The Nashville Rose Society serves all of Middle Tennessee by sharing knowledge and information about our national flower, the rose.
At the Nashville Rose Society Executive Committee meeting on October 26, 2026, the motion was made and passed that Executive Committee minutes and treasurer reports should be shared with membership in an email blast and on the NashvilleRoseSociety.org website.
The latest NRS Executive Committee meeting minutes and treasurer report can be found here.
The Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS Convention & Rose Show was honored to have as one of our speakers Dr. Mark Windham. Dr. Windham was a Distinguished Professor of Ornamental Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. For the last 14 years of his career, Mark worked toward developing management plans for Rose Rosette Disease (RRD), studying the virus’s mite vector, and searching for disease resistance. He was part of a multistate team that discovered genes for resistance to RRD in roses.
Most recently, on October 4, 2026, at the Medley Convention he received the 2026 American Rose Society Gold Medal of Honor. His presentation is entitled “Holistic Rose Care”. He graciously shared his presentation with us to post on the website.
A rosarian must be a nutritionist, soil scientist, pathologist, entomologist, and expert of many other professions to successfully grow healthy, vibrant roses. Often actions we take to solve one problem leads to other challenges. In this presentation, he explores a holistic approach to rose care to maximize rose health and vigor without breaking the bank or robbing us of our most valued commodity: time.
Click here for the presentation.
The following are the handouts for Dr. Windham’s presentation:
Rethinking Blackspot Management
Early Detection of Rose Rosette Disease
Rose Diseases: Identification and Management
Diagnosis of Ornamental Plant Diseases
Marty was presented with the Silver Medal, the highest award that can be given by an American Rose Society District, by Howard Carman, the TENARKY District Director. Howard had these kind words to say about Marty as he introduced her.
“Everyone I talked to fully agreed with my choice for this silver medal and I think it is well overdue.
“This individual is one of the mainstays of the Nashville Rose Society and a keeper of the history of the NRS and also, she won her first queen of show a couple of years ago and wins district classes with her roses.
“I was amazed at the efficiency of the work she does with the recording of winners at the TENARKY shows.
“She is currently serving as recording secretary for TENARKY.
“The winner of the 2026 TENARKY silver medal award is Marty Reich.”
Nashville Rose Society members, Becky Willoughby and Ron Daniels, will open their gardens to NRS members and the public on Saturday, October 17, from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
Growing roses in Zone 7b has certainly come with its challenges. Freezing temperatures and unexpected cold snaps, pest pressures, and late summer heat waves can take their toll. But every season brings something new to learn and enjoy, which is part of what makes this garden so special. Roses bring endless inspiration, opportunities to stay active, and many dear friendships and mentors. Becky says, “I’m grateful to share my garden with you, and I hope it is able to bring you inspiration and joy like it has brought me”.
Established in 2013, Gadwall Abbey is Daniels’ third rose garden. Rather than simply planting roses wherever space allowed, Daniels approached the project with clear priorities: accessibility, strong plant performance, and ease of care. The result is a garden that balances serious rose growing with thoughtful design.
Today Ron’s garden has more than 150 roses spanning an impressive range of classes. Visitors will find climbers reaching upward, sturdy shrub roses, exhibition hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, miniatures, and mini-floras. Old garden roses and species roses share space with modern varieties, including beloved selections from David Austin. Even tree roses add a vertical element to the display.
Join us for a special afternoon as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence with a journey into Thomas Jefferson’s Gardens at Monticello — followed by our annual Nashville Rose Society Chili Cookoff!
The meeting will be held at the Ed Jones Auditorium at the Ellington Agriculture Center, located at 416 Hogan Road, Nashville, TN 37220. Click here for detailed directions.
Our guest speaker, Ron Daniels, Master Consulting Rosarian with the American Rose Society, will bring the historic gardens of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello to life.
Monticello — meaning “little mountain” — is home to a remarkable collection of roses along with Jefferson’s historic flower and vegetable gardens. Ron will explore the purpose and design of these gardens, with special emphasis on the rose collection that continues to inspire gardeners today.
A lifelong rosarian, Ron has spent 30 years growing roses and currently tends approximately 150 rose plants in his Tennessee garden. He is also the author of Rose Therapy: My Journey of Growing and Caring for Roses. Copies of his book will be available for purchase at the meeting.
And come hungry! We’ll also be holding our annual Chili Cookoff. Bring your favorite chili, cornbread, or desert and join in the fun — or simply come ready to taste!
Guests are always welcome. We’d love to have you join us for roses, history, chili and a great afternoon with fellow gardeners!