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.
Jeff and Cindy Garrett – Disease Resistant Rose Study
The Nashville Rose Society was honored, once again, to have Jeff and Cindy Garrett as our guest speakers at the August 11, 2024, monthly meeting. In addition to focusing on how to participate in the annual ARS Roses In Review program, Jeff discussed the work that he and Cindy are doing to test and evaluate disease resistant, specifically blackspot, roses in their garden.
Jeff and Cindy moved to their current home on Lake Chickamauga in 1989. Over the years they have continued to develop their landscape to its current capacity of just over 350 roses. Jeff and Cindy have allocated some of that space in their garden to test select varieties of roses in large pots. They change some of the varieties each year. They do fertilize and water, but do not spray for disease. Each year they evaluate which roses are most disease resistant.
Jeff and Cindy have both served their local society, the Tri-State Rose Society of Chattanooga, as President on numerous occasions. Currently they are editors of their local society newsletter, “Basal Breaks”. The Garretts have been honored with the Bronze Medal from their local society.
Click here for Jeff and Cindy’s presentation on Disease Resistant Roses – Fact or Fiction!
Here you will find a list (pdf) of roses in Jeff and Cindy’s test garden.
Upcoming Meeting and Events
For all currently scheduled Meetings & Events visit the Meeting & Events page.
The 2024 meetings of the Nashville Rose Society will be held at the Cheekwood Estate and Gardens.
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 2024 Tenarky District Fall Convention & Rose Show will be held October 4-6, 2024, at the Warren County Extension Office, 5162 Russellville Road, Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Sip & Snack on Friday evening and the banquet on Saturday evening are at the Holiday Inn University Plaza in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Convention hotel.
The Convention and Rose Show are hosted by the Louisville and Bowling Green Rose Societies.
The Rose Show will be held on Saturday, October 5. Doors open at 5:30 a.m. CDT . The Placement Committee and/or exhibitors will place horticulture entries from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. CDT. Exhibitors will place Challenge Class entries. Judging begins at 10:15 a.m. CDT. The show will be open to exhibitors when the judging is completed and the awards table is arranged. The Show will be open to the public from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. CDT and is free to the public.
For information on the events of this fun-filled weekend, click here.
Click here for the Rose Show Schedule.
Registration is required for all participants. Full payment must accompany each registration form. Exhibitors MUST be registered and have an exhibitor’s number on entry tags. Entry numbers will be on name tags at registration or may be obtained from the registrar prior to the show. Registration must be received by September 30 for food tally. Anyone registering after September 30, will not be able to attend the banquet.The registration form is here.
Hotel accommodations are at the Holiday Inn University Plaza in Bowling Green, Kentucky. There are a limited number of rooms at the Convention price! There are other events on this date, so make your room reservation very soon! The deadline for the Convention price is September 3, 2024. Click here to reserve your room.
Please plan to attend!
The Nashville Rose Society is pleased to have Susanne Horn as our presenter for the October, 2024, meeting. Suzanne will be joining us virtually via GoToMeeting from her home in Glendale, California. Suzanne’s program will cover the history of David Austin Roses and what makes them truly romantic. She will explain the family lines of these roses, varied forms and growth habits, shade tolerance, fragrance, growing tips, and their varied uses in the garden. Suzanne will share information and photos about her favorites among the English Roses for display in the garden, on the show table, and as cut flowers for the home. She will also discuss the lasting legacy of the late David C.H. Austin.
Suzanne is the 2023 Guy Blake Hedrick, Jr. Award winner and the 2023 Silver Honor Medal winner for the Pacific Southwest District. Suzanne has been growing show roses since she joined the American Rose Society in 2000, after being encouraged to pursue exhibiting, which she undertook with a fierce passion. She won her Best Novice trophy in 2000 (her first year) and won her first Queen in 2001. Since diving into the deep end of the exhibiting pool, she has won 1,390 trophies in 148 rose shows, including 107 Queens of Show and four “Best of Show” awards. She has been winning District and National trophies since her first two years of exhibiting, winning 44 District and National challenge trophies with hybrid teas, floribundas, shrubs, old garden roses, miniatures, minifloras, and polyanthas. She currently grows 450 exhibition roses of all types, all in containers.
Don’t forget – The October meeting will be the SECOND Sunday of October. Plan to attend the Tenarky District Fall Convention on October 4-6, in Bowling Green.
The meeting will be held in the Massey Auditorium of Botanic Hall / Visitor Services Building at Cheekwood Garden and Estate. The Cheekwood Campus Map shows the location of Botanic Hall.
Note: Admission to Cheekwood is not required – let the gate attendant know that you are attending the NRS Meeting in Botanic Hall.
Nashville Rose Society members may join the meeting virtually. For more information on how to log into GoToMeeting, please see Marty Reich’s email to NRS members. Non-NRS members are welcome to attend the meeting in person at Cheekwood.