Join us at our Monthly Meetings and Events
The Nashville Rose Society serves all of Middle Tennessee by sharing knowledge and information about our national flower, the rose. Through a monthly newsletter and meetings that feature regional and nationally recognized speakers, we bring you advice and instruction geared to growing roses in the specific soil and climatic conditions of this area. For all scheduled Meetings & Events, click here.
NRS moves Rose Study Garden to make way for the new Cheekwood Parking Pavilion
by Liz Louie, Co-President, Nashville Rose Society
As a result, the two rose beds that comprise the rose study garden needed a new location. Earlier in the year, Cheekwood reached out to inform the Nashville Rose Society (NRS) about the plans for the new Parking Pavilion and Welcome Plaza. Jane MacLeod, Cheekwood’s President and CEO, came to the September NRS meeting to present an informative history of Cheekwood and discuss the new plans for the Parking Pavilion.
The new location for the Rose Study Garden will be three smaller beds behind Massey Hall. However, the area is not new to roses, as there was a time in Cheekwood’s history when roses grew there. It is a beautiful, serene spot with benches that overlook the distant Bevins Japanese Garden.
Continue reading / see slideshow here.
Sandra Frank awarded 2025 Bronze Honor Medal at NRS Holiday Party
NRS Members and their guests enjoyed a banquet of holiday food, including yummy desserts. Gene Meyer gave us a new insight on how to look at our gardens and to choose new roses. If you have trouble getting help in the Kroger meat department, call Gene and he can talk you through how to help yourself (as he recently had to do).
The highlight of the celebration was for Co-President Janie Hagan to present the 2025 Bronze Honor Medal to Sandra Frank. Sandra is a long-time member of the Nashville Rose Society, including serving as 2009 President. Sandra is a team player and is the first to show up whenever anything needs to be done. She makes certificates for the Nashville rose shows and works in the Cheekwood Rose Study Garden. She is a volunteer for Cheekwood and is a member of both the Herb and Perennial Societies. She is very deserving of this medal. Congratulations, Sandra!
Upcoming Meeting and Events
The 2025 meetings of the Nashville Rose Society will be held at the Cheekwood Estate and Gardens or at the Ed Jones Auditorium in the Ellington Agriculture Center. The meeting location, dates and times are shown on the Meetings & Events page of the website.
The Cheekwood Estate and Gardens is located at 1200 Forrest Park Dr, Nashville, Tennessee 37205. The meetings are free to guests, as is admission to Cheekwood for meetings. Simply tell the gate attendant that you are there for the Nashville Rose Society meeting.
The Ed Jones Auditorium at Ellington Agriculture Center is located at 416 Hogan Rd, Nashville, TN 37220. More information on how to find the Ed Jones Auditorium, click here .
In a week that has sent ripples through the rose community, the American Rose Society and the American Rose Center announced that they will move forward as two independent organizations. The news has sparked curiosity, concern, and plenty of questions about how this decision came to be, and what it means for the future of both institutions.
To bring clarity to this pivotal moment, Teresa Byington of the Rose Chat Podcast sits down with two leaders at the heart of the transition: Marilyn Wellan, Chairwoman of the American Rose Center, and Carrie Berg, Vice President of the American Rose Society. Together, they offer a candid and deeply informative conversation about the origins of the separation, the motivations behind it, and the long‑term vision guiding each organization as they step into a new chapter.
Listeners will gain insight into:
* How the transition will affect members, volunteers, and visitors
* The strategic goals each organization hopes to pursue independently
* What this means for the broader rose‑growing community
This episode is thoughtful, transparent, and full of the kind of context that helps everyone—from longtime ARS members to casual rose lovers—understand the road ahead. It’s an essential listen for anyone invested in the future of America’s rose heritage.
Click here to listen.