Category: NRS News

2026 Wilson County and Tennessee State Fair Rose Show

Nashville Rose Society Members – Bring your roses to the Fairs!

Both the Wilson County Fair and the Tennessee State Fair will be held in the James E. Ward Agricultural Center, 945 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon, TN from Thursday, August 13 through Saturday, August 22, 2026.

For informaiton for competitors, click here.

The Wilson County Rose Show is open to Wilson County Residents, members of the Wilson County Gardeners Guild, members of the Wilson County Master Gardeners, members of a Wilson County FCE Club, or members of the Nashville Rose Society over 18 years old. The Tennessee State Rose Show is open to any Tennessee resident over 18 years old.

Exhibits for both shows must be entered at the Expo Center between 12pm and 4pm on Wednesday, August 12. Anyone in line at 4pm will be allowed to enter their roses. Judging will begin for both the Wilson County and the State Rose Shows once entries are complete. After judging, Tennessee state entries will transferred (by Fair volunteers) to the the Hale Moss building to be displayed for the duration of the fair. Wilson County entries will be displayed at the Expo during the fair. There is no admission charge to enter the Fair Grounds to submit your entries.

Please preregister online before Sunday, August 9, to speed up the entry process – one registration works for both the Wilson County and the State Rose Shows. There is no cost to enter in either show.


Click the following to register and for more information, including the show schedules and the division premiums:

https://www.wilsoncountytnstatefair.com/p/competitions-exhibits/tennessee-state-competitions/state-horticulture-competitions/rose-showcopy1 Tennessee Rose Show

Wilson County Rose Show

We hope to see you at the Fair!

San Diego Rose Symposium

After the 2026 Nashville Convention, don’t miss the

San Diego Rose Symposium:
2027 World Federation of Rose Societies Regional Convention
AND
The 2027 ARS National Convention & Rose Show

combined into one spectacular 5-day Event from April 30 to May 4, 2027.

The Symposium will be the first WFRS Convention to be held in the United States in over 25 years.
Speakers will cover a variety of topics including rose care, hybridizing, garden design to ensure diverse rose culture, the benefits of rose gardening to rose growers and even some rose history and lore. Tom Carruth, Ping Lim, Tyler Francis, Paul Zimmerman, Mike Shoup, Ray Martin and Carrie Bergs will be among the speakers.

To enhance your immersive rose experience, there will be 4 different one-day tours that include gardens and cultural attractions that you can add to your adventure in the San Diego area. And in the WFRS tradition of convention tours, an optional once-in-a-lifetime 8-day Post-Symposium Tour of Southern and Central California gardens and attractions, curated and led by Paul Zimmerman, is also being offered to Symposium registrants.

Go to www.sandiegorosesociety.com/2027 for more information about the Symposium,
hosted by the San Diego Rose Society in celebration of its 100th Anniversary.

Contact & Convention Chair: sandiegorosesociety@gmail.com

Howard Carman’s “Propagating Roses From Cuttings” Presentation

Howard Carman, ARS Tenarky District Director
On Sunday, July 12, 2026, our special guest speaker Howard Carman shared his experiences with propagating roses from cuttings, hybridizing, and the journey that turned a hobby into a lifelong passion for roses. Howard is kind enough to share his presentation with us.

Click here to see Howard’s presentation.

Howard has lived in Big Spring, Kentucky his entire life and began growing roses in 1997 after being inspired by the Kentucky State Fair. What started with a few roses quickly turned into a lifelong passion that led him to join both the Louisville Rose Society and the American Rose Society. Over the years, he expanded his garden to more than 200 roses, built a homemade greenhouse, became a horticulture judge in 2004, and today still grows around 125 roses including hybrid teas, floribundas, shrubs, miniatures, and minifloras.

One of Howard’s Seedlings
Howard is a past president and current treasurer of the Louisville Rose Society and currently serves as the Tenarky District Director, beginning his term in 2024. His love of roses has also led him into propagation and hybridizing, with two roses now registered with the ARS — the miniature “Miss Paula,” a sport of Miss Flippins, and the miniflora “Anna Mae,” named in honor of his mother.

Save Cheekwood Petition: Help protect our history and culture

For 66 years, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens has been a treasured place where art, culture, history, and nature come together for families, students, and visitors from Tennessee and around the world.

For the Nashville Rose Society, Cheekwood has been our home for as long as most of our members can remember. It is where we gather for many of our meetings, host our Nashville Rose Shows, and share our passion for roses with the public. Through its partnership with our society, Cheekwood helps educate visitors and members alike about our national flower—the rose.

Today, Cheekwood faces a significant challenge. A formal legal appeal has been filed with the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals seeking to require the city to issue a Stop Work Order that would halt further work and public use of portions of the property. The appeal stems from Cheekwood’s plans to construct a new parking garage, a project that has been opposed by a group of neighbors.

If you would like to learn more about the issue and support Cheekwood, please click hereto read about the situation and consider adding your name to the petition.

Rose Chat Podcast – Rose Study Garden Renovation, Blending History with Today

On this episode of the Rose Chat Podcast, host Teresa Byington chats with Ron Daniels, a Nashville Rose Society Master Rosarian, former president of the NRS, and longtime volunteer.

Ron oversees the society’s garden project at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, where the study garden recently underwent a major renovation.

In this conversation, Ron shares the story behind the renovation, the challenges and opportunities involved, and how the garden will be used by the Nashville Rose Society.

Click here to hear their conversation.