 pm -3:30 pm Presentation and questions
- Experienced members will discuss their best practices in pruning roses across their garden beds. March is the time when roses are breaking their dormancy and buds are starting to swell with some roses showing their first leaves. This is the time to clean the beds and prune modern roses, such as hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, and miniature roses. Old Garden
Roses are also included in this discussion.
Presenters: Two experienced rose growers: Ken Borrmann and Terry Palise.
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Saturday, April 11, 2026 Arrangers Workshop 1:00pm – 3:30pm at Maple Shade Municipal Building
200 Stiles Ave, Maple Shade, NJ 08052
Please join us for a hands-on arrangement workshop to make a traditional line design.
Saturday, April 18, 2026 – Business meeting and presentation on Planting. Business meeting 1-2pm.
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Basic Steps for Planting and Maintenance of Your Rose Garden with Tips for Companion Plants 2:00 pm -3:30 pm presentation and questions.
This presentation will feature the basic steps needed to plant new roses, and to maintain your established roses by using fertilizers, natural mulch, fungicides, and making sure your roses are properly watered. At the same time your roses are growing, there are many companion plants that are beneficial both in design to support your display and other companion plants that can deter insects away from the roses: Alliums, Garlic Chives, Yarrow and other perennials such as: Nepeta, Salvia, Russian Sage, Lavender, Narcissus and Lilies.
Presenters: Two experienced rose growers: Henry Jansma and Iliana Okum.
Recommended reading and online resources for members on rose planting and maintenance:
A Year of Roses. Stephen Scanniello, Cool Springs Press, 2006;
Rose Companions. Stephen Scanniello. Cool Springs Press, 2005;
Growing Beautiful Roses. (Organic Roses) Barbara Wilde. RODALE Press 2003;
Online: www.rose.org for articles and resources from the American Rose Society.
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Saturday, May 16, 2026 – Business meeting and presentation on rose show class preparation.
Business meeting 1-2pm.
Preparing Rose Challenge Classes and Design Classes for the June Rose Show 2:00 pm -3:30
pm presentation and questions. To encourage all members to share their roses by exhibiting
them in the June Show, this program will provide two opportunities to learn more about
Challenge Classes and Design Classes.
Presenters: Two experienced and award-winning exhibitors: Bill Kozemchak, on preparing
Challenge Classes, and Cathy Button on preparing rose arrangements in various design
classes.
Saturday, June 13, 2026
71st WEST JERSEY ROSE SOCIETY ROSE SHOW
1 TO 4 PM, MAPLE SHADE MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 200 STILES AVENUE, MAPLE SHADE, NJ 08052​
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