See best roses of fall at Sierra Foothills show

October is a wonderful time for roses in the Sacramento area, especially in the foothills. As the heat lets up, the blooms come out.

Which is why this is a great week for a rose show; see for yourself at the 60th annual Sierra Foothills Rose Society rose show. Set for Saturday, Oct. 19, the show will be held at Green Acres Nursery & Supply in Roseville.

Anyone who visits the nursery Saturday morning will see a lot of devoted rose folks scurrying around as they prepare blooms for exhibition. The public is invited to enter roses, too.

The show includes divisions for “novice” exhibitors – beginners who have not won more than one blue ribbon or trophy in an accredited rose show. (One of the novice classes comes with a bonus: One-year membership in the club.)

There’s also a “public” section for entries – you don’t even need to know the name of the rose. Just pick your best bloom with as long a stem as possible (up to 24 inches), ideally with four or five sets of leaves above the lip of the vase. (Do not remove the leaves; foliage is part of a rose’s judging score.) It can be a single bloom or a spray (multiple flowers on one stem). Volunteers will help with questions.

But come early; entries must be in place for judging between 7 and 10 a.m.

Otherwise, the show will be open for viewing from 1 to 4:30 p.m. In addition to hundreds of roses, see beautiful arrangements inspired by the show’s theme, “Diamond Celebration.” Admission and parking are free.

Green Acres is located at 7300 Galilee Road, Roseville.

More on Sierra Foothills Rose Society and the show: http://sierrafoothillsrosesociety.org/.