Nashville Rose Leaf March 2010

Nashville Rose Leaf

Official Publication of The Nashville Rose Society Serving Rose Enthusiasts Throughout Middle Tennessee Affiliated with the American Rose Society - www.ars.org

MARCH 2010

Volume Vl 44 44, IIssue 2

March 2nd NRS Meeting at Cheekwood 6:30 pm Refreshments

Brenda Lee

By: Starla Harding Jim and I have enjoyed more serendipitous moments in the NRS than we can now readily count. Our acquisition of a Brenda Lee rose was just one of many. Glenda Whitaker was hosting what would be her last NRS picnic when Pat Bullard, the genius behind the Nashville Music Garden, showed up with a Brenda Lee rose. She and Glenda decided this dazzling yellow blend miniature would be a door prize but had not yet formulated a method by which the winner would be chosen.

Finally, it was decided that the person with the closest birth date would take home this Whit Wells wonder. Thank you Bobby & Gayle Harding (Jim’s parents) for your part in assuring Jim won this rose.

(Cont’d on Back Cover)

A conversation with Brenda Lee By: Starla Harding

Brenda Lee with Hybridizer Whit Wells at the dedication of the Nashville Music Garden

Brenda Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia on December 11, 1944. Her given name was Brenda Mae Tarpley, but that was later shortened to Brenda Lee on the suggestion of a television producer who felt it would be easier to remember. Her rise to stardom was no small feat, particularly given the hardships she faced as a young child. Her first public performance came at the age of 5 and she was only three years older when her father was killed in a construction accident, leaving the family with no primary income. Brenda knew, even this early in life, that God had given her a gift. She was determined to share it with the world and use it for good.

Suffice it to say, she surpassed this goal long ago.

Her achievements, awards and recognitions could quickly fill all the pages of this newsletter and the entertainers with whom she has performed and/or befriended reads like a “Who’s Who in Hollywood”. Her hit repertoire boasts almost 30 Gold Records with songs like “I’m Sorry” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” selling in excess of 22 million, collectively. She has been charted in more music categories than any other female recording artist in the history of recorded music. Brenda is also as well known internationally as she is within the United States with her records sales exceeding the 100 million mark. She is also the only female recording artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall (Cont’d on Page 3)

Photo courtesy of Katherine Bomboy

March Rose of the Month Little Miss Dynamite -

Photo courtesy of Brenda Lee Productions, Inc

Photo courtesy of Two Sisters Roses

7:00 pm Vendor Night & Pruning Demonstration by Marty Reich

President’s Column Boy, you talk about a tough decision.

The first meeting of the new year with a great program on chemicals and gadgets for the garden, all kinds of information to get out to everyone, and Mother Nature decides to show even rose gardeners who’s boss.

The weather services reported 4 to 7 inches of snow and ice, all of the schools in middle Tennessee were closed, but in this area all that can go away in a matter of hours. But you never know, so we decided not to take a chance on someone suffering injury or loss, and cancelled the February meeting.

Now about that information we needed to get out, hopefully a lot of you managed to attend the Tenarky midwinter meeting and had a great time talking and learning about roses. We all want to congratulate Sam Jones on a job well done on his first major function as the Tenarky District Director, with a great program and outstanding line up of speakers. Keep up the good work, Sam! By now, if Ken and Lynda Correll have not contacted you to help with the Nashville Rose Society booth at the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show, give them a call (615) 478-5098 or Email: lyndacorrell@comcast.net. The Nashville Lawn and Garden Show is a wonderful opportunity to extend the love of rose gardening to a large group of people that has been “underprivileged” by not being aware of The Nashville Rose Society, and this is your chance to spread the word.

Seriously, it is a fun event , and if you

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

have not participated in the past, you owe it to yourself to have a great time and also see firsthand the latest in lawn and garden gadgets together with many landscaping ideas that you might use in your own garden.

Vendor night is coming up the first Tuesday night in March, at Cheekwood, and I hope everyone has placed their order for the supplies that we need as we enter another growing season. As most of you are aware, the participating vendors can supply everything we need to have a great rose growing season.

The vendors usually offer a discount from their regular prices and since the purchase is considered a donation for tax purposes, you pay no state sales tax.

Also keep in mind that 10% of your purchase goes to help support the Nashville Rose Society so Vendor Night is one of our major fund raising efforts. If you have not sent in your order yet, call Gary Spencer and see that you have time to get it in (stop reading now, and go call (615) 662-3819, you can finish later).

Also, on Vendor Night, around 6:30 pm and maybe again around 7:30 pm, our own Master Consulting Rosarian Marty Reich is going to present her program on pruning your roses for the spring, so if you have any doubts be sure to attend.

And, after you learn all about pruning roses from Marty, plan to attend the annual NRS pruning party in the lovely rose garden of Mona Mishu. This event has become one of the favorites of many members of NRS and presents another opportunity to advance the NRS and rose growing to the public. Make plans to join us on March 13, 10:00 am at 6224 Bridlewood Lane, Brentwood, Tennessee.

Looking forward, go ahead and make your plans now to attend the April NRS meeting when we finally get an opportunity to really get to the basics of rose growing. Your Vice President, Ron Daniels, and Wayne Metcalf will present a program on planning, designing and planting a rose garden.

See you on Vendor night!

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, MARCH 2010

— Larry Baird, President 2

Editor’s Desk Out of the two of us, Jim is the adventurer. He seems to thrive on charting new territory and taking on ever-increasing challenges. Not only does he often step outside his box, he leaps, many times without a thought to look first. This is likely why he excels in artistic endeavors. Me? Not so much. I like the confines of my cozy little box and the only time you will find me outside my own comfort zone is when Jim’s firm grasp dragged me, sometimes kicking and screaming.

So, when he assigned a last-minute interview with Brenda Lee to me, I stuttered and stammered grasping for every imaginable excuse why I was not qualified for such an important task. Whenever I am overcome with unfounded fears and anxieties, my loving husband’s response is predictable. He ignores me. This time, that tactic worked out well for him. (Let us not now visit the many occasions when it has not.) Despite my trepidation, I had not been on the phone with Ms. Lee (who immediately insisted I call her “Brenda”) for a scant minute before I felt as if I were talking to a dear friend I had known forever. She speaks confidently, yet straight from her heart. In fact, there were several times during the interview that I had to take pause and compose emotions that her answers to my questions stirred within.

While I promised her my best writing efforts in honoring her, she certainly did not need my meager attempts. Make no mistake that the depth of the interview lies in her answers rather than my questions. My conversation with her went well beyond the bounds of my interview questions as I realized that Jim could never give me enough space in the newsletter to adequately depict all there is to Brenda Lee. Still, we found a common appreciation for fresh vegetables, Whit Wells, southern manners and a loving, gracious God. We both also take great pleasure and enjoy immense success in growing the rose which is named for her. I left the interview with a rare appreciation for my husband’s persistence in booting me out of my box.

Thanks to his prodding and Ms. Lee’s uplifting demeanor, I will never again care for my Brenda Lee rose without feeling inspired by the unforgettable spirit of the woman for whom it is named.

— Starla & Jim Harding

A Conversation with Brenda Lee By: Starla Harding of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

It is little wonder that she was honored in 2009 with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Outside the realm of music, she has given her name, talents and time to an array of charities, particularly holding a special place in her heart for military charities. Recently, she graciously granted an interview to the NRS which is featuring the Brenda Lee rose as its March Rose of the Month.

Q. Do you have a fond or favorite memory of a rose that you would be willing to share with us?

A. I have always loved yellow roses.

Many times, Ella Fitzgerald and I would be performing at the same place and often we followed each other’s acts. She was my hero and the sweetest lady you could ever meet. Somehow she found out that I loved yellow roses and so it became a tradition that whenever we would perform at the same place, she would send me 1 or 2 dozen yellow roses. That has to be one of my favorite memories about roses.

(Cont’d from Page 1)

attend and have my rose in the garden.’ It is a great honor. There were so many talented people there that day.

Q. We spoke with Whit Wells, hybridizer of the Brenda Lee rose, who told us he was a fan of your music. Tell us your thoughts on him and the rose he named in your honor.

A. My husband met Whit before I did and he told me I was going to love him. He was right. The first time I met Whit, it was like meeting a relative. He is such a unique person, but he is also so sweet and down to earth. Spending time with him was like being with family. I love the rose. It is so pretty but it is also very sturdy and hardy.

Whit brought 6 Brenda Lee roses to me at the dedication and my husband and I planted them close to our vegetables. They look so pretty and I love to see them. Some people ask why I didn’t have a big rose named for me, but I’m so glad it’s a miniature. I happen to be little and I collect all types of miniatures, just about anything that is miniature, so it’s perfect that the rose named for me is a miniature. I just love it.

Q. Do you enjoy gardening?

A. My husband, Ronnie, is the gardener.

I am the cook and canner. All summer he tends to the garden and I can everything we grow: tomatoes, okra, cucumber, squash and many other vegetables. I love fresh vegetables and I love canning. And, of course, we have the Brenda Lee roses growing very close by. My husband used to grow over 25 types of roses and while it was very hard work, the dividend is wonderful.

Q. If you could name a rose for someone, who would it be and why?

A. My husband and I were recently talking and we agreed that the hardest job in the world, if it’s done right, is a stay-at-home mom. So, I would name one in honor of stay-at-home moms, but I would also have to name one for teachers. They have the power to change lives and everyone knows a teacher they will never forget.

Q. Did you ever see her later in life?

A. Oh yes. As I began to become wellknown she would come to my performances and then as she got older and could not come to see me anymore, I went to visit her in the nursing home where she lived.

Q. You have performed for public audiences in almost every part of the world. With such a wonderful voice, did you ever sing privately to your children or grandchildren?

A. I sang to both of my girls, Julie and Jolie, when they were babies and I sang to my grandchildren, Taylor, Jordan & Charlie. Charlie and I still sing together all the time.

Before the interview concluded, Ms. Lee posed a question to me; “Did you ever get the opportunity to meet Glenda Whitaker?” to which I replied, “I not only met her, I quickly came to adore her.” Brenda responded “I am so happy for you that you got to know her and I cannot let this interview end without mentioning her and her sweet husband, Bob.” Brenda lives in Nashville with her husband Ronnie. They have been married for 47 years. For those who are interested in learning more about this music icon, a visit to her web-site www.brendalee.com is time well-spent. Brenda Lee personifies everything that encompasses the term “music legend” and the NRS remains grateful for her willingness to share pieces of her amazing life story with us.

A. I think the garden will be a great draw, especially because of its location next to the Country Music Hall of Fame. When Pat Bullard told me she would be honored if I attended the dedication, I said ‘You would be honored? I will be honored if you let me

Photo courtesy of Brenda Lee Productions, Inc

Q. Did you have such a teacher?

Q. Last fall, you were one of the honorees at the formal dedication ceremony of the Nashville Music Garden. Clearly, you were a crowd favorite. What are your thoughts about this unique garden and how does it feel to have the Brenda Lee rose included in it?

A. Yes I did. My third grade teacher, Miss Norton. She knew that I was tired from being on the road working all the time and she would let me put my head down and sleep during 1st period and she let me turn my work in late. We were very poor at that time and many times I did not bring a lunch.

She always brought enough lunch for two.

But she let me have my pride and acted like I was doing her a favor. She would say “Brenda, I have packed too much food, Brenda Lee backstage at the could you please come and help me eat it?”

Grand Ole Opry with Elvis And, of course, I would. I never forgot her.

3 NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, MARCH 2010

The March Rose Garden By: Anne Owen, Master Consulting Rosarian The month of March begins the march to beautiful roses! There’s a lot to do this month, and a great place to start is by doing a soil test. Take your soil samples at different places in the rose beds from 8 – 12” deep, mix together, and send it or take it to Ellington Agriculture Center. Check http://soilplantandpest.utk.edu/ for more information. Soil tests are also good at the end of the growing season. If you need to adjust the pH in your beds, the additives can be working over the winter.

An accurate pH meter can be found at local garden centers, and a professional model is available at Rosemania. A pH meter is an essential tool for all gardeners (second only to a shovel!). pH is the first thing to check when your plants aren’t doing well. The ideal pH for roses is between 6.2 – 6.8. Those numbers are a guide and if your beds are a little above or below those numbers, it’s probably not necessary to do anything to alter the pH – just watch it closely. If your readings are below 6 or above 7, it would benefit the roses to adjust the pH with additions of dolomite lime (to increase pH) or sulphur (to decrease pH) worked into the soil around the dripline. The additives usually take around 6 weeks to work so be patient. If you have a pH problem either way, check all your bushes– it may not be a problem in the whole garden and might just require individual treatment.

Prepare your fertilization and spray programs now so you can get all your gardening materials at Vendor Night on March 2, (see meeting details in calendar on page 7). This is a one stop shopping experience for gardeners to get all their supplies for the season in one place. Be sure to pre-order to make sure you get all the products you need.

Vendor Night.) Invest in a good pair of loppers, a pruning saw, and a good pair of thorn resistant gloves.

The best time to prune is during the last two weeks in March. The danger in pruning too soon is losing new growth to a late freeze, and if you prune too late, you may delay the bloom cycle. If you do have a late freeze that kills new growth, the main bud will die but the two side buds – one on each side of the main bud –will replace it. Several years ago, there was a very late freeze and many of us bought remay cloth or put sheets and blankets over the roses. Big job, lots of worrying and fretting and checking of temperatures didn’t help and we learned to just let Mother Nature have her way.

Check with any of the Consulting Rosarians if you have questions on pH or pruning, but don’t miss the pruning demonstration on March 13, 2010 from 10 am- 12 noon at Mona Mishu’s house (6224 Bridlewood Ln, Brentwood, TN 37027). You won’t find a better opportunity to really learn how to prune roses, get all your questions answered, and enjoy the fellowship of other rose lovers. It will be open to the public, so bring your friends!

When you are through with the spring pruning, do your first spray of the season before re-covering. It’s very important to spray with a combination of fungicide and insecticide to catch anything that has overwintered. The average date of the last frost in this area is April 15-23, so keep an eye on the five day weather reports as you start to uncover, and then do it gradually. We have had late freezes after the 23rd in recent years, so be ready to recover if necessary. After you uncover for the season in late April, begin your regular spray schedule.

Before pruning time, sharpen all your When you plant any new bare-root roses pruners so you will be ready when the time is right. If you have more than 50 at this time, be sure to hill them up with roses, I would recommend having sev- ten inches or so of good dirt or mulch to eral pairs of pruners so you always have protect them against late freezes and to a sharp pair to work with. Felco is a very keep the canes from drying out. After the reliable brand and well worth the cost. canes are well leafed out, you can start to They will still be in top shape long af- gradually remove mulch. ter the lesser brands have been discardYou can apply your favorite organed. (Dickens Supply will have them at NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, MARCH 2010 4

ics now – some examples are mushroom compost, Mills Mix, alfalfa meal, Epsom salts, and Liquid Carbon. Work dry products into the soil around the dripline and water in well. Apply Liquid Carbon before a rain so it will be drawn into the soil.

As soon as you see new growth, start your regular spray program. Aphids usually appear on new growth but can be controlled by washing off or by spraying with any good insecticide. If you have questions about sprays, contact a CR and check out the Rosemania website for more information.

A great source on correct pruning techniques and all other aspects of growing roses is the American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian Manual available from the ARS website www.ars.org or by calling them at 800627-6534. It has excellent information and illustrations to help you with pruning, planting, winterizing, etc. The CR Manual is a recommended reference tool for all rosarians from beginners to professionals.

The Nashville Lawn and Garden Show will be held at the fairgrounds March 4th through the 7th. If you volunteer to work at the NRS booth, admission is free. If you’ve never been to the Lawn and Garden Show, it’s THE place for gardeners to see beautiful garden displays.

The Nashville Rose Society needs members to become Consulting Rosarians every year. If you have an interest in learning more about growing roses and enjoy teaching others what you have learned, please contact our Chairman of Consulting Rosarians Lyle Worsham 931-388-4547. You can participate as an Apprentice Consulting Rosarian while you complete your three year requirement of continuous membership in the American Rose Society. The Tenarky Winter Workshop at the Cool Springs Marriot will have a school on March 21st. This is a great opportunity to audit a class before taking the open book test. See the Tenarky website at www.tenarky.org for more information on the excellent speakers who will be featured at the workshop and the CR School.

NRS News

Membership Directory We are planning the new membership directory for 2010, and need your help in getting the directory printed. Ask your favorite nursery or business if they would be intersted in advertising. Or if you have any well wishes and memorials you would like to share with the rose society you can take out an ad in the directory. People use the directory all year long so your advertisement gets great view time. Last year’s directory will become a collector’s item with all of the great photos, history and information from the Nashville Music Garden.

tor Charles Lott for his continued guidance and encouragement.

A newsletter is only as good as its content. The Nashville Rose Leaf is very fortunate to have many wonderful rosarians willing to share their time and talent. Nine articles received the American Rose Society’s Award of Merit. The distinguished authors receiving this honor were: Leann Barron - Roses Are for Remembrance and From The Ground Up: Rosebud Snatchers Dr. Raymond Cloyd – Dormant Oils, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know, Defusing Misconceptions about Thrips, and What Rose Growers Should Know about Colony Collapse Disorder Diva D. Delight (aka Lori Emery) – The Beginning Rosarian: June Rose Care

Here are the rates for the upcoming membership directory:

Ted Mills – Voluminous Voles

A full page is 5.5”x 8”

Dr. Scott Rankin – Rose Replant Disease

Full page ad Black and White $50 Color $100.

Glenda Whitaker – March Rose of the Month: Lynn Anderson

Half page ad Black and White $25 Color $50.

For those of you who have been in the NRS for some time you know that Glenda Whitaker was a prolific writer and her contributions to the newsletter over the years were enormous. Glenda’s story on Lynn Anderson has an extra special meaning as it was her last article she wrote before her passing, and it is nice to see her work honored with an ARS Award of Merit.

1/4 page or business card Black and White $15 Color $25.

Please send your advertisements or other announcements by March 24th to Jeff Harvey at Jeff@dirtdawgnursery.com or 2910 Poplar Hill Road, Watertown TN 37184.

Nashville Rose Leaf Awards Wow! 2009 was a greatt year ffor th the N Nashh ville Rose Leaf.

To begin with, our newsletter received the American Rose Society’s 2009 Bulletin Contest Silver Medal award for the second year in a row. Thanks goes to the editorial advisory committee; Marty Reich, Sam Jones, Leann Barron, Don Reed and Jean Bruce who provided the necessary contributions, and support. A very special thank you goes to our former edi-

Ultimately, our newsletter is only as good as our contributing authors. Looking back at 2009 we had over twenty different authors contribute articles; some for the first time. So if you have a hankerin’ to share your thoughts in an article let one of the editorial staff know. There are also some of you who may have a great idea for a story but may not feel inclined to write and that is okay; just go ahead and share your idea.

The Nashville Rose Leaf has a long tradition of excellence and it is because of our members and friends who are willing to share. We all want this to continue so don’t be shy about asking how you can help!

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March Rose Tips What can we do for our garden in March? After you have ordered your Mills Mix and Easy Feed, take your list to your local garden store and gather up gloves, twine, a roll of green velcro, 4’ rebar, Miracle Grow, a new pair of pruners and anything else you might need during the growing season.

— Kathy Brennan, ARS Consulting Rosarian Late March is the middle Tennessee time for Spring pruning of roses. Although your plants will sprout new growth and produce roses no matter how you prune, proper pruning will ensure that you have healthier plants and prettier roses. If you are a beginning rosarian, I strongly recommend you get assistance from a veteran. The best way to learn the art of good pruning techniques is to watch a successful rosarian. Ask any Consulting Rosarian (or other veteran rose grower) if you can come to their garden to observe and help when they do their spring pruning. Or attend the NRS pruning party at the Mishu garden March 13th. Then next year you can offer to teach a beginner.

— Charles R. Lott, ARS Consulting Rosarian Roses need a soil adequate to supply all the necessary nutrients for healthy growth and a location that will make it possible for the rose to grow free from the handicaps that contribute to disease. Remember as Glenda Whitaker taught us, a happy rose is a healthy rose and most often free from disease. One tip that I may offer is that earthworms are like teenagers- if you feed them, they will come.

— Mary Bates, ARS Consulting Rosarian We all know shrub roses, such as the highly popular ‘Knock Out’ variety, are prolific growers and produce a mass of canes. To make pruning easier, use electric hedge clippers initially. This often produces rough ends on the canes. Just as the barber fine-cuts the hair, follow up with cross-over (never anvil type) pruners, such as Felco #2, to neatly shape the scarred ends of canes. Remove twiggy non- productive growth. Continually regulate the desired height of the bush as the season progresses.

— Ted

Mills, Master Consulting Rosarian and ARS Judge

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, MARCH 2010

from the ground up “The Grumpy Gardenista” I just bought a pair of white sneakers, the first in years. Considering my distaste for anything bright and white on my feet, it was something of a big deal. After modeling them for my husband, I had to dash out into the yard to deal with my giant unruly dog, and ran full-stop into a deep patch of mud. While I find white sneakers to be a fashion embarrassment, I still deeply resented soiling them before they’d been publicly debuted. What is worse, I couldn’t tell if it was just mud or wet, semi-composted canine manure, but I quickly found out when I came inside and sniffed. Grrrr.

I resent: 1. The annual attack of my neighbor’s invasive plant monsters.

Spreading the love from her yard to mine, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, thousands of seedlings: nandina, mint and monarda.

Everywhere. I love my neighbor and even her incorrigible Jack Russell Terrors, but these army of plant trespassers threaten my feeble summer sanity. Suggestions welcome.

2. Sunscreen. No matter what kind you buy, it inevitably will find its way to your eyes once you start sweating. Highly annoying. I tried the sports sunscreen but it still drips like a faucet into my stinging eyes.

3. Tacky yard art. While a good gardener cannot survive on good taste alone, there are a few no-nos in yard art: plastic anything, including flowers and plants (though I have a soft spot for the much-maligned pink flamingos). Most indestructible resin objectos-dee-artos are likewise dreadful. I do make exceptions for artists like Felder Rushing who has elevated tackiness to high art with his pickup truck garden. I’m not kidding, it’s famous.

About this time of year, I find myself feeling quite crabby about being unable to putter around the garden without shivering. I hate wet, humid Southern winters.

Wintry weather bares my fangs as well as the foliage and I am reminded that over the years, I have morphed into a spring/ fall person, since I hate summer too. I always look forward to wintertime, anticipating days of curling up with books, hearty soups and plant catalogs. But as the bone-chilling reality sets in after Christmas, freezing grey day after freezing grey day, I realize I waited too long to finish garden winterizing, haven’t ordered the first spring plant, and I already lost two choice potted agaves by neglecting to bring them indoors. Waahhh.

4. A “perfect” garden with a pastel palette.

A garden without a good kick of color, and with perfect symmetry leaves me cold.

5. Slugs. I personally drowned 27,559 last year, and it didn’t make a dent in the population. ‘Nuff said.

6. Cold hardy plants that aren’t.

7. Bambi. While I don’t have a deer problem, many of us do, and I am impressed by their browsing abilities and taste for the expensive.

8. Weeding. Period.

9. Not having a private backyard garden.

A corner lot attracts both human and caSo, while I’m feeling unusually unpleas- nine curiosity. For example, another wellant, I’m going to unveil my top secret List meaning neighbor routinely turns loose of Garden Resentments. Then I promise her rambunctious 3-legged dog. There’s to be more cheerful the rest of this year. no “leg-hiking warning” when he’s about to “water’ your prized shrubbery, and he At least I’ll try. looks so pitiful when he’s doing his busiNASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, MARCH 2010 6

by: leann barron ness on the lawn, you can’t bring yourself to scold him. But she giggles innocently and says, “Oh dear, Tripod’s been a naughty boy again, hasn’t he?” Grrrr.

10. Crape murder. The sinful hacking and topping of crape myrtles.

11. I resent my garden wardrobe. I saw a recent photo of the First Lady, gingerly digging in the White House garden dirt, wearing stylish melon-colored Levis. I ran straight to the closet and tossed out ragged old garden clothes that even Goodwill would reject. Why is it that we rarely see a gardener (including yours truly) looking just a bit dapper in the garden? My modus operandi has been to pull down my unsanitary baseball cap over mascara-less eyes and pretend I don’t see any overlyfriendly passerby.

12. Expensive pesticides. Mostly unnecessary, not good for the environment or our lungs. Bugs rule. Get over it.

13. Other pet peeves: dull tools, favorite pruners that vanish forever in the garden, plants that I can’t afford, holes in my gloves, plants that smell like a litter box, you get the idea.

Now if the sun will just shine and the ground will warm up so I can dig without breaking my shovel handle and, and, and...

A Rose Lover’s Calendar

NRS, Tenarky, & ARS Coming Events MARCH 2 4-7 13 6 17 29-2 4

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NRS Meeting at Cheekwood 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM Vendor Night & Pruning Demonstration by Marty Reich Nashville Lawn & Garden Show, TN State Fairgrounds - For information Call 615-876-7680 or visit www.nashvillelawnandgardenshow.com NRS pruning party - 6224 Bridlewood Lane, Brentwood, Tennessee APRIL NRS Meeting at Cheekwood - Pickup Fortuniana Roses 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM - Planning and Preparing Rose Beds Ron Daniels & Wayne Metcalf Annual Plant & Herb Sale in the Sports Arena, Tennessee State Fairgrounds ARS Spring National - Shreveport, LA - for details visit www.ars.org MAY NRS Meeting - Location TBA 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM Old Garden Roses by Lynn Wallman Meeting Location TBA Bowling Green Rose Society Rose Show - American Legion Hall Details & other event news available at

www.nashvillerosesociety.com

Welcome New Members!

Shirley McEwen 1910 Bratton Lane Williamsport, TN 38487 931-583-0714 Nancy McEwen 2330 Leatherwood Rd. Williamsport, TN 38487 931-583-2367 Mary Boyd 2412 Sterling Rd. Nashville ,TN 37215 615-310-8813 Take time to introduce yourself to a new member and then each of you will have a new rose friend!

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

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

Keith Garman ....................(615) 352-6219 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 Editorial Advisory Committee: Sam Jones, Leann Barron and Marty Reich

Nashville Rose Society 2010 Officers

Brentwood Area

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) 383-7058

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, MARCH 2010

5020 Dovecote Drive Nashville, TN 37220-1614

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

Address Service Requested

www.nashvillerosesociety.com

The Unveiling of Crescendo

March Rose of the Month

Brenda Lee

(Cont’d from the front Cover)

Photo courtesy of Sam Jones

Introduced in the U.S. by Wells Midsouth Roses in 2009 and bred in 2008 by Whit Wells, this orange–red yellow reverse miniature blooms in flushes throughout the season.

It produces a moderate fragrance with very large, double blooms comprised of 17-25 petals. The medium-green foliage accentuates the colorful bloom which is ideal for exhibition. A small collection of these miniatures can be found in Brenda Lee’s private garden. She loves the rose and reports that it has thrived in close proximity to her vegetable garden.

The Nashville Rose Society is honoring the Nashville Symphony with a brand new rose named - appropriately enough - Crescendo. The public is invited to an unveiling on March 24th in the Schermerhorn’s Martha Rivers Ingram Garden Courtyard. Sam Jones, a member of the Nashville Rose Society, describes the flower as a fragrant bloom with creamcolored, pink-tinged petals. Hybridized by Keith Zary of Jackson & Perkins, one of the country’s oldest and largest rose breeders, it will be one of the many featured plants in the Nashville Music Garden, located in Hall of Fame Park just across the street from Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Special thanks to Pat Bullard, a trustee of the LifeWorks Foundation and one of the driving forces behind the Nashville Music Garden, for coming up with the idea of naming a flower in honor of the Nashville Symphony! For information about the March 24th event, call (615) 687-6400. For additonal information visit the www.nashvillerosesociety website and also the website for www.nashvillemusicgarden.

Jim and I have enjoyed our own experience with the rose which almost shadows the rise to stardom of the woman for whom it is named. Like Brenda Lee, our rose came from humble beginnings. We won it late in the growing season so the bush was very small and bore no blooms.

Rather than take a chance on planting it immediately, with crossed fingers, we weathered it in the garage. As hardy and resilient as its namesake, the little bush survived against all odds so we planted it in one of our new gardens which just happened to take the shape of a stage apron.

Neither of us knew at the time that I would later interview this lovely lady, nor did either of us know then that one of Brenda Lee’s famous nicknames was “Little Miss Dynamite,” an affectionate reference to her commanding stage presence. However, fate together with the passage of time has a serendipitous way of tying many things together. You see, the first time we saw this rose in bloom, we were both captured by its “dynamite” colors. Although it is a miniature (did I mention that Brenda Lee stands a wee 4’9”?) its presence is not undermined by the size because its color beckons the eye away from neighboring hybrid teas. Small in size alone, its powerful voice in the garden demands to be heard. And where did we plant this oneof-a-kind beauty? Front and center “stage” of course and we both agree it belonged there all along. So, if you are looking for a show-stopper miniature, take it from me… look no further than Brenda Lee.