Nashville Rose Leaf November 2010 by Jim Harding

Nashville Rose Leaf

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

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

Volume 44 44, Issue 10

November 2nd NRS Meeting Cheekwood 6:30 pm - Refreshments + Chili and Cornbread Cook-off 7:00 pm - Winterization Panel Discussion - Doyle Clark & Lyle Worsham November Rose of the Month Mrs. John Laing

Photo courtesy of Sam Jones

Photo courtesy of Carsten Heidemann

Hybrid Perpetual, 1887

“Great Southern Roses” Reign Over Atlanta’s ARS Fall Rose Show By: Sam Jones

ARS Rating 7.9 By: Kathy Brennan, ARS Consulting Rosarian

Reverend Samuel Reynolds Hole, Dean of Rochester from 1887 to 1904 and one of the founders of the “National Rose Society” (now the Royal Rose Society) sang this rose’s praises highly and deemed it “Beauty’s Queen”. This beautiful Hybrid Perpetual has large, cupped, double pink flowers with 45 petals and a strong sweet fragrance. The foliage is a pale green that complements the soft pink flowers. It is a repeat bloomer with an 7.9 ARS rating. After more than 100 years this bush is still vigorous and freely flowers as much as ever. It is a good exhibition rose and a great garden rose. (Cont’d on page 9)

Best Rose in a Bowl Marilyn Wellan Dan and Barbara Brickman “Great Roses in the South,” the ARS Fall Convention and Rose Show held in Atlanta’s suburb of Marietta, GA, October 7-11, truly lived up to its name. It was a “great” show for southern exhibitors, starring David and Tammy Clemons, whose influence on roses grows steadily from their gardens and home in Grant, Alabama, across the Southeast and the wider American rosescape. They handily won the Hybrid Tea Queen of the Show with an almost perfect stem of ‘Louise Estes,’ groomed for her royal throne, although as rose-breeders, the Clemons’ stable of thoroughbred miniflora winners packed the Court with blooms grown by some of the truly “great” rosarians and exhibitors of south and north. (Cont’d on page 8)

President’s Column Well, If you are one of those members who have been saying “ I am going to go to the Rose Society meeting next month” and have not gotten there, this is your last opportunity in 2010 to come out and enjoy the fellowship and knowledge of Nashville’s top rose growers. Our program for the November meeting is the very timely advice on what to do to winterize your roses as protection from our unpredictable Tennessee winter. There will be Consulting Rosarians on hand to give individual advice as well. In addition to this great program on roses, this is our annual Chili Cookoff, so bring your favorite chili recipe and your slow cooker and show us your wares. As always, there will be winners in chili as well as cornbread cookers. Don’t miss the fun. The new NRS membership directories are ready and will be available at the November meeting, which is another good reason to attend. If you missed the NRS Rose Show last month, you missed a good one. We had fantastic participation from a lot of new exhibitors, as in thirteen entries in Novice hybrid tea single bloom where the usual entry is one or none. Congratulations to Millie Dolinger and her novice queen winner “Crescendo” Thanks to all who entered for the interest. Also, the walls were lined with many beautiful arrangement designs which tried the imagination of the designers to capture the spirit of Chihuly at Cheekwood. I also want to thank all the volunteers who helped set up, operate, and take down the show. It certainly could not have been the success it was without you. You may have heard by now, we are in need of a new webmaster for our NRS website. Don Gill, who has done such a wonderful job is having to give it up. If you have skills and or desire that would make this of interest to you, please let us know. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Don for all the hard work he has done over the years to make the site informational, user friendly as well as beautiful. We hate to lose you Don. Lori Emery is hard at work to find new officers for 2011, so if you would like to help her recruit officers or volunteer to serve get in touch with her at (laemerey20@hotmail. com) and she will let you know what offices need your help.

If you attended the October meeting, I am sure you enjoyed the Popcorn and Movie program on AARS roses. Even with the little technical glitch it was well worth watching. Thanks to Jim Harding, Sam Jones and the Cheekwood staff; especially Barry Sudano for the impromptu musical interlude. Also at the October meeting, maybe the most important announcement made, concerned the sad news that Linda Ring and Cindy LeMay have decided not to continue their excellent work of coordinating the refreshments at the monthly meetings. This extremely important vital function will need to be filled as we might be able to get along without a program, but we certainly cannot get along without our refreshments. Therefore, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! The annual NRS Christmas party will be held at the Bluegrass Country Club in Hendersonville. Complete information will be available at the November meeting as well as in another area of this edition of the Nashville Rose Leaf. Make plans to attend because this is always a fun event. On the inside back cover of this newsletter, there is available to you many years of rose growing advice and experience, our Consulting Rosarians. If you have not taken advantage of this resource, you have deprived yourself of a lot of good advice.

Editor’s Desk The minute I’m certain I could never offer anyone counsel on growing or showing roses, someone will ask me a question that I actually know the answer to. While such an occurrence is certainly more the exception than the rule, it helps me realize that I have at least retained some data in my persistent quest for rose knowledge. That said, the more information I pick up along the way, the more I realize how little I really know. Take it from me, even the smallest lessons have their merit. In that spirit, I’ll leave you to the experts for substantial advice and share with you some of my personal, albeit trivial, tips on rose exhibiting.

Lesson #1: Rose Exhibiting is best left to “morning” people. This is happy news for Jim who bursts out of bed with glee and enthusiasm. I am not at all, however, a morning person and therefore find his morning demeanor somewhat nauseating. This is NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010 2

why it came as no surprise when I felt out of sorts the morning of Nashville’s recent rose show. Still feeling something was not quite right, I accompanied Jim to Cheekwood to help him prepare our roses for the show. Lesson #2: There are as many lessons on rose exhibiting as there are kind exhibitors who will teach you how to succeed. Sweet Mary Bates, from Knoxville, is a fine example of this lesson as she took the time to teach me a quick tip on trimming damaged leaves symmetrically, which leads us straight to Lesson #3: Just because Mary Bates makes something look easy does not make it so. You might want to consider first practicing on a rose your husband does not intend to exhibit. Otherwise, and I’m just saying, you might find yourself throwing a mangled leaf in the trash can and praying hubby doesn’t notice. Lesson #4: If clerking for rose judges, be sure to wear your poker face. Jim and I clerked for Jim Preston and Kay Rodgers. Neither could have been more kind and both of them encouraged us to use this opportunity to learn by asking them questions. The poker face came in handy when they took the time to share with us the difference between a ribbon-winner and an “inferior” specimen…which just happened to be one of our own entries. The best response is to nod your head concurring completely and refrain from asking any questions which might reveal from whence the rose came. Maybe this was why I still had the peculiar feeling that all was not as it should be this day. This is also where Jim’s most important lesson from this particular rose show comes into play. One he will not soon forget, my friends. Lesson #5. Never wait until after the rose show is over to casually inform your wife that her pants are on backwards. I already told you, I am NOT a morning person and I did, in fact, wear my pants backwards to the rose show. I thought they were the perfect pants, thank you very much. No zipper, lots of give, very comfy and, as it turns out, only a slight discomfort if worn backwards… directing us neatly towards the end with Lesson #6. Lay your clothes out the night before a rose show and try to remember the pocket should be in the back. Otherwise, your husband, too, may wear out the modified phrase “You can take her out, you just can’t dress her up”. — Starla & Jim Harding

An Introduction to Rose Genetics & Genomics By: Helen Rankin & Dr. Scott Rankin For years, rose enthusiasts have been breeding roses that exhibit superb colors, fragrances, petal numbers and even disease resistance through simple crosses. But from where does this immense diversity come? Like all organisms, members of the genus Rosa contain multiple chromosomes, or linear strands of DNA that serve as the blueprints for life. While humans have 2 sets of 23 chromosomes (one set from each parent), roses can have multiple sets of 7 chromosomes. For example, most Hybrid Tea roses are tetraploid, or contain 4 sets of 7 chromosomes, while ‘New Dawn’ contains 3 sets of 7 chromosomes (triploid). Naturally occurring mutations in rose DNA (‘sports’) can alter a gene that contributes to, for example, petal color. By having multiple copies of the same gene, a rose can harbor several different mutations that, when combined, produce an entirely different-looking rose. Therefore, the high degree of chromosome number variation seen in roses can contribute to the vast diversity seen in rose traits.

Recent advances R d iin DNA sequencing i and mapping have allowed scientists to determine which genes are responsible for these new traits. For example, it has been found that the scent for which “Tea” roses are named is due to a naturally occurring mutation in the gene for a key enzyme in the production of 3,5-dimethoxytoluene, a volatile molecule. Similarly, a gene named Rdr1 has been shown to, when mutated in a certain way, confer resistance to black

spot. Finally, a naturally occurring mutation in the gene everblooming (evb) is responsible for conferring the recurrentflowering trait of R. chinensis first used for breeding in China 1000 years ago. In this way, changes in DNA sequence can lead to the production of new traits. One can imagine that increasing the total number of chromosomes, then, can lead to dramatically new traits. Doubling the number of chromosomes means that there is an extra copy of every gene. Therefore, the extra copy can develop new mutations without interfering with the original gene’s function. In this way, increasing ploidy number can allow for greater trait diversity. Even without new mutations, simple gene duplications can have drastic effects on rose traits. For example, duplications in key patterning genes called ‘homeotic genes’ can convert sepals into petals, increasing petal number. While advances in DNA sequencing and mapping are highly publicized for identifying human disease genes, this technology also has major implications for rose breeding. There are many geneticists identifying the DNA changes that give roses certain traits. Furthermore, they are also developing the tools necessary to selectively remove or add new genes and mutations to roses. An example is the first blue rose ever developed (figure), produced by “silencing” several rose genes and introducing a pigment gene from the pansy and iris. It is likely that many future roses will be the product of direct human genetic manipulation. But for now, thank the evb gene and its spontaneous mutation that occurred 1000 years ago every time your recurrent-blooming rose blooms!

November Rose Tips Here is a tip for dry-wrapping roses. A technique which was described in one of the last issues: I called the Saran wrap makers to find out if they still make extrawide wrap which they do not. However,I did find out that there are two kinds of Saran now --a Premium and a Cling-free. The Premium is 30% thicker so would be the one to use for dry-wrapping. — Marty Reich, ARS Master Rosarian Nothing is more beneficial than having a book of reliable rose information. One such book was written by the late Howard Walters, a former ARS gold medal winner and a long time author of countless articles on rose culture. The book is a gold mine of articles that date back several years. Howard was a master at writing in understandable terms. His recent book is a tremendous help in every phase of rose culture. I have a copy and my tip to rosarians is to purchase the book and begin to have rose show entries on the head table. The cost of the book ($19.95) is very reasonable and can be purchased direct from ARS headquarters. Every rosarian buying the book will have a thousand tips at his finger tips. — Ted Mills, ARS Master Rosarian — As we pull off our petals, awaiting beautiful hips, and clean up our leaves, remember “there are no politics in your garden”. — Kathy Brennan, ARS Consulting Rosarian

NRS Patrons

About the authors: Helen Rankin is a Our thanks to the following graduate of Harpeth Hall School and businesses and foundations Duke University. Currently, she is a PhD who have made sustainstudent in genetics at Yale University, ing donations to support studying cancer biology in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. She developed the educational programs her love of roses through the encourageof Nashville Rose Society: ment of her father, Dr. Scott Rankin, a practicing physician in Nashville. Despite Houghland Foundation living far apart, Helen and Scott are kept close thanks to discussions of roses and the Nashville Rose Society. 3 NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010

The November Rose Garden By: Jim Harding As parents raising two daughters we touted the virtues of the 3 C’s – communication, cooperation and consideration. How well these 3 C’s worked is debatable, but recently I heard one of my daughter’s friend’s say she was adding a fourth C – coordination – for the eldest daughter who evidently had trouble walking and twisted her ankle. At the very least we know they are listening. A few years ago in this very column Logan Shillinglaw, one of our newest ARS Master Rosarians, coined his own version of the 3 C’s – cut, clean and cover. If you listened, your roses will have benefited from his lessons learned. However, if you are new rosarian like me and were not even a member you missed out. So for those who either missed out, or for whatever lame excuse did not listen the first time, here is a recap of Logan’s 3 C’s plus a few extras thrown in for good measure. Before getting into the details, the best insurance against winter damage is a healthy rose. As the holiday season approaches, the primary focus should be getting our roses ready for winter – but why? It begins with protection from the freeze thaw cycle. What needs protection? Plants that have been budded or grafted onto a stronger rootstock, like many of the hybrid teas, are the most susceptible. These types of roses have a knot at ground level, a.k.a. the bud union. If it freezes and dies, so will your plant. Roses that have grown and matured on their own root are typically hardier, but can still use some minimal winter protection.

negate this effect. Just remember the canes are round and need spraying on all sides In our area of middle Tennessee after we have had two hard freezes (28 degrees or lower) and the sap has gone to the roots, it is time to prune or “wind top” your rose bushes. How much? The goal is to prune only enough to prevent the bush from being whipped in the wind and possibly damaging the root system. This usually means about waist high for your larger roses and typically no more than half of the height on any rose. Climbers should already be secured and need minimal pruning if at all. You can also begin pruning out any dead or small twiggy growth, saving some work when comes time for spring pruning. In preparation for covering your roses go ahead and strip the lower leaves that would otherwise be covered up by the winter protection. It is a subject of debate whether to strip off all the leaves or not, but if you stop and think like a plant, the way you breathe is through your leaves. The roots are still active even after winter begins so having leaves to breathe makes sense. You can also apply a fertilizer of 0-10-10 or 0-20-20 at this time of the year to feed the root system. The first of the three numbers represents nitrogen. A zero means there is no nitrate involved, so no growth, only the hardening of the plant for winter weather. If you have a lot of roses that means you have a lot of leaves to strip. The remaining leaves will die and fall off once the rose truly goes dormant; so, why not let old man winter do this work for you?

We all remember the Fram oil filter comTennessee winters can best be described as unpredictable. Therefore another reason mercials with the “Pay me now or pay me for covering your roses is to provide an even later” slogan. Same goes for cleaning out temperature around the base of the rose. your rose beds. Either take time now and Cold spells can be followed by warm spells clean out all the leftover debris or pay for and vice versa that can be confusing to a rose it in the spring. An ounce of prevention ustrying to figure out “Do I sleep or do I grow? ing a contact killing fungicide with Manzate Covering the base of the rose allows it to re- will help rid your rose beds of any blackspot main dormant by maintaining a consistent spores that might still remain on the soil. If temperature. The cold winter winds are nor- you want added protection from pests and mally drier than warm air and remove mois- diseases wintering over, then using lime sulture from surfaces it contacts. This can have fur is your answer. I talked with NRS mema damaging effect on rose canes because ber Doyle Clark, who in addition to sharing they can dry out quickly and die as a result. his experience with lime sulfur also shared Hence the source of what is referred to as that his knowledge came from an excellent winter die back, which is part of spring prun- source of rose knowledge, the late Bob Whiing. Spraying an anti-transpirant like Wilt- taker. Lime sulfur spray is both a fungicide Pruf Plant Protector or Cloud Cover can help and pesticide that gardeners have been usNASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010 4

ing since the mid-19th century that has an extremely pungent odor. Gardeners use lime sulfur to eliminate insects including scale, mites and borers, (this is the sulfur portion), and effectively control certain fungal diseases such as anthracnose, powdery mildew and black spot. It is a broad-spectrum contact material so thorough coverage of all plant parts is required. Spray the ground all around the bushes too, but you need to read the label carefully because different brands and concentrations will have different application rates. There will be a low application rate for warmer weather as well as a higher application rate for dormancy. Apply anytime after first frost, but the best time to use lime sulfur is in late January, early February when temperatures are above freezing or around early spring right before the buds swell. Never apply lime sulfur when the ambient air temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit or above. This will result in phytotoxicity. How many times have you heard someone say “add lime to your garden” and what does this mean? While I love cherry limeades from Sonic, I doubt they will do much for the roses. We add lime to adjust the soil’s pH if it is too acidic. Last year I learned the real reason why roses need a proper pH to thrive. The simple answer is the correct pH allows the roots to receive the maximum amount of nutrients from the soil. Reference sources will vary, but most agree that a pH of 6.5 is ideal for roses and a range between 6.0 and 6.9 is acceptable. The only real way to know what the soil’s pH is to have it tested. Getting back to answering the original question, you only add lime if the pH is lower than the acceptable range. The best time to add lime is in the fall after the growing season is over. It has a chance to break down over the winter before the roses come back in the spring. Until doing some research I did not know that lime is only slightly soluble in water, and unlike most other compounds the solubility of lime increases as the temperature decreases. The cold winter weather is on its way, hence another reason why fall is a good time to add lime. Also, raking the lime into the top couple inches of soil will yield better results than sprinkling it over the soil’s surface. Because lime is more reactive than soluble a larger portion of its surface area is exposed to the

The November Rose Garden

(Cont’d from page 4) soil will allow for faster reactivity when it is worked into the soil. Lime applied on the soil surface does not react as fast as lime incorporated into the soil. Avoid digging in too deep and disturbing the rose’s roots; it will leach down into the root zone soon enough. Agricultural lime is the most common lime used in the garden and contains about 50% calcium, an essential plant nutrient. Available in both powder and pelletized form the latter is easier to work with. There is also dolomite lime that also contains magnesium, another essential nutrient, although needed in lesser quantity than calcium. Some gardeners will alternate the use of these two limes to get a better balance of nutrients. Until writing this article I never knew to avoid using hydrated or slaked lime, sometime called quicklime, it is much too caustic for the garden. How much lime is the right amount? To

raise the pH from 5.5 to 6.5 a typical application rate is 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet of garden area. Do not use more than 5 pounds per 100 square feet at any one time. If you are not sure how big your rose bed is 1 cup of lime per bush and ½ cup per miniature. Bringing the pH level of your rose bed to a pH of 6.5 will yield bountiful bouquets of blooms come spring. The beginning of this article addressed why you should protect your roses for winter. The how part of covering your roses is another area of debate and for an in-depth discussion be sure to attend the November NRS meeting where Doyle Clark and Lyle Worsham will answer any questions you have. In the meantime here are the basics. Step one: Chose a material to cover your roses. Choices include mulches, compost, soil conditioners, sawdust, etc, Each has its pros and cons. Where do you get it; how much does it cost; what to do with material come spring? The key is to find a material that works best for your needs and just make sure it is one that drains well. The next decision is how to keep this material in place where it belongs, covering the base of the rose. Once again there are pro’s

and con’s but it can be as simple as hilling up a mound to cover the base of the bush. More elaborate schemes such as collars made of roofing felt, rolls of metal or plastic mesh, and even old newspapers can be used. Three last thoughts: 1. While in theory a rose can be transplanted at any time, winter is the best time to transplant a rose without suffering harm. Your success rate will be a lot better once the rose has become dormant. 2. If you have an irrigation system, don’t forget to drain the lines before freezing weather takes its toll. 3. Logan Shillinglaw’s three C’s are as important for fall rose care, as our three C’s were for parenting teenage daughters. We also had another favorite saying around our house, “The rules are clear; the penalties are severe”. The penalties? An alternate set of 3 C’s.... calamity, catastrophe, followed shortly thereafter by crying. Summary - picking the right 3 C’s will lead to picking good roses next spring.

Rose Show Donations 2010 By: Lori Emery Rose show chairs, Sam and Nancy Jones, President Larry Baird and I would like to thank all of you who gave donations for the rose show. This year’s donations were close to covering the entire cost of the show, and were the most generous since I have been doing the donations! I hope all of you came to the rose show and to the Chihuly exhibit. I MUST apologize for not having my poster with the donors names at the show as I had promised. I, unfortunately, had some unexpected technical difficulties [which I am well known for] and was unable to retrieve the document from my home computer. Thank you again for your generous donations which made our rose show outstanding! Michael and Mary Bates Thomas and Lisa Beath In Memory of Buzz Hussey RADM Jerry Breast In Memory of Van Kirtley Breast Jerry Brinkley Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Buhl Pat Bullard of Lifeworks Foundation In Honor of Sam and Nancy Jones

Cynthia Cato Neely Coble III Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Daniels In Honor of the Segler Family Gwen Day Lori Emery In Honor of Pat Bullard Keith and Martha Garman Peggy Garner In Honor of the Staff of the NRS Newsletter Harris Gilbert Don and Sara Jo Gill In Memory of Calvin Houghland Mr. and Mrs. John Hailey Evan and Shirley Hammond Beverly Hanselman Jim and Starla Harding Ms. James Hays David and Nancy Hazelwood In Honor of Larry Baird Sam and Nancy Jones Patricia Stamps Kitchen Jerry and Marise Keathley Cynthia Kwazu Dillard and Dianne Lester Pamela Lewis John Mallernee Joycelynne McCall

Nancy McEwen William and Elizabeth Minkoff Gloria Minter Mona Mishu In Memory of Louis Mishu Anne Owen In Honor of Sara Jo Gill Bradley and Myra Perkinson In Memory of May Francis Perkinson Carol Rehder Marty Reich In Memory of Lorraine Evers Dianne Richardson David and Rose Marie Robertson Herbert and Jean Rowlett Justin and Pamela Rutledge Dick and Suzanne Sittel Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Tomlinson In Memory of Judd Tomlinson Gary and Denise Thorne In Memory of Louis Mishu Frank & Jeanie Toevs Curtis and Rita Utz In Memory of Mary Jane Utz and Peggy Lea Utz Ray and Fay Vandiver In Memory of John Brevard

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, N OVEMBER 2010

American Rose Society Fall Rose Show - Atlanta, GA

Queen of Show Louise Estes David & Tammy Clemons

Miniflora Queen Whirlaway Fred & Barbara Wright

Miniature Queen Joy Andrew Hearne

J. Benjamin Williams Miniflora Trophy - Satish & Vijaya Prabhu

Miniflora Bowl Nashville Music Dan & Barbara Brickman

King of Show Parole Bob & Chris Thorpe

Huntsville, AL

Columbia, SC

Miniature Gold Certificate entitled “Mountain Dew,” w/ Memphis King Paula Williams Louisville, KY

Shelby, NC

Chattanooga, TN

Best Judges Entry Chihuly Sam Jones

Greenville, TN

Floribunda Spray Collection Moondance & Lavaglut Michael & Mary Bates - Knoxville, TN

Nashville, TN

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010

Oxford, PA

Queen of Show Louise Estes Frank & Jeannie Toevs

All Photos courtesy of Sam Jones

Nashville Rose Society Rose Show

Best of Show Veterans’ Honor & Louise Estes Lyle & Ruby Worsham

Novice Queen of Show Crescendo Millie Dollinger

Miniflora Queen Tobasco Cat David Clemons

Best Climber Altissimo Cindy Worch

Best Novice Arrangement “Blankets Black” Lois Sloan

Best English Box Sweet Revenge Bob Jacobs 7

Bloom Sales Volunteers Margaret Devine & Gwen Day NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010

“Great Southern Roses” Reign Over Atlanta’s ARS Fall Rose Show By: Sam Jones (Cont’d from page 1) ‘Whirlaway,’ a Clemons’ white miniflora of impeccable proportions, reigned regally as the Miniflora Queen, shown by Fred and Barbara Wright of Shelby, North Carolina. And the Clemons’ sway continued over the miniature line, as their recent outstanding prodigy, ‘Joy,’ earned the crown of Miniature Queen, as shown by Andrew Hearne of Oxford, Pennsylvania. Foolish Pleasure, a Clemons’ rose that has brought genuine pleasure to countless gardeners, was Miniflora King, shown by David and Tammy, the breeders, themselves. But Tennessee and the Tenarky District were not unnoticed in the show. District Director, Sam Jones, serving as an Arrangement Judge in the show, was awarded a Certificate for the best Judges’ entry. Bob and Chris Thorpe of Greenville, Tennessee, won King with ‘Parole,’ a uniquely colorful, deep pink hybrid-tea specimen. Michael and Mary Bates of Knoxville won a place on the Miniflora Court with another Clemons’ prize-rose, ‘Unbridled’. Dan and Barbara Brickman of the Chattanooga Rose Society demonstrated how far they have advanced from novice, by placing a ‘Saluda’ bloom on the Miniature Royal Court in their first ARS national rose show effort. The Brickmans contended nationally by placing third highest out of six entries for the top ARS challenge prize, the J. Horace McFarland Trophy, requiring seven hybrid tea roses, each of a different variety. The McFarland prize was won by Jack and Nancy Wright of Mooresville, North Carolina; Jack is the brother of Fred Wright, the Miniflora Queen winner. Fred Wright also won the Earl of Warwick Urn (a collection of six AARS winners of different varieties). After competing in the hybrid tea challenge classes, the Brickman’s “leftover” roses won recognition in the “Tin-Can” class, prominently displayed on the winners’ table. However, if the comments of the public hold any value

as judges of rose beauty, the Brickman’s hybrid-tea floating-bowl prize, ‘Marilyn Wellan,’ was spoken of by more than one spectator as the most perfectly beautiful, single bloom of the show. The bright, strong, pure cardinal color, with high-centered, spiraling form and spectacular size and freshness, created a rose display of lasting memory. Another Brickman floating bowl with ‘Nashville Music’ won a miniature blue-ribbon. Michael and Mary Bates won a floribunda spray collection with ‘Moondance’ and ‘Lavaglut’ in an array of white and red blossoms. They also won the Fully-Open-Hybrid-Tea class with ‘Color Magic’ and the Large Climber class with ‘Altissimo.’ Bob and Chris Thorpe won prizes with a miniflora floating bowl of ‘Whirlaway’ (another of the many times this rose was honored in this show) and an eye-catching English Box of ‘Randy Scott,’ ‘Hot Princess,’ and ‘Crystalline’ hybrid teas. Bill and Jill Chappell, fellow members of the Huntsville Twickenham Rose Society, Huntsville, AL with the Clemons and veteran southern exhibitors who recently claimed prizes in the Nashville Rose Show, also won rose honors in Atlanta. Three of their ‘Veterans’ Honor’ blooms, a variety by legendary hybridizer Keith Zary, won the Hybrid Tea Collection class. Tenarky arrangers also shown brightly in the Atlanta show. Paula Williams of the Louisville Rose Society was awarded the Miniature Gold Certificate with her modern arrangement entitled “Mountain Dew,” using Memphis King miniflora roses (hybridized by Tennessee’s Whit Wells), and the Miniature Silver Certificate with her modern transparency design entitled “Hush Puppies,” using ‘Bees Knees’. Her Duke-ofArrangements design entitled “Shrimp & Grits,” using Veterans’ Honor roses, also received the ARS Silver Certificate. The ARS Gold Certificate went to Susan Waites of Chapin, South Carolina, awarded for her ARS Duchess-ofArrangements modern design using one ‘Louise Estes’ bloom.

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010

National trophies were won by Satish and Vijaya Prabhu of Columbia, South Carolina (Dr. T. Allen Kirk ARS Memorial Trophy—Stages of Bloom; the Lawton Miniature Trophy—12 Miniature Roses; and the J. Benjamin Williams Miniflora Trophy—10 Miniflora roses); Pennsylvania’s Andrew Hearne (ARS Ralph Moore National Award—9 Miniature Roses of different varieties); and Georgia’s Jim Harrell (Millie Walters Miniature Arrangement Trophy). Showing strong prospects for the future, David Clemons won the Rose Hybridizers’ Association Trophy with his cultivar cross between the miniature ‘Merlot’ and the miniflora ‘Robin Alonso’. Tenarky District Arrangement and Horticulture Judges in the show, in addition to Jones, included Barbara Olive from Memphis, Donna Tarrant and Howard Carman from Louisville, and John and Kay Rodgers from Knoxville. The Atlanta convention planners demonstrated true southern hospitality in their detailed planning and attention to the comfort and pleasure of more than 300 attendees. The Marietta, GA conference facilities, the tours of gardens and Atlanta sites, the speakers, and the vendors, including Nashville’s own Jeff and Jennifer Harvey with their Dirt Dawg Nursery and Garden products, made the Conference a memorable four-day adventure. Special appreciation goes to all committee members, who, according to reports, met monthly for four-five years preparing to host an outstanding rose experience. It was time well-spent, and the Atlanta Conference’s impact on “Great roses in the South” will be felt for years to come. The weather cooperated beautifully, and America’s flower was lifted high over Atlanta! Thanks to Bobbie Reed, Convention Chair, and all who made it happen! (See page 6 for photos)

Mrs. John Laing (Cont’d from Page 1) How I came to know this rose and have my interest sparked: I was working in the rose garden when a car pulled up and stopped in front of my house. Two ladies got out of the car. One was the driver and a neighbor-friend of the other lady and not much interested in roses. The other one was a tall, stately, silver haired lady who walked gingerly with a cane and was very much interested in my rose garden. Later she told me she was 90 years old and had grown roses for many years as had her mother and grandfather. As we walked around the garden, she began telling me about herself and her husband, now deceased. She introduced herself as Mrs. Evelyn Hatcher. Together with her husband, Carl, they grew as many as 250 roses. They exhibited their roses whenever possible and visited as many rose shows as they could in the Tenarky District. Noticing many varieties of roses in my garden, Mrs. Hatcher asked me if I had “Mrs. John Laing”, a hybrid perpetual. I was not familiar with this rose, so I asked her to tell me more. Her family acquired this rose through an ancestor who served in the first colonial government as a member of the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg, Va. He brought a “Mrs. John Laing” rose bush (or maybe more) with him from England when he settled in Virginia. This rose was passed on to her grandfather, Stephen Anderson Whitaker. When he died, Evelyn’s mother moved “Mrs. John Laing” to her rose garden. So, naturally when her mother died in l944, Evelyn dug up this coveted rose bush and planted it in her and Carl’s rose garden; giving it a special place of honor and lots of tender love and care. One stormy, rainy day a neighbor’s 18’ tree fell on their rose garden, killing all their roses and ending the passing-down of “Mrs. John Lang” in her family. This upset Mrs. Hatcher very much having grown up with this rose in her family and seeing the handing-down of this bush come to an end. She was extremely pleased to know I had found a “Mrs. John Laing” and planned to add it to my garden. “Mrs. John Laing” was hybridized by the English rosarian Henry Bennett in 1887. This is a very hardy rose for zones 5 – 10.

While we equate roses with thorns, some are prickle free. “Mrs. John Laing” is one of these thornless roses. There are many reasons to add this rose to one’s garden but having no thorns is a great reason to grow this rose. Henry Bennett was one of the first hybridizers to raise roses exclusively according to the principles of controlled hybridization. Mr. Bennett was the first hybridizer to see the benefits of artificially pollinating the Tea rose with the Hybrid Perpetual rose, hence the term “Hybrids of the Tea Rose”. From then on Henry Bennett was known as “the father of the Hybrid Tea Rose”. Still today “Mrs. John Laing” is considered his best creation.

NRS News

New NRS Master Rosarians A few years back the American Rose Society established a new program to recognize consulting rosarians who have served the rose growing public for an extended period of time. In the past this program known as “Master Rosarian “ has honored Nashville Rose Society members Cecil Ward, Anne Owen, Marty Reich and Larry Baird. For 2010, this honor has been extended to four more of our members. Our new Master Rosarians are Sam Jones, Lyle Worsham, Logan Shillinglaw, and Robbie Tucker. Our sincere congratulations go out to these newest ARS Master Rosarians. 2011 NRS Fortuniana Rose Sale The 2011 Nashville Rose Society Fortuniana Rose sale offers some new varieties not previously available on Fortuniana root stock. Our supplier (K & M Roses, a.k.a. James Mills) has added new cultivars to the list and more than 300 roses, all grafted on fortuniana root stock, are available in the sale.

and K&M is one of the most popular. Quantities are limited, so send your order early if you want to ensure getting the roses you want. You will find the Fortuniana order form inside this issue of your newsletter. The order form is also available on the NRS website www.nashvillerosesociety.com . 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.

Nashville Rose Society Annual Awards Banquet You are invited to the NRS 2010 Awards Banquet at Bluegrass Country Club, 550 Johnny Cash Pkwy, Hendersonville, Tenn. Please come to the celebration and presentation of 2010 NRS Awards Banquet. Enjoy a delicious holiday buffet in festive holiday surroundings! Monday Evening, December 6, 2010. Cocktails begin at 6:00 p.m. with the dinner buffet being served at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $35.00 per person. Make checks payable to Nashville Rose Society. Please order tickets by mail from: Susan Sinclair, Treasurer NRS, 903 Paddock Pk., Nashville, Tenn. 37220 (615)-386-3818.

ARS NEWS

Let’s be honest, we all love to show off our baby pictures. No, not our kids, or even our grandkids. We are talking the beautiful babies in our garden! When it comes to our roses we are all shutterbugs in some shape form or fashion. The American Rose Society has a new and fun way to share our “baby pictures”. Just go to www.ars.org and click on this button

to upload your rose photos. It is a quick, easy and fun way to share your roses. You may see your photo on the ARS homepage!

Only a limited number of growers provide roses on Fortuniana root stock, 9 NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010

from the ground up “One Perfect Rose: A Love Story” My friend Prissy called last week. “Okay, I’m ready.” she said. “Ready for what?” I asked. “You know, roses. Gardening.” She lingered on the word “rowwwzzzezzz.” Uh-oh. She’d been threatening to take up the rose gardening “sport” for years. But without a doubt, I knew she would quickly give up, then sweetly beg me to do all the pruning. My fears were at last being realized. I kneaded my forehead, feeling a Prissy-induced migraine coming on. “Hang on, dear,” I said, tapping on the phone, trying to compose my thoughts, “there’s some static on the line.” Prissy’s midlife crisis was already troublesome. After her recent divorce, she had lost 10 pounds and been waxed, fluffed, tightened, and lifted by her new plastic surgeon boyfriend. I urged her to give herself time to heal, but she had jumped headfirst into this new relationship before the ink dried on the divorce papers. Prissy’s world revolves around the indoors: beauty salons, Macy’s dressing rooms, and anywhere else with mirrors. Her favorite line at cocktail parties: “Darling, I simply don’t DO nature.” In Prissy’s ideal world, there are no weeds, bugs, sweat or dirt. Bless her heart. In all the years I’ve known her, Priss has never had a chipped nail. No wonder old Bob ran off with a hippie chick who loves to camp. Now of course, Priss was initially heartbroken, wailing: “That dirty, sweaty tramp took my man,” but it wasn’t long before Dr. Plastic Wonderful showed up in a red convertible with his wind-blown toupee askew. Old Bob and the hippie chick were quickly forgiven.

Prissy continued: “Did you hear me? He LOVES roses, so I’m going to grow them...and besides, you always wanted me to get my hands dirty...” I rolled my eyes and groaned loudly into the phone. “Now, Priss, you’ve gone all foggy-headed on me. Lust does funny things to people, you know...and don’t forget your horrid allergies.” I was determined to dissuade her. This was a patently bad idea. A few hours after the phone call, the happy couple careened up the driveway, all cuddly and kissy. Yuck. Priss introduced me as “the rose gardener.” I shot her a dirty look, reluctantly shaking Dr. Plas-

tic’s limp, baby-soft hand. Double yuck. Then he reached into the his fancy pants pocket and whipped out hand sanitizer. My jaw dropped. What’s up with the hand cleaner, did I have cooties or something? After all, this quack tucks tummies for a living! This was becoming too precious. Prissy prissed inside to freshen her lipstick, leaving me alone with Dr. Strangelove. I suggested we stroll around the garden. As soon as she was out of earshot, he sighed, “Isn’t she wonderful?” I also sighed. “Oh, I suppose.” Then Dr. Plastic leaned in closer. “Listen. I can’t walk around this garden. Can we go inside and look at it through the window?”

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 2010

by: leann barron I inwardly moaned. How did she find this nut job? He hesitated, “Priss told you how I love nothing better than roses...and I do, but...” What was this guy’s problem? I prodded, “Uh, yes?...what?” Dr. Plastic sneezed, blew his nose violently, used his hand sanitizer again and blubbered: “Well, I, I, I am highly allergic to roses. Flowers give me the hives. And if we don’t go inside RIGHT THIS MINUTE, you’ll see what I mean!” As I whisked this poor...make that rich...sniffling physician into the house, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. This would certainly end Prissy’s gardening hobby bbefore it even began. I ccooed, “Why you poor thing, why didn’t you th ssay so? It’s nothing to bbe ashamed of, lots of ppeople suffer from pollen aallergies.” “But,” he spluttered, wringing his soft little w hhands, “it’s not okay, Prissy wants to grow rosP ees, just for me. It’s all she talks about, and I haven’t ta hhad the heart to tell her aabout my allergies. She’ll bbe devastated. Will you tell her? You’re her best te friend.” I brightened fr aand my migraine had mirraculously disappeared. “Oh, silly, she will understand,” I beamed, “didn’t she tell you? Priss has allergies too!” Precisely at that moment, Prissy came floating back into the arms of her beloved Dr. Plastic. I said, “Now, you tell her, and I’ll go pop a cork on that bottle of champagne I’ve been saving,” excusing myself as I heard Prissy asking, “Tell me what?” As I grabbed the champagne, I could hear hysterical laughter in the other room. Dr. Plastic called Prissy his “one perfect rose.” And you know? This just might be a match made in allergy-free heaven.

A Rose Lover’s Calendar

Welcome New Members

NOVEMBER

Dottie Lee P.O. Box 150066 Nashville, TN 37215

NRS, Tenarky, & ARS Coming Events

NRS Meeting at Cheekwood 6:30 PM - Refreshments + Chili and Cornbread Cook-off 7:00 PM - Winterization - Lyle Worsham & Doyle Clark

Holly Sears 330 E. Lytle St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130

DECEMBER 6

Vernon L. & Deborah Plant 820 Dalton Hollow Rd. Hartsville, TN 37074

Nashville Rose Society Annual Christmas Party & Awards Banquet Bluegrass Country Club - Hendersonville, TN JANUARY

Grace Toney 4421 Bull Run Rd. Ashland City, TN 37015-9417

No NRS Meeting FEBRUARY 1

Kimberley X. Hickok 4815 Merrill Lane Nashville, TN 37211

NRS Meeting at Cheekwood

ARS Consulting Rosarians Details & other event news available at

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

www.nashvillerosesociety.com

West Nashville Keith Garman ....................(615) 352-6219 *Sam & Nancy Jones ........(615) 646-4138

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

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

Nashville Rose Society 2010 Officers President Larry Baird................(931) 729-5259 Vice-Pres Ron Daniels...............(615) 330-7083 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

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.

Brentwood Area *Cecil & Bessie Ward ........(615)373-2245 Jerry & Marise Keathley ....(615)377-3034 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 *Larry & Connie Baird .....(931) 729-5259 Manchester Area Cindy Worch .....................(931) 723-2142 *Indicates ARS Master Rosarian

NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, NOVEMBER 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

Horace J. McFarland Award Michael & Mary Bates

Mini Silver Certificate & Mini Oriental Award Soroptimist International Connie Baird

Queen of Show Pop Warner

Tammy Masterson

2010 Tenarky Silver Medal Recipient Robbie Tucker with wife Marsha

The Mini Gold Certificate & Mini Artist Award Memphis Music Mary Ann Hext

Silver Certificate & Oriental Award Altissimo Sam Jones

Photos courtesy of Barbara Brickman & Claire Campbell

Highlights from the Tenarky District Convention in Memphis