Nashville Rose Leaf February 2010

Nashville Rose Leaf

Official Publication of The Nashville Rose Society Serving Rose Enthusiasts Throughout Middle Tennessee FEBRUARY 2010

Affiliated with the American Rose Society - www.ars.org

Volume 44 44, Issue 1

February 2nd NRS Meeting at Cheekwood 6:30 pm Refreshments 7:00 pm Rosemania’s Logan Shillinglaw & Robbbie Tucker TENARKY Mid-Winter Workshop - Vendor Night Order Forms are Here!

2009 Nashville Rose Society Officers (From left to right)

Not pictured - Hayes Gibson - Recording Secretary & Leann Barron - Member at Large

Graham Thomas - ARS Rating ???

February Rose of the Month

Love is...

By: Jim Harding Grandiflora - ARS Rating 7.6 76 It was no accident that Love was chosen for February’s rose of the month. After all Love runs rampant in February as Valentine’s Day approaches. Believe it or not Starla and I first found Love at Hewitt’s Garden Nursery half off sale!

Before either of us knew the name of the rose we both simultaneously declared our Love. Neither of us could leave our new found Love behind, especially considering how cheap our Love was to come by. Although I will be the first to tell that I did not Love digging the hole that Love got me into. Since that time I am happy to say our Love has continued to grow.

(Cont’d on Page 9)

(Cont’d on Page 5)

Photo courtesy of Jackson & Perkins

Photo courtesy of Charles Lott

Susan Sinclair -Treasurer Ron Daniels - Vice President Cindy Worch - Corresponding Secretary Larry Baird - President Sandra Frank - Past President.

President’s Column

Editor’s Desk

By the time February rolls around I am certainly missing my roses. There is no NRS meeting in January to talk about our favorite roses, and while we had roses longer than usual last year, it has been a very long time since I could look out the window and see the beautiful colors of my rose beds.

Jim and I particularly enjoy composing the February issue of our newsletter because of its association with Valentines Day. We are both hopeless romantics despite the fact that it is often difficult to discern which one of us is also the biggest goofball.

So what do you do when you are in the “I miss my roses stage?”

I asked my good friend, Wilma Wrongfoot that question, and she was kind enough to reply in this issue. Thank you Wilma!

Here is another great idea. How about a mid-winter meeting for rose lovers? Well, we have one coming up right here in Nashville, on February 19th - 21st, when the NRS hosts the mid-winter workshop of the TENARKY district of the American Rose Society.

If you have never attended a mid-winter workshop you have missed a great opportunity to enjoy hearing great speakers talk about a our favorite flower as well as the chance to talk to fellow rose lovers and rose experts in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. By February I am ready to talk about roses so I hope to see you there. For complete details visit www.tenarky.org You will find a lot more information in this issue as well as answers to all your questions at the February NRS meeting at Cheekwood.

The February NRS meeting will also give you the chance to meet the new officers for 2010 as well as get info on the latest chemicals and and gadgets to make the rose growing season easier. Members who attended last year’s NRS meeting were treated to an excellent program by Robbie Tucker and Logan Shillinglaw of Rosemania.com (www.rosemania.com) There really are a lot of things to cover and a lot of rose talking to do in Februrary, so make your plans now to be at the NRS meeting and the TENARKY Mid-Winter Workshop.

See you there!

— Larry Baird, President

So, when Jim asked me to share the story of my first rose with our readers, I was very reluctant. I didn’t think it would be an easy, little along “goofball” piece to write and it was very personal. But isn’t growing roses a very personal thing? Each of us brings our own story, experiences and love for this hobby as we gather once a month to share them with one another.

I have noticed that rose lovers seem to come from all walks of life and the rose itself appears not to care. It will flourish for the poorest farmer as well as it does for the gardener of a wealthy estate. It is equally unbiased in its refusal to thrive, despite the social status of its caretaker.

Much like our relationships with our significant others, the relationships with our roses are very personal. Both relationships require work, patience and sometimes even the ability to forgive.

While Jim and I have found ourselves needing to forgive our roses for not presenting perfect centers on rose-show weeks, our roses have had to forgive untold transgressions on our part, yielding many an undeserved bloom. The relationship thrives because of love.

I often personify my roses and have been known to talk to them (when no one is looking) and, once, I even accused a particular rose of not liking me very much.

Although they are asexual, Jim insists that the female gender is more prevalent in roses, particularly given their tendencies toward sweet scents, high maintenance and bouts of contrariness. On this point, I disagree with him and I can assure you it is not the first time we have found ourselves “disagreeing”. But because we love each other, we find ways to bend.

So, despite my reservations and objections, I wrote the “Mister Lincoln” article because the man I love, loves the story and it is, after all, Valentines Day. Therefore,

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, FEBRUARY 2010

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if you like the story, it is certainly Jim you should thank for it. In all fairness, however, if you do not like it, it is solely Jim you should blame.

Perhaps now you see how both of us so eloquently combine romance with goofiness. In the end, Jim made a great argument; stories, just like roses and Valentines’ Day are meant to be shared. In that spirit, I share with you my favorite rose poem.

— Starla & Jim Harding

THE ROSE STILL GROWS BEYOND THE WALL Near a shady wall a rose once grew, Budded and blossomed in God’s free light: Watered and fed by morning dew, Shedding its sweetness day and night.

As it grew and blossomed fair and tall, Slowly rising to loftier height, It came to a crevice in the wall, Through which there shone a beam of light.

Onward it crept with added strength With never a thought of fear or pride, It followed the light through the crevice length, And unfolded itself on the other side.

The light, the dew, the broadening view Were found the same as they were before.

And it lost itself in beauties new.

Breathing its fragrance more and more.

Shall claim of death cause us to grieve, And make our courage faint or fall?

Nay, let us faith and hope receive, The rose still grows beyond the wall.

Scattering fragrance far and wide, Just as it did in days of yore.

Just as it did on the other side, Just as it will forevermore.

— written by A.L.Frink

NRS Patrons Our thanks to the following businesses and foundations who have made sustaining donations to support the educational programs of Nashville Rose Society:

Houghland Foundation

from the ground up “Roses for a New Generation” The dawning of a decade presents opportunities for fresh thinking about roses. For example, when considering what to write for this column, I thought: it’s February. I should write about Valentine’s Day, the history of love and roses... But the subject seemed boring, predictable, downright stodgy. And I’ve become increasingly concerned that the rose industry, and our rose societies in particular, are being viewed in much the same way. Like it or not, we old dogs must learn new tricks, and bring the new puppies along with us.

It’s no secret that gardeners are the best people in the world: hardworking, trustworthy, responsible and earthy.

Noble virtues, yes, and nobody does it better.

However, many of us are molassesslooow in adapting to the world’s dizzying changes, clinging like life-rafts in a churning sea to our little plots of ground and grandma’s old gardening methods.

We need a rose revolution of sorts, an overhaul of our old ways, neither throwing out the baby with the bathwater, nor putting traditions above all else. The out-dated notion of “that’s the way we’ve always done it” is a crippling mentality in this culture, and insisting upon it is the death-knell for any organization. As ambassadors for roses, it’s vital that we move ourselves into the future, both as individuals and as societies.

caring a hoot about social media as it relates to gardening. But I couldn’t help wondering why many aging baby boomers are the last to catch on, resisting change, staying safely in our comfort zones while the rest of the world leaps forward? What’s wrong with us?

Anyway, as the seminar progressed, the whole, brave new world unveiled itself, and I felt the proverbial “scales fall from my eyes.”

For the first time, I understood what all the fuss was about, but also felt a sense of urgency about what I was learning.

In rose circles, I hear jovial grumblings and poo-pooing about computers and technology, but it’s no fad, and we’d best get on the social media bandwagon.

The last time I googled the words “social media,” it yielded over 203 million-that’s 203 MILLION, folks--results. It’s here to stay, fast becoming mainstream right under our upturned noses, and the garden industry segments that are paying attention are growing exponentially because of it. In the meantime, with the exception of the wildly successful ‘Knock-Out’ series, the rose industry has been lagging seriously behind. If you think ‘Knock-Out’ was a mere stroke of marketing luck and genius, think again.

They tapped into all the social media outlets they could muster. And it was a win-win for everyone, as they put roses back into the mainstream nursery market.

It can, and will, happen again.

Last fall, I attended an optional “technology and social media” seminar for garden writers at a big symposium.

If you haven’t the foggiest notion what social media is, I beg you to learn about it before you turn into a pillar of salt.

This seminar was a slap-in-the-face wakeup call: first of all, I was obviously the oldest one in the class. That, in itself, was a jolt of reality--where were the rest of us, why weren’t other middle-agers in this room? Oh, I knew where they were: attending the trade show, touring private gardens, networking, not knowing or

by: leann barron info!). It is short-sighted to simply shrug our shoulders and ignore this massive young population with its accompanying opportunities.

But how do we reach these young people? Before we can answer such complex questions, we need to take a personal interest in them. Educating ourselves is the first step. We must, simply must, learn their cultural language. We need to stay fresh, relevant, and above all, current. Social media outlets such as Twitter, blogging, podcasting, and Facebook are wildly popular, highly interesting, and rapidly becoming the “go-to” sources for information of all kinds. No wonder people love it. And this is just the beginning of what is to come.

Savvy organizations recognize that Generation X, Y and beyond aren’t going to come to them, they just aren’t seeking us out. We have to market ourselves to them. It all begins with us, right here in our local rose societies across the country. Our societies need to “groupthink” innovative ways to infuse life into our local, regional, and national organization by using social media if we are going to thrive in this next decade.

I, for one, refuse to accept the idea that Generation Y won’t grow roses. They will. Consider this News Flash: Gens X and Y, buying their first homes and starting families, are showing marked, strong interest in gardening, both for food and flowers. These are serious, smart, computer savvy multi-taskers with super-limited time and short attention spans, but they also want their little patch of green, gravitating towards edible plants, container gardening, sustainable community gardens, even guerilla gardening (google for more 3 NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, FEBRUARY 2010

The February Rose Garden Compiled By: Jim Harding

Inevitably the warm days in February will drive gardeners stir crazy to get outside in the garden, but February can be a real roller coaster ride for rosarians in Middle Tennessee. Temperature changes can be dramatic, swinging from unseasonably warm to very cold, often overnight.

The most important aspect for roses is keeping the bud union insulated from the frequent freeze/thaw cycles. Keep some extra bags of mulch material ready and make sure the bud union is still protected, replenishing with mulch where necessary.

Buying New Roses The big “box stores” will all be getting their roses in, but resist the temptation to buy a rose in a box or plastic bag, especially the ones that have wax on the canes. While the pretty pictures on the label are tempting it is much better to order roses from trustworthy sources. There is a reason why these roses are called “body bags,” as in they may already be dead or dying.

You can order potted roses now from the NRS Fortuniana sale that will be delivered at the April meeting or buy them later in the spring from a local reputable nursery. Potted roses should not be planted until after the last frost date.

now is the time. Circle the inside of the hole with about 1/2 cup of superphosphate, bone meal or Mills Mix. Water well and finish backfilling. Be sure to mound up soil to cover the canes to prevent the canes from drying out. When leaves begin to appear, gently wash the mounded soil from the canes.

Pruning Spring pruning is one of the most important jobs for the rosarian, and one of the most important things you will do all year. But wait, February is too soon to start pruning! The average time for pruning in Middle Tennessee is mid to late March with the average date of the last frost being towards the end of April.

Even though we have had warmer springs lately, we have also had frosts as late as Easter weekend. Whenever you do your spring pruning, you will have to replace the mulch to keep the bud union and any new emerging growth protected until the last week of April.

Master Rosarian, Marty Reich, will conduct a pruning demonstration at the NRS meeting in March during Vendor Night.

You can also call a Consulting Rosarian listed in the newsletter if have questions about pruning.

Transplanting The two rules of thumb to follow for transplanting are a.) when the plant is dormant, and b.) gather as much of the root ball as possible. As long as the ground is not frozen now is good time for transplanting roses. Prepare the new location, and dig up the rose bush with a good root ball of dirt and replant it in the prepared hole.

If moving the root ball is too heavy you can also wash all of the dirt from the roots and transplant it bare root. Transplanting a bare root rose may take a little longer to re-establish itself, but in the end the rose will be fine.

Number one grade bare root roses from Weeks and Jackson & Perkins will be auctioned for great prices at the TENARKY Mid-winter Workshop. To plant a bare root rose begin by immersing the entire rose, roots and canes, in a solution of one cup bleach to five gallons of water to kill any bacteria. Then soak the roots overnight in water with a root stimulator added. If you do not have a root stimulator, use 1/2 tablespoon Miracle-Gro to a gallon of water. The rose bed should already Soil Testing and Applying Lime be prepared with equal parts of sand, huIf you did not add lime or have your mus (compost), and top soil. In the bottom of the hole make an inverted cone. Spread soil tested last fall, it is not too late. Locathe roots over the cone and backfill half- tions of the county extension office along way. If you want to add any supplements with detailed information can be found NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, FEBRUARY 2010 4

at http://soilplantandpest.utk.edu/. If you cannot do this, then spread about one cup of lime per bush in the rose bed.

You can also apply one cup of gypsum per hybrid tea and 1/2 cup per miniature.

Gypsum not only helps clean up any salt buildup from chemical fertilizers, but it also adds calcium and sulfur, which are macronutrients.

Spray Program It is time to start your spray program as soon as the bud eyes swell and leaves appear. Use a good fungicide like Banner Maxx,1/3 to 2/3 teaspoons, combined with Mancozeb, 1 to 2 tablespoons, per gallon of water.

Make a garden calendar or journal While it may be too soon to get out in your garden, it is not too soon to plan.

February is a great month for planning so if you do not already have one, take time to either buy a garden calendar or if you are so inclined create one on your computer. Regardless of your choice, use it to track everything you do in your rose garden. Keeping basic records of when and what you sprayed will be very helpful not only to know the next time to spray, but what to use if you practice alternating spray material. Other repetitive tasks like watering and fertilizing can also benefit from a garden calendar, or journal. Include weather related events too. Last but not least use your new garden calendar to mark key dates of events like the TENARKY Mid-Winter Workshop just around the corner. As luck would have it the ARS just happens to have the perfect calendar for $5, available at www.ars.org

Photo courtesy of American Rose Society

The rose expertise in this column is based on the combined knowledge graciously shared by Master Rosarians Annie Owen from Franklin, TN. and Jimmy Moser from Bartlett, TN.

NRS News

Fortuniana Rose Sale The Nashville Rose Society 2010 Fortuniana Rose sale is still going. Our supplier (K & M Roses, a.k.a. James Mills) has added new varieties that includes more than 300 roses, all grafted on fortuniana root stock are available in the sale.

The order form for the 2010 NRS Fortuniana sale is available on the NRS website www.nashvillerosesociety.com . Quantities are limited, so send your order early if you want to ensure getting the roses you want. Remember that all proceeds from the rose sale go to support publication of Nashville Rose Leaf. If you have any questions contact Charles Lott at (615) 824-5614 or crlott@bellsouth.net.

The deadline for placing your order is March 20, 2010.

Vendor Night Vendor night on March 2nd is always a great way to get excited about the upcoming rose season. You can get just about everything you need all in one place by simply filling out the order forms in this issue and mailing them to Gary Spencer.

You will find garden tools fertilizers, chemicals, awesome compost, rose gloves galore, protective wear, etc. The other benefit is the knowledge the vendors bring with them to help answer your gardening questions.

Also at vendor night ARS Master Rosarian, Marty Reich, will demonstrate how to prune your roses and answer any questions to make sure your roses get off to a good start.

Your support at Vendor Night also helps support the Nashville Rose Society.

On March 4th - 7th Tennessee’s Premier Gardening Event marks its 21st Anniversary. Centerpiece of the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show is a naturalized presentation

of more than 20 outstanding live gardens created by professional landscape designers. Most of the gardens include water features, ranging from small fountains to large waterfalls, and elaborate structures such as rock walls, terraces, pergolas and gazebos.

A series of 20 free lectures is presented throughout the four-day show by expert horticulturists and garden designers. The show also includes 250 exhibit booths of horticultural products, services, and equipment for show and sale. The show’s spectacular floral design gallery features the work of more than 25 of the best designers in the mid-south region. For more complete information, call the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show office at 615-8767680 or visit www.nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com. March 4th - 7th.

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Free online access to four quarterly bulletins, a $45 value.

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2 issues of American Rose magazine, $16 value.

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Discounts of up to 30% at merchant partners.

When you add it all up this is a $101-$108 value for only $10! Don’t miss out on this great offer. See NRS membership director Marty Reich and she will make sure you get your free copy of the 2009 ARS Annual when you sign up.

The NRS will once again host a booth at the NL&GS. If you are interested in helping man the booth contact Ken Correll at (615) 478-5098. Hint - volunteering to help man the booth comes with free admission to the lawn and garden show!

TENARKY NEWS The big news from the TENARKY District is the Mid-Winter Workshop on February 19th -21st. See page 8 for details.

It is not too soon to start planning for the two premier ARS events; the Spring and Fall National Conventions.

ARS News

Here is a special one time offer for NRS members. In addition to all of the benefits listed below, NRS members who take advantage of the Four-Month Trial Membership at the February meeting at Cheekwood will also receive a free copy of the 2009 ARS Annual, as one of the two free issues with a Trial Membership, a $15 value. Not only is the annual full of great rose information, twelve of the articles are written by rosarians from Tennessee which makes the annual even more special. You’ll receive: •

Free advice Rosarians.

from

Consulting

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Free or reduced garden admissions, a $25 value after just 3 uses.

While we do not have any fancy graphics yet, the American Rose Society 2010 Fall Convention & Rose Show will be held in Atlanta, GA, October 7-11. If you have never attended an ARS Convention & Rose Show, here is an opportunity that is just 4 hours driving time from Nashville, so you might want to put these dates on your calendar.

Mister Lincoln By: Starla Harding A little over eleven years ago, in early December, I was standing by a hospital bed whispering goodbyes to my first husband, Fred Lacey, who succumbed to cancer. The ensuing grief was crippling and I leave it there because I do not believe that any arrangement of mere words could ever adequately capture the reality. Grief is somewhat of an enigma.

We know how it begins, but it is not clear what triggers its memory or even how the healing process begins. It seems to be different for everyone.

A week later, I found myself at K-Mart.

I never shopped there simply because it was not convenient. While in the greeting card aisle, I suddenly realized there were entire sections that were no longer relevant to my life. Tears formed on the back of my eyelids as I ran out a nearby door hoping no one would see me and, of course, this is where my first rose found me. Its thorny hand seemed to be waving to me from beneath a pile of dying shrubbery. I picked it up and took it to a somewhat large, yet very jovial clerk advising her of my intention to purchase it.

For me, it started with an anonymous sympathy card which bore a simple poem, “The Rose Still Grows Beyond The Wall.” I took such comfort in it that I placed it beside Fred’s picture on the nightstand. It reminded me of his cheery and persistent admonition to “Stop and Smell The Roses.” Christmas was approaching followed closely thereafter by our wedding anniversary which was only two weeks prior to Valentines Day. These were no longer occasions that I looked forward to. It was in this dark period of my life that I was overcome by the desire to acquire my very first rose.

Call it grief, call it madness, but I like to believe that something once dormant was now stirring within and coming to life. Those who knew me well at the time claim that I was forever changed

by Fred’s death. There was no judgment as to whether the changes were good or bad, just an observation that change had taken place. No doubt. Until then, I had little interest in gardening and zero interest in dirty fingernails. Yet, there I was calling nursery after nursery in mid-January trying to buy a rose to plant by Valentines’ Day. This was my first lesson in roses…not available year round.

I added this little rose tangent to the seemingly growing number of reasons why I was probably losing my mind.

Mister Lincoln Photo Courtesy of Jackson & Perkins She laughed “Baby Doll... you don’t want that rose!” I told her why it had significance to me so she drew close and nearly swallowed me with a hug. But then she proceeded to lecture me. “Now, honey, that rose bush is just gonna die, just like your husband, and then you’re gonna get yourself upset all over again, over something as silly as a rose. You

just can’t leave something in a pot out in weather like this and expect it to live.

Why, it’s probably already dead.”

I didn’t press her. I didn’t say a word.

I just stood there. In my mind, it was amazing that this rose was right there in a place that I was never supposed to be… just as I had given up hope to find one.

I headed back to return the rose to its former grave and found myself frozen, not wanting to “let it go.” It didn’t look dead to me. Was I just experiencing the denial phase of grief ? Then, I heard her voice again. “Baby girl, you just go on and take it, I told my manaager it didn’t have a barcode aand it’s probably dead. But ddon’t make anything of it if ddoesn’t live and just go out aand buy yourself a pretty one when the weather breaks.” w Ten minutes earlier, she was T a stranger to me. I never ssaw her again, but her face a comforting rremains memory in my life story. m I drove straight home with tthe raggedy pot and decided tthat I could and would plant tthis rose myself. I picked tthe perfect spot to plant iit and ran for the shovel.

Within no time, I would be W hhandling that shovel much llike a pogo-stick jumpiing up and down trying to bbreak the frozen ground.

Digging that hole became D iits own method of therapy. I ssighed, cried, screamed and eeven cursed out loud as the sstubborn ground refused to yyield to all the force I could muster behind shovel and, later, pick ax.

Finally, I decided that if I could not make the hole conform to the root ball, I would have to do the opposite. I placed my rose more on the hole than in it and slung what little dirt I had managed to move atop it. Any roots that were sticking out, I simply snipped off. (It’s okay to laugh as I now can.) Amidst the dirt was a tag that read Mister Lincoln. I was intrigued. Did roses have names like that? I would have to look into that later.

Mister Lincoln

(Cont’d from page 6)

By: Starla Harding More from exhaustion than satisfaction, this would be the first night I did not cry myself to sleep. It was also the first morning I woke up with dirt beneath my fingernails. I’d like to say this is when the gardening bug bit me, but instead it was when reality began to sink in and the deep grieving began. It turns out that grief IS a part of the healing process.

Looking back, I think I just needed something to live... something that I felt was in my care. The irony amazes me now. Despite my months of roundthe-clock tedious and exhaustive care, Fred died. But this rose, that I did all but take an axe to, lived. It was then that I accepted what little power I hold concerning life and death.

unexpected turn, told me to plant some flower bulbs assuring me it was “good for the soul.” After my rose experience, I decided to take his advice. There were many missteps, adventures, and incidents of dirt beneath my fingernails, but every little green sprout that forced its way up through the earth brought a thrill to me that I cannot explain.

I checked my rose on Valentines Day. It looked as dead as I felt inside. I wondered what drew me to do such a thing in the first place. What a sight that must have been for my neighbors. As the weeks passed, I kept drawing in breaths and taking forward steps finding that every so often I could still get caught up in a laugh or a moment of serenity.

Each one became precious. I never even noticed my rose leafing out. In fact, it had to bloom in order to get my attention. When I first observed the red open bloom, I was stunned. I ran to that bloom as if it were a long lost friend and immediately drew in a huge breath.

I laid there in the dirt for a long time wondering if it was possible to sniff the scent right out of a rose because I could not stop myself. Despite all the odds, my rose was alive. I felt such relief and joy.

I am told my great-grandmother loved to grow roses and I recently learned that my favorite grandmother’s middle name was Rose. It is a relief to know now that I had not gone mad, but instead something I never knew was within me had finally begun to awaken. Was it hope? Yes, for I hoped that, like this rose, there was still life left inside of me. I realized that the same Creator of this beautiful rose was also my Creator. Could it be He had as much intent and purpose in creating me as He had this rose? After all, this rose survived certain death to go on and serve an amazing purpose in my life that day.

The restoration of hope is no small feat.

And thus, my friends, began my deep affection for the rose.

And so began my use of gardening as therapy. I called my friend every day with a headcount of the bulbs that were springing up. He was an old hand at gardening and I think my enthusiasm over the wonder of it all amused him. He later helped me design, dig and plant my first two flower gardens. Like my first rose, he awakened something inside of me that I didn’t know was there, a great capacity to love again. You guessed it, that friend was Jim, your editor, and as fate would have it, we bought our first rose together at K-Mart. Our love grew from a place of hopelessness, but the soil is good and the roots run deep, so now, happily, everything’s coming up roses.

Happy Valentines’ Day.

Months later, a dear friend of mine, whose life had also taken an

February Rose Tips Special calendar dates for the New Year are to be remembered -- especially by the romantic. However, the calendar can also be a valuable tool for conducting rose growing chores. We know that Cupid shoots arrows on Valentines Day to annihilate his competition How about rose people shooting arrows that will kill the ravages of disease and insect harm to prized rose specimens? Highlight the arrival of the attractive calendar by using it to record activities that spell help for the rose garden. Watering, spraying, feeding, pruning, deadheading -- all of these should be recorded as the chore is performed. It provides a helpful roadmap to blue ribbon roses by possibly negating the chance of procrastination or forgetfulness.

— Ted Mills, ARS Master Rosarian If you haven’t been keeping a garden journal, now is a great time to start. Whenever you do a special treatment for your roses or use a new product, it’s good to have the date and the results. I have found it especially helpful to keep a record of any unusual temperature or other weather conditions and the effect on roses and other plants. It’s fun to look back and see when the first rose bloomed from year to year, what variety and the date in the spring. Also keep a record of which roses are consistently the most disease resistant and how your spray schedule works if you have a breakout of blackspot. Record the date of your last spray of the season, how and the date you winterized especially if you made any changes. My journal started in 2003, so there are seven years to look back on and see how the garden and gardening procedures have changed.

The most important thing I have learned from keeping a journal is that the roses are going to do well in spite of what we and the weather does to them and not so much because of what we do to them. They are a wonderful addition to your garden, and if you follow the basics that you learn from being a member of the Nashville Rose Society and the American Rose Society, you will have beautiful roses for many months each year.

— Anne Owen, ARS Master Rosarian

TENARKY Mid-Winter Workshop By: Sam Jones TENARKY Mid-Winter Workshop February 19-21, 2010 Nashville, TN Franklin Cool Springs Marriott With Valentines Day right around the corner what could be more romantic than treating your rose lover to a mid-winter getaway weekend at the beautiful Marriott Hotel in Cool Springs? Throw in the TENARKY workshop complete with rose auction and banquet dinner and you have a rose lover’s dream weekend! So, for all the NRS members that have never been to a TENARKY Mid-Winter Workshop here is your opportunity!

The program features a who’s who lineup of rose experts with a full slate of seminars, slide shows, informative and entertaining gardening talks, presentations of current and future new roses, innovative ideas for rose shows and gardening techniques, a live auction of bare-root roses from Weeks and J&P, a Consulting Rosarian School, and a banquet and social evening.

“Show Business” by Don and Mary Myers will be a featured seminar at the Mid-Winter Workshop. ARS Rose Show veterans and Judges from North Carolina, Don and Mary have participated in hundreds of local, district, and national shows in the last 20 years. They will share their experiences, successes, frustrations, and perhaps humorous anecdotes as they present innovative approaches to our traditional ARS Rose Shows. Along the lines of their new column in the 2010 American Rose issues, they will discuss rose show awards, classes, exhibitors, sites, staging, and “having fun!”

We all want to know about the latest and greatest in the rose world. Sandy Lundberg of Bluffton, SC will present “Sandy’s Pics,” her popular Power Point seminar and discussion of the latest new introductions from a variety of rose classes for 2010.

Robbie Tucker, Nashville’s creative hybridizer with more than 30 varieties of miniatures and mini-flora roses on the market, will offer his insights on the “Future of Miniature and Mini-Flora Roses.”

Main lobby and reception area Franklin Cool Springs Marriott

Clayton Beaty, creator off Mills-Mix ill i organic fertilizers and nutrients for roses, will present innovative techniques and products for more effective and successful gardening practices.

Geoff Coolidge of Cool Roses, West Palm Beach, Florida, will explore the benefits and cultivation of Fortuniana rootstock roses for exhibitors in the upper and mid-south areas. Cool Roses provides a wide selection of exhibition and hard-tofind roses that are Fortuniana budded and grown.

Carol Reese, popular speaker and horticulture specialist for the UT Extension Service’s Western Division in Jackson will present an entertaining talk at Friday Evening’s Welcome Social/Supper. Her topic is “Divine Plants without a Diva Attitude…” According to Carol, “Rose growers have enough to deal with already! How about some gorgeous plants that need no pampering?” Her slides will feature “tough beauties that look like movie stars.”

Saturday night’s Workshop Banquet features Dr. Sue Hamilton, Director of the UT Knoxville Garden administered by the Department of Plant Sciences, speaking on “Winter-Interest Gardens.” She will present a program of attractive plants of flowering, fruits, barks, and sculptural varieties for the season. At UT’s gardens in Knoxville and Jackson, some 4,000 annuals, perennials, herbs, tropicals, trees, shrubs, vegetables and ornamental grasses are evaluated each year.

Immediately following the Saturday night Banquet will be a live auction of hybrid tea, floribunda, and grandiflora exhibition and garden roses from Weeks and Jackson and Perkins. Among many

hi hl rated highly d varieties i i to bbe auctioned from each grower, some from Weeks include St Patrick, Gentle Giant, Let Freedom Ring, and Moonstone; and from Jackson & Perkins: Cherry Parfait, Gemini, Memorial Day (fragrant), Black Magic, Midas Touch, Signature, and Veterans Honor. For a complete list of prospective roses to be auctioned off and available quantities go to the TENARKY website www.tenarky.org.

If you have ever wondered what it takes to be a Consulting Rosarian, the final workshop event on Sunday morning is an approved CR School open to all weekend participants. Consulting Rosarians can receive four hours of certification credit.

Prospective CR candidates may take the ARS test for CR certification. Qualifications for becoming certified ARS Consulting Rosarians are passing the open-book test ($10 fee), three years’ of continuous ARS membership, letters of recommendation from current CR’s, and approval by the local society CR Chair. (Candidates and participants may purchase CR Manuals from ARS Headquarters in Shreveport, LA).

Vendors at the Workshop will include Cool Roses, Beaty’s Mills-Mix Products, Whit Wells’ Mini-Flora roses, and other rose-related products for sale.

For the complete Schedule of Events, Registration Form, and hotel reservation information, please go to the TENARKY website www.tenarky.org Rooms at the Marriott Hotel’s special Workshop rate of $89.00 per night (double occupancy) are subject to availability after February 2, 2010. For additional information please contact Sam or Nancy Jones, 615-6464138, or email at gsamj@bellsouth.net.

Althea and I spent the rest of the day cutting and pasting. She cut the pictures out of the flower catalogs and I pasted them onto an old poster board. We arranged and designed a breathtaking flower garden to go right outside my kitchen window.

Surprise . . Your new President Pres is my neighbor from across the river. Well, knowing my gift for arranging flowers, he asked me to share my wit and wisdom with you on winter flower arranging. He heard about my winter window project, and asked if I would tell you about it.

Winter is such a drab and dreary time, and living in the little country town of Little Lot, we don’t have a florist, we make do. Like in winter we use evergreens for our church flowers. Artfully arranged with a little blue privit berry and red holly berry, the evergreens grace our lovely little church. They smell nice. But honestly, even for a gifted arranger like me, there are just so many ways you can put evergreens in a pot.

Now, anyone who knows me, knows I dearly love to arrange flowers. So, winters used to just give me fits - no flowers. One year I rearranged Great Granny’s “Spring Floral Bouquet” dishes in the old China Closet and felt a little cheery until I found this beautiful old Victorian Urn, but sadly enough, I had no flowers to put in it. I kept rearranging the furniture in the parlor until my husband, Wiley, got his back up and said he wasn’t going to move another stick of furniture.

Seems, every winter I just had to find something to arrange. Last year when I hinted that Wiley’s hay bales were not stacked in a symmetrical balance, he suggested I visit my cousin Daisy in Bucksnort. Well, I wound up in a snit, sitting at the kitchen table thumbing through catalogs. I was so frustrated and mad that I was flipping through pages without even looking at them.

Then on page 35 inspiration struck. There was my answer. I got so excited I called my best friend Althea to come over and help.

On page 35 there in the Acme Feed & Seed Spring Catalog was a picture of a flower garden directly outside a kitchen window.

Outside my kitchen window were old tractor parts, a clothesline and the backside of the chicken house.

My gracious... that chicken house wall was made for Climbing Roses. Wiley didn’t know it yet, but he was going to build me a trellis. I figured we could paint the old tractor parts bright colors and use them as focal points with flowers of contrasting colors sprinkled and planted all around. We had so much fun designing and arranging my new garden, we went to Althea’s house the next day, sat at her dining room table, and designed a flower garden to go outside her window.

Well, we spent the rest of the winter ordering roses and flowers seeds, getting the ground turned and ready to plant in the spring, and painting old tractor parts.

When spring finally arrived and our first planting was done, my new garden was as pretty as a picture. Summer graced that garden an even greater beauty, and when it was too hot to be outside, I could sit at my kitchen table snapping beans, and look out and enjoy my flowers. Now, as winter has rolled back around, the flower garden out my window has become a dried arrangement of flowers . . sometimes iced with frost or dusted with snow.

Our window gardens have created such a stir in Little Lot, me and Althea, have several more gardens to design this winter for our neighbors. Oh, and as for that clothesline...

About the author - Wilma’ Wrongfoot’s main interests in life are her husband Wiley and arranging almost anything in a symmetrical order that exceeds the aspirations of most mortals. Wilma and Wiley live on a small farm with a few chickens, pigs, goats and a bull. While Wilma’s pickled peaches and her watermelon jam are almost legend in the County Fair competition, still her flower arranging is her first love. Wilma is a driving force behind the clubs in Only, Bucksnort, Spot and Little Lot even if she was asked to leave the club in Shady Grove due to a dispute with Bertha Beternu over the possibility of some foreign substance on a leaf. Wilma still insists that mayonaise is all natural and should be allowed.

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Dave Bang

By: Wilma Wrongfoot

Love is...

(cont’d from page 1)

Photo courtesy of

Wilma’s Winter Wonder Project W

Before fore writing this article I was nnot aware that hybridizer, William A. Warriner of Jackson & Perkins hit the trifecta in 1980 with three All-American Rose Selections. They were Love, Honor, and Cherish; each a virtue we all strive for on Valentine’s Day. Being a married man I have to wonder whatever happened to the rose named Obey? On the other hand Starla claims Obey suffered from unknown diseases and was shovel pruned years ago.

Love is dramatic with a strong cherry red color against a silvery white reverse.

Love is also controversial. When it comes to fragrance some will say it has no fragrance while others say it has a strong fragrance. Our own experience with Love has been mixed. When fragrant, the scent of the grandiflora has been strong; conversely there are times when there is no fragrance at all.

Love holds its form and contrast for the life of the flower whether on the bush or in a vase. Its repeating blooms are usually borne singularly on sturdy upright stems that are beautiful against the dark green leathery foliage. The blooms have 35-40 tightly packed petals that open slowly to a well-formed exhibition style rose. With an ARS rating of 7.6 Love is a cross between an unnamed variety and ‘Redgold and is hardy to zone 6.

Looking back Love is a big part of our association with the rose society. To help Starla grow in her love of roses I gave her a NRS membership for Christmas. Our first Novice Queen was Falling In Love in the NRS Grand Prix. This was soon followed by a win with Love itself for the Novice Queen in the 2008 TENARKY District Fall Rose show. So if you have been looking for love in all the wrong places try starting with a rose named Love. It has grown to hold a special place in our hearts.

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, FEBRUARY 2010

STIMULUS IN ROSE GROWING By: Ted Mills, ARS Master Rosarian and Judge Just as the American people must rise to the battle that threatens economic health, so must the rosarian prove that he or she is equal to the task of preserving our cherished hobby. It is hoped that the over-abundance of rain will not return in the coming year.

America has just witnessed the introduction of the word: stimulus. It is a bold attempt to resurrect a failing economy. Time will tell whether this novel experiment will enliven our sick economic situation. At least, an attempt to do something positive has been advanced. Of course, this method of relief is debatable between the political factions. For the sake of the nation let us hope that the application of stimulus money will bring healing.

Parallel to the economy’s misfortune, many rosarians find that their rose growing success during the last half of 2009 has also experienced unfavorable results due to an unrelenting downpour of rain. Ordinarily, rose growers covet the arrival of rain to drought-stricken rose plants. However, when the “liquid sunshine” falls unabated, day after day, the plea is “enough is enough.”

During a stretch of weeks the rains came. The plants were drenched with moisture from the sky, negating the spray operation. Every rosarian knows that failure to spray causes havoc on rose bushes. With no let-up in the storms, the foliage was forced to endure long “no-spray” periods of reliable chemicals. As a result, even the gardens of expert growers witnessed the wrath of dreaded blackspot. Rose shows were curtailed since the blooms and foliage did not measure up to exhibition quality.

Specifically, many bushes were weakened by the onslaught of blackspot and botrytis. Just as with a sick person, remedial action should be administered to strengthen the bush. After dormancy is passed, begin a timely spray program to the new foliage. Couple this with a reliable feeding program that includes hydration when needed. During the winter months, remove all signs of fungus attack by disposing of diseased leaves or debris that may harbor disease spores.

Pay particular attention to the rose bed and see that it is kept hospital clean.

After two hard freezes (28 degrees), remove the leaves since their work has been completed for the past season.

Prune away the unproductive, twiggy growth that shows no signs of developing a bloom. Especially with hybrid teas and grandifloras, keep the center of the bush open so that air can circulate readily. This helps promote good coverage of spray materials. Keep a close watch on struggling plants. If these show no signs of improvement, shovel prune and replace with new plants.

Always use new planting mix in the old hole.

Just as the economy is lagging in improvement, our parent organization’s membership is declining. In fact, it has reached an alarming decrease from years past. All dedicated rosarians are urged to stem the tide of dropouts by encouraging continued dedication to our cherished hobby. Consulting Rosarians and local Society officers must take the lead in stemming this tide. Our hobby is too rewarding to disregard membership. The presence of beautiful roses guarantees a continuing floral atmosphere that provides tremendous joy to the masses.

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, FEBRUARY 2010

10

Yes, stimulus might work wonders if given a chance. Our Congressional leaders have invested much public money to stem the tide of job loss and financial distress among the populace. Some criticize the program, but doing nothing reaps backward movement. And so it is with rose growing. We need to install excitement in people, especially youngsters, to enlist in this hobby and swell its ranks. New programs are being advanced by our parent organization. This dedicated staff has a strong desire to help any aspiring novice who wants to grow roses well. The benefits of ARS membership are numerous and well worth public investment.

One look at the American Rose Society’s current method of attracting members is promising. One new program just introduced involves stimulative action.

It provides a trial membership of four months at a reduced cost. It is hoped that once the new recruit experiences membership benefits, he or she will remain on the rolls. They are hopefully hooked on growing roses and will enjoy belonging to such a body of helpful people. Bravo to ARS for this trial offer program. Stimulate, and the hesitant prospect will gravitate toward belonging.

We are now in 2010 - the tenth year of the 21st century. Time speeds by with the swiftness of an antelope. The New Year is an ideal time to improve the membership growth of the American Rose Society. If there is a local Society member who truly loves roses and has not joined ARS, now is the perfect time to do so. The parent organization’s health is improved if growth in their ranks is escalated. Join and be a member of the only floral organization that promotes growing the Lord’s most beautiful flower. It is then that one can say the stimulus program really works.

A Rose Lover’s Calendar

Welcome New Member!

NRS, Tenarky, & ARS Coming Events FEBRUARY 2

NRS Meeting at Cheekwood 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM - Rosemania’s Logan Shillinglaw & Robbie Tucker 19-21 Tenarky Winter Workshop - Franklin Marriott Hotel-Cool Springs, Franklin, TN - Sam & Nancy Jones 615-646-4138 gsamj@bellsouth.net MARCH 2 4-7

Mary Ann Hext 1997 Browning Rd. Rockfield, KY 42274 270-781-8171 mhext@insightbb.com Take time to introduce yourself to a new member and then each of you will have a new rose friend!

NRS Meeting at Cheekwood 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM Vendor’s Night & Pruning Demonstration by Marty Reich Nashville Lawn & Garden Show, TN State Fairgrounds - For information Call 615-876-7680 or visit www.nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com APRIL

6 29-2

ARS Consulting Rosarians

NRS Meeting at Cheekwood - Pickup Fortuniana Roses 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM - Planning and Preparing Rose Beds ARS Spring National - Shreveport, LA - for details visit www.ars.org

South Nashville Leann Barron ....................(615) 269-0240 *Marty Reich ....................(615) 833-0791

Details & other event news available at

www.nashvillerosesociety.com

West Nashville Keith Garman ....................(615) 352-6219

Nashville Rose Leaf is printed by: The Print Authority Brentwood, Tennessee

Sam & Nancy Jones ..........(615) 646-4138

Contributions Nashville Rose Society is a 501c-3 organization and all contributions to the society are tax-deductible. Contributions may be made as memorials or to honor some person, group or occasion. Checks for contributions should be made payable to Nashville Rose Society and mailed to: CINDY WORCH 137 Urban Farms Rd. Manchester, TN 37355 ((931) 723-2142 rosegardener@hughes.net

Nashville Rose Leaf The Nashville Rose Leaf is published eleven times annually by the Nashville Rose Society, Nashville, TN Editors: Jim & Starla Harding, Sam Jones & Leann Barron Editorial Advisory Committee: Marty Reich and Charles Lott

Brentwood Area

Nashville Rose Society 2010 Officers President Larry Baird................(931) 729-5259

*Cecil & Bessie Ward ........(615)373-2245

Vice-Pres Ron Daniels...............(615) 330-7083

Jerry & Marise Keathley ....(615)377-3034

Treasurer Susan Sinclair............(615) 386-3818 Rec. S’ty Hayes Gibson ...........(615) 794-1708 Cor. S’ty Cynthia Worch ..........(931) 723-2142 Previous Pres. Sandra Frank..... .(615) 383-058

Nashville Rose Society Membership We are a non-profit organization serving the middle Tennessee area to educate persons on growing and exhibiting roses. Membership is open to everyone who supports the objectives of the organization. Annual dues of $20.00 per household include a subscription to The Nashville Rose Leaf, the official newsletter of the society. To join, send a check payable to Nashville Rose Society to: Marty Reich, 5020 Dovecote Dr., Nashville, TN 37220-1614 Phone: (615) 833-0791; E-mail: marty615@bellsouth.net

Franklin Area *Anne Owen .....................(615) 794-0138 Logan & Joan Shillinglaw (615) 790-7346 Robbie&Marsha Tucker ....(615) 595-9187 Hendersonville Area Ron Daniels.......................(615) 330-7083 Charles Lott.......................(615) 824-5614 Jack Wedekind ..................(615) 824-8696 Murfreesboro Area Dillard & Diane Lester......(615) 896-0203 Columbia Area Lyle Worsham ...................(931) 388-4547 Lebanon-Watertown Area Jeff Harvey ........................(615) 268-7089 Jennifer Harvey .................(615) 268-7032 Duck River-Centerville Area

Disclaimer: While the advice and information in this newsletter is believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication, neither the authors nor the editor(s) accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may have been made.

The Nashville Rose Society makes no warranty, expressed or implied with respect to the material contained herein.

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*Larry & Connie Baird .....(931) 729-5259 *Indicates ARS Master Rosarian

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, FEBRUARY 2010

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID BRENTWOOD, TN PERMIT NO. 162

5020 Dovecote Drive Nashville, TN 37220-1614 Address Service Requested

www.nashvillerosesociety.com

2009 NRS Awards Banquet

Pat Bullard is presented the Grand Neighbor Award by Ray Hunter

2009 Grand Prix Winners - Report from Dillard Lester The Nashville Rose Society has two Grand Prix Rose Shows where members exhibit roses and arrangements in competition with fellow members. Points are awarded and the results of both shows are compiled to determine awards on three levels.

The Grand Prix winners were announced at the December banquet. In the Horticulture Division the Advanced Exhibitor winner was Doyle Clark, the Intermediate Exhibitors winners were Jim and Starla Harding and the Novice Exhibitor winner was Wayne Metcalf. In the Arrangement Division, the winner was Ron Daniels. I would like to thank everyone that entered roses and all that helped in preparation and judging at the two shows.

This year there will again be two Grand Prix Shows. If anyone has ideas on how to improve the shows or how to get more members to participate, please let Dillard Lester know. We especially need more arrangement entries. Suggestions on show and arrangement themes would be appreciated. Also, please let Dillard know if you would be willing to help setup, help in the preparation room, clerk, judge, or help in cleanup.

Jim & Starla Harding won the Intermediate Exhibitor Grand Prix award

Ron Daniels pictured with his wife Francine received the 2009 ARS Bronze Medal as well as the Grand Prix award in the Arrangement Division

All Photo courtesy of Charles Lott

The University Club of Nashville was the site of the Nashville Rose Society Banquet on December 1, 2009. The music was great. The food was wonderful. But the highlight of the evening was the installation of new officers and the presentation of awards.

Francine Daniels presented the induction of new officers with a very special program provided by Jennifer Harvey.

Our new officers for 2010 are Larry Baird, President; Ron Daniels, Vice President; Susan Sinclair, Treasurer; Cynthia Worch, Corresponding Secretary; Hayes Gibson, Recording Secretary, and Leann Barron, Member at Large.

Ron Daniels received The American Rose Society 2009 Bronze Medal; the highest honor awarded on a local level. It is given annually to a member who has been an outstanding ambassador for the organization and encouraged others to become rose gardeners through teaching and example.

The NRS President’s award is presented to a member who has made a unique contribution to the organization and the community. Jennifer Harvey was chosen for the 2009 NRS President’s Award for her tireless commitment and dedicated service.

The Grand Neighbor award was presented to Pat Bullard

by Ray Hunter in recognition of her valuable contribution to the Nashville community and for the image of the rose and the society through the creation of the Nashville Music Garden.