NRS 2023 Awards and 2024 Executive Board

The 2023 Nashville Rose Society December meeting and Christmas party was held at the Ellington Agriculture Center Ed Jones Auditorium on December 3, 2023. The evening was filled with good food and fun gift exchange, the announcement of the 2023 Society awards, and introduction of the 2024 Executive Committee members.

2023 Bronze Medal Award

Gene Meyer, recipient of the Nashville Rose Society 2023 Bronze Medal Award.
The 2023 Bronze Honor Medal, the highest award that can be presented by a local rose society, was given to Gene Meyer for his outstanding support of the Society during the past year. Gene is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian and the NRS Consulting Rosarian Chairman. He organizes and conducts the Spring and Fall Grand Prix Rose Shows and serves on the NRS Annual Rose Show and the Programming Committees. Gene supports the rose community in our area by judging the Wilson County and the Tennessee State Fair Rose Shows.

2024 Executive Committee

The 2024 Executive Committee members of the Nashville Rose Society were introduced at the meeting and Christmas dinner.

The next term of the Society president position will be co-led by Janie Hagan and Liz Louie. By sharing the responsibility of president, Janie and Liz will be able to bring more leadership to the Society and to the rose community in Nashville.

Diane Coleman (Recording Secretary and Webmaster), Bob Bowen (Member-at-Large), Janie Hagan (Co-President), Gene Meyer (Consulting Rosarian Chair, Grand Prix), Ron Daniels (Rose Study Garden Manager), John Wendler (NRS Rose Show Coordinator), (front row) Gary Spencer (Treasurer), Lori Emery (Tenarky District Director), Marty Reich (Membership Chairman and Rose Leaf Co-Editor), and Liz Louie (Co-President)

Other members of the Executive Committee, not shown, are Lani Rossman (Programming Committee Chairman), Pam Brown (Rose Leaf Co-Editor), Martha Garman (Corresponding Secretary), Lisa Schaaf, Angel Cohen, Rose Markham, and Karin Bailey (Hospitality Committee), Mary Hext (NRS Rose Show Committee), and Nancy Jones (Member-at-Large).

Ron Daniels and John Wendler
As a show of appreciation, the Nashville Rose Society acknowledged out-going co-presidents, Ron Daniels and John Wendler, for their outstanding contributions and leadership of the Society for the past six years. Their accomplishments include the development of the Rose Study Garden at Cheekwood and growing and strengthening the membership of the society during the COVID crisis.

Rose Dresses!!

Members of the Nashville Rose Society are well known for their rose fashions.

Heidi and Jose Gonzales
Liz Louie

Heidi and Jose Gonzales are new members of the society, and Heidi is in full swing with roses! She ordered her beautiful dress online at The Pretty Dress Company, www.theprettydresscompany.com, in London, England. It specializes in classical cut dresses and Heidi especially likes 1950’s vintage. They have several dresses with roses on them, for those shoppers among us. (She assures us that she does not vacuum in high-heels and dresses like Mrs. Clever!)

Liz Louie found her rose felted shawl when she was visiting her sister-in-law in Vancouver, BC. She was passing by the Alarte Silks Studio Gallery, alartesilks.com, and saw this shawl on a mannequin. She had to have it!

Getting Ready for 2024

The Nashville Rose Society leadership team is working hard to get ready for 2024. The Programming Committee is working to identify monthly meeting programs that will be interesting and educational for our membership. If you have suggestions or ideas for programs, please let us know.


New Book Frames the Practical How-To of Growing Roses

with Traditional Values, Step-By-Step Instructions and Heartwarming Stories

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(April 15, 2023) – Rose Therapy is the first book by Ron Daniels – Master Rosarian with the American Rose Society, Master Gardener for Sumner County, Tennessee, and President of the Nashville Rose Society.

With the heart of a teacher, traditional Southern values and storytelling, Ron reveals the “bigger picture” behind growing and caring for roses: their power to bring different people together, and communicate profound emotional depth without saying a word. Ron overlays thorough, step-by-step instructions any beginner can follow, with down-to-earth stories and a brief journey into the history of roses.

Rose Therapy meets the expectation of readers on a visual subject; it’s stocked with beautiful color photos of the finest roses Ron has raised, or mentored others through cultivating. Throughout the book, Ron brings an encouraging, enthusiastic voice to all rosarians – from absolute beginners to fellow masters.

For rose enthusiasts and the people who struggle to understand them, Rose Therapy will change your thinking on the power of gardening to infuse a human life with hope, joy and meaning – while making steady progress toward the aesthetic, life-giving beauty of your own rose garden.

Readers can purchase copies at RoseTherapyBook.com, or on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other sites where books are sold.

Contact:
Paul Edwards, Emissary Publishing
Email: pe@thepaulsedwards.com

Historic Christmas Freeze for Nashville Rose Society

The temperature in Nashville on December 22, 2022, was a balmy, sunny 50 degrees. By Friday, December 23, 2022 the temperature dropped to -1 degrees, marking the first time the city has seen temperatures below zero since 1996. In surrounding areas, the temperature was even lower, with windchill factors down to -17 degrees.

The frigid weather stayed around through the weekend. With temperatures not making it above freezing until Monday, Dececember 26, Nashville was at or below freezing for almost 84 hours.

The Rose Study Garden and NRS member gardens took a big hit, particularly the climbing roses. Even the RSG climbers that had some protection from the building they are attached to were severely damaged.

When Ron Daniels, NRS member from Hendersonville (north of Nashville), recently pulled back some of his winter protection to check his roses, he did find some green canes. Any Old Garden Roses, shrubs, and roses on their own root, should recover well. The roses will have to be cut back pretty low to take off the deadwood when we prune in the spring, but for now, keep your roses covered for protection. We could still have some freezing winter weather in Nashville.

Ron will discuss how to take care of your freeze damaged roses at the February 5, 2022, meeting of the Nashville Rose Society at Cheekwood. See the February meeting announcement for more details.

Roses Damaged from Christmas Freeze




Photos by Ron Daniels

Rose Chat Podcast – Ron Daniels, “Secrets to my Success with Roses”

Hosted by Teresa Byington

Nashville Public Television filming “Volunteer Gardener” in Ron’s rose garden.
On this Rose Chat Podcast episode Ron Daniels, Master Consulting Rosarian and 2020 Co-President of the Nashville Rose Society and a Rose Chat favorite, talks about his success with roses to help us be successful too. And a bonus topic… just why did PBS photographers come to his open garden. Listen to the show here.

Ron is a third generation gardener who loves and enjoys growing roses. He also shares his experience with others who have the same desire to grow champion roses and other plants and to do so successfully.

Join Chris VanCleave and Teresa Byington each week for the Rose Chat Podcast. This top rated gardening podcast explores the different aspects of roses. With topics ranging from where to plant roses, how to select roses for your garden as well as how to maintain them to achieve the garden of your dreams.