Nashville Rose Leaf
Official Publication of The Nashville Rose Society Serving Rose Enthusiasts Throughout Middle Tennessee SEPTEMBER 2010
Affiliated with the American Rose Society - www.ars.org
Volume Vl 44 44, IIssue 8
September 7th NRS Meeting Cheekwood
September Rose of the Month Lemon Spice
Color in the Garden By Mary Bates, ARS Consulting Rosarian
Photo courtesy of Mary Bates
Photo courtesy of http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/HoovB/blog/
6:30 pm - Refreshments 7:00 pm - The What and Why of a Rose Show & Grand Prix II
Mixed bed with Betty Boop, First Kiss, Europeana and ‘Black and Blue Salvia’ Last year a bad cold kept me from attending one of my favorite rose meetings when excited rosarians get to meet their new fortuniana roses for the first time. Jim and I had just created a “fragrance” garden, and ordered a mountain of roses. Had I been able to attend that meeting, Jim would have had to choose between getting all of the roses back home versus leaving some roses behind to make room for me. I have, since, remained ignorantly content not to ask Jim that particular “what if” question. As packed as our car was that night, Jim even came home with an extra rose that we did not order, thanks to the lovely Leann Barron who was scurrying around the meeting beckoning everyone to smell an intensely fragrant, pastel yellow rose which is also September’s Rose of the Month… Lemon Spice. Bred in the United States by David L. Armstrong and Herbert C. Swim in 1966, this large-flowered, light yellow hybrid tea was introduced in the United States by Armstrong Roses. The bloom form ranges from high-centered (Cont’d on page back cover)
When starting a garden, color is often the first criteria considered. What color do you want the flowering plants to be and will there be successive waves of this color? While reading garden magazines, I noticed they often encouraged staying with a color scheme throughout the garden; so, when I started my garden I wanted pink. I chose all the pink pass-along plants from my mother’s and grandmother’s gardens and then added pink annuals and perennials from pale pink to deep rose pink. However, as the years slipped by I found that my garden had evolved to include white, yellow, blue, and red flowers. While traveling in New Zealand, my husband and I fell in love with roses. The rose is often, by nature, a flower of soft colors (blushes, yellows, and pinks with shades deepening into red and crimson), so incorporating these colors into our garden was easy. By accident, we started with easycare shrub roses and polyanthas which mingled happily (Cont’d on page 6)
President’s Column Finally, the time we have all been waiting for, September, when the cool weather and the rains come, we hope, to bring us the vibrant colors and the large blooms we have been looking for. By now, we should all have given our last granular fertilizations to the bushes, and all we have to do is wait and enjoy the blooms and get them ready for the NRS Fall Rose Show. Well, all that is except keep up the regular spray programs and be sure they have all the water they need. Call rose show chairman Sam Jones and volunteer for some of the jobs needed to be done for the rose show. Get a schedule for the show at the next meeting and start making plans for showing your roses. There is also the Tenarky District rose show and convention in Memphis on September 26-28. You will need to register and make reservations for this event, but that is not all. Don’t forget to make plans to attend another fun event, Arrangement Day on September llth at Cheekwood. If you are still craving more roses, there is the ARS National Convention in Atlanta on October 7-11. See Sam Jones article on page 8 for complete details of the NRS, Tenarky and ARS events. With everything going on, don’t forget the NRS meeting on September 7th. We have a lot of things to do and plans to make for the rose show, as well as the second Grand Prix where you can bring roses and practice entering in this mini rose show. There is always someone around to help and explain what is happening. Speaking of meetings, if you were not able to attend the August meeting, let me tell you some of the things you missed. First, the Ice Cream Social was another great success; thanks to Ruby Worsham for the guidance and direction. From where I sat, it went off without a hitch.
thought of jalapeno ice cream? Sandra Frank Did! Thanks also to Dillard Lester for our Consulting Rosarian report as well as all his work in coordinating our Grand Prix. As for our guest speaker, I can never say enough. Wilma Wrongfoot gave an outstanding program on flower arranging, and a full report on what is going on in her neck of the woods. Thanks Wilma. (See photo on page 7). And last, but certainly not least, Mary Ann Hext , NRS member from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and teacher at Greenwood High School in Bowling Green, has recently been named 2010 Kentucky Outstanding Education Teacher. A big attaboy to Mary Ann! See you at the meeting. — Larry Baird
Editor’s Desk My gardening “NEVERS” began at the tender age of 13 when I recklessly proclaimed to my parents “I’m bored!” Their swift solution to my boredom problem was their weed problem. As I contemplated the oceanic expanse of “their” vegetable garden (a whole 1/10th of an acre) I vowed that I would NEVER, as an adult, subject myself to the slavery that is gardening. I also NEVER uttered those two foolish words in their presence again. Fast forward many years later to the “NEVER land” of my marriage to Jim, who very quickly informed me that he would NEVER grow roses because of their thorny, high-maintenance tendencies. Later, we were strolling through a nursery just as the rose blooms were at their peak. His artist’s heart betrayed him as Jim took in the color palette of the blooms. Finally, he suggested it wouldn’t hurt to buy two roses; we took home six. Secretly believing I would NEVER take care of them, Jim carelessly promised to buy me more roses, providing I kept the first six alive. I NEVER missed a day tending to them. That same year, Jim bought me a membership to the NRS for Christmas and I, in response, sarcastically whispered I would NEVER attend even one meeting.
Special congratulations to Ruby Worsham and Bob Bowen for a tie for first place on best ice cream. Ruby made her always delicious peach, and Bob his vanilla custard; both delicious. Francine Daniels’ beautiful cherry cobbler was voted best dessert that looked really good, but by the time I got to it was only an empty pan. Thanks to all who brought goodies. They were all great, but who would have ever NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, SEPTEMBER 2010
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After attending several meetings, we discovered that a large percentage of NRS members owned many more than six rose bushes, which we found to be outlandish, so we vowed NEVER to own more than a dozen rose bushes. Thirty rose bushes later, we found ourselves at a beginner’s workshop where Lyle & Ruby Worshom were teaching “rose exhibiting” tips. Jim and I decided we had inadvertently joined some sort of secret cult and vowed that we would NEVER compete in something so “over the top” as rose exhibiting. After winning novice queen in our first NRS Grand Prix, we decided that we would still NEVER be counted among “the lunatics” who owned more than 100 rose bushes. Did our “NEVERS” end there? Nooooo. I actually recall a conversation between Jim and me as we were praising the work of Charles Lott’s dual role as President of the NRS and Editor of The Rose Leaf. Both of us agreed we would NEVER undertake both, little alone, one, of these important tasks. Our first issue as the new editors of the Rose Leaf coincided with our rose bush count exceeding the 150 mark. It would be quaint, at this point, to end my writing with a snippet of sagacity admonishing one to “NEVER say NEVER.” Because, however, it seems that Jim and I could NEVER accurately predict where our rose story will take us, just in case, I will part with the notion that Jim and I both believe we would NEVER win the lottery. I bet you’ll NEVER guess what we would spend most of our winnings on if we did! — Starla & Jim Harding
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
BEING A JUDGE IS A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE
Monty’s Rose Tips
September Rose Tips
Any Rosarian, especially in Tenarky, who might know me personally or who may be familiar with my writings, knows how strongly I feel about the value of rose shows to our hobby in general and to any society in particular. There are many elements involved in the production of an outstanding artistic rose show, but there is one that is often overlooked. Simply put, it is the need for quality judges.
In addition to the monthly rose tips for September here are ten rose growing tips from one of the masters of the rose growing world - Monty Justice.
September in the rose garden, If the weather cooperates, just set back and enjoy the beautiful big roses that we have waited through drought, mites, blackspot, and Japanese beetles for. Fall roses in Middle Tn, walk in the garden, cut and share with others, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy
It so happens that this subject has been on my mind lately because Tenarky is quite short of horticulture judges, and it must be said, woefully short of arrangement judges. This matter is complicated for show producers because none prefer to invite judges from nearby societies who might otherwise come to the show as exhibitors. After all, active judges enjoy an occasional opportunity to exhibit, and in my opinion, should be required to do, as I say, a certain amount of exhibiting! To take this thought one step further, those who love exhibiting should move naturally into the process of becoming a judge! Not only will it open new vistas for you, but I think you owe it to the rose world – a “paying back” for the service provided to you, so to speak!
By: Dr. Kent Campbell
Of special interest to those of you out there who are reading these words and who may be moved to consider this course of action, there will be a horticulture JUDGES SCHOOL at the Memphis Tenarky District Convention September 24- 26. I must say that as I became more and more interested in exhibiting, I attended two or three judges’ seminars and studied the manuals before I had enough nerve to take the test. As a desirable “side effect,” you might say, that arose from this, I really became a winning exhibitor as I learned more and more about presenting good roses. There are many of you out there who are ready and who should attend a school and become a judge. As I said, being a judge adds a whole new dimension to your rose world. I did nine nationals and numerous district and local shows. What a wonderful experience it has been! Remember this, those of you who are especially interested in arranging: You must be a horticulture judge before you can undertake the work to become an arrangement judge. I urge any of you who love exhibiting to give this matter your utmost consideration.
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Have porous medium that drains.
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Choose varieties that do well in your climate zone.
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Install roses with the graft below ground level in winter climates that go below 25 degrees F.
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Dead head blooms and remove no more than 20% of the foliage after the first bloom cycle. Then you can cut as much off as desired the rest of the season. “Pruning creates vigor.”
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Apply a 2 inch woody type mulch on the ground above the rose roots after the first bloom (June) and again after the roses are dormant (December).
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After watering deeply at planting, water frequently but just enough to keep the top few inches of the soil constantly moist.
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Feed high nitrogen to established plants in cold soils and small doses of low nitrogen fertilizers in hot weather and after the plants are as large as desired. Do this for the remainder of the growing season.
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Keep a journal on what and when you care for your roses to prevent disease When using pesticides it is essential to use them according to label directions. Using Monty’s liquid carbon on clay soils 4 times a month apart will be significantly beneficial for vigorous root growth and strong stems with many blooms. Use Monty’s liquid plant food every time you spray and water.
— Larry Baird, ARS CR I say this every year, but the previous two years I have had sawfly larva (tiny voracious worms) about the middle of September so watch out! . — Marty Reich, ARS Master Rosarian With the fall rose shows just around the corner now is a good time to fertilize your roses. The rains we had in the spring washed much of the fertilizer away even if you used a slow release like osmicote.. The weather should start to cool off a bit and hopefully the rain will start again. Lets hope the fall blooms will be as nice as this past springs were. — Jeff Harvey, ARS CR When considering how to add color to your garden, don’t forget the use of pots of varying sizes. It is possible to add color to the rose beds with the use of pots of annuals or bulbs. Flowering bulbs add life to the early rose bed. By the time the bulbs are finished, the roses are ready to take over. Pots are ideal to fill in and decorate and add that splash of color during periods between bloom cycles. — Mary Bates, ARS CR
Contributions The Nashville Rose Society would like to recognize the following contributions made in honor of NRS members and family: In honor of Sam and Nancy Jones’ 50th Wedding Anniversary Charles and Ann Lott Dillard and Diane Lester Scott and Cindy Worch
Bonus...when cutting a thick stem, cover end with a little dab of dirt to discourage borers. 3 NASHVILLE VILLE ROSE LEAF, SEPTEMBER 2010
The September Rose Garden By Jim Harding If you were diligent with your rose duties during the summer, September will once again be the time to get outside and enjoy your roses. Starla and I have found taking time to walk our garden daily rewards us with something new to see. Sometime it is the morning before I go to work and other times it is in the evening when I get home. Either way it has become one of our favorite things to do together. September is also a good time to share your roses and there is more than one way to share them. If you have never shared your roses before, you do not know what you are missing. Make yourself a promise to cut and share them. Whether it is a single rose or a beautiful bouquet, you will be blessed when you see the smile you put on someone’s face. You can also share your garden. Fall blooms are some of the best so invite some friends over and have a garden party. Another way to share your roses is to root a rose from a cutting. It is both fun and easy to learn. Just ask any of our wonderful consulting rosarians and they will be glad to show you how. By next spring you will have a brand new rose to share!
September usually brings cooler temps and more rainfall – a nice relief from August, but keep watering so your rose beds stay moist. At the last NRS meeting we heard Lyle Worsham tell us to stop using granular fertilizers in August. Why? Because these slow release fertilizers will keep on feeding your roses well past the time when they need to begin their dormancy period. Our roses need to rest and feeding them well into the winter stimulates new growth that will die back when the temperatures freeze. However, if you want to exhibit in a rose show this fall or simply maximize this last bloom cycle, feeding your roses with a soluble fertilizer is okay because it does not stay in the ground as long. This is why top exhibitors will alternate applying fertilizers like Mills Easy Feed, fish emulsion, and alfalfa teas in the weeks leading up to the rose shows. You should have your fall pruning done by mid August for the rose shows and no later than Labor Day to make sure you can enjoy your roses before the first freeze hits.
Evaluation and planning – If your Even though fall may be in the air, do not fall into the temptation of get- roses have not performed as well as ting behind in your regular rose main- they should this year, you may want tenance. Keep spraying regularly for to begin by evaluating your soil. Fall blackspot and once the temps cool down is a good time to have your soil tested to 65 degrees at night, powdery mildew so you can make any necessary adjustbecomes a concern. New growth will ments now so your roses can get off to be covered with a white, powdery ma- a good start next spring. The best test is terial, but it is not devastating to roses to send soil samples to the agriculturlike blackspot because it does not cause al extension office. The University of the plant to defoliate. Like most fun- Tennessee Soil, Plant and Pest Center gal diseases powdery mildew is easily is located at the Ellington Agricultural prevented. If your roses need treating, Center in Nashville. It is equipped for Eagle 20EW used at the rate of 1/3 to routine soil analysis to make lime and 2/3 teaspoon per gallon is effective and fertilizer recommendations and offers may be mixed with other sprays. Many its services to all Tennesseans (615) rosarians will just spray across the top 832-5850. of their roses since new foliage is where Fall is also a great time to begin planyou will find the powdery mildew. As you are tending to your roses this fall ning for next year. Start by identifying keep in mind that a strong healthy rose any under-achievers in your garden, entering the winter disease free has a appointing yourself judge, jury and better chance of making it through until executioner to render an objective verdict. spring damage free. NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, SEPTEMBER 2010 4
1. Execution by shovel pruning. Our first casualty was Pope John Paul II. We paused thinking it might be bad juju given the Pope’s connections but in the end even JPII did not pass final judgment. 2. Stay of execution with a one year probation. One of our first stays of execution came with maiden roses attached to on multi-flora root stock where, after undergoing a guillotine like experience, the mercy granted after year one paid off in year two. Everyone deserves a chance to get back on their feet. 3. Relocation under the witness protection program. Early in our not so judicial placement we saw the error in our rookie rosarian ways and made amends by relocating several roses to new happy horticultural homes filled with sunshine. All roses enrolled in this program are now blossoming and have received a full pardon. For the less fortunate roses that met their fate at the handle of a shovel, a great way to plan for their replacement is to attend a rose show. You will see rows and rows of ridiculously beautiful roses that grow best in our area. Armed with her notepad Starla calls it window shopping for roses. I call it next year’s honey-do list. However you want to look at it, just make sure you take time to see at least one of the three back-to-back rose shows coming up this fall. (See rose show details on pages 5 and 8) ARS TRIAL MEMBERSHIP Don’t miss this great opportunity to introduce interested rose growers to the benefits of ARS membership. There are 3 ways people can get a Trial Membership: 1. General public goes to the web site - $10 2. Someone is a member of the local society but not ARS - $5 3. Someone joins a local society and they get signed up immediately for a Trial Membership – free!! You must send in the new member information to ARS headquarters, laura@ars-hq.org. To sign up and for more information, please visit http:// www.ars.org or call 1-800- 637-6534.
The Nashville Rose Show Abounds in Roses and Art By Sam and Nancy Jones Rose Show Co-Chairs “Roses, Art, and Culture” are abundant at the two-day, Nashville Rose Show, held in Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall, October 2-3, 2010. The ‘Crescendo’ rose honoring the Nashville Symphony will be featured in a special class open to all exhibitors growing this new hybrid tea. Developed by the Jackson and Perkins acclaimed hybridizer, Keith Zary, the rose will be commercially available during the 2011 growing season. However, introductory plants were made available to Nashville Rose Society exhibitors when the “Symphony Rose” was unveiled at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in March 2010. The press ceremony was hosted by celebrities Barbara Mandrell, Brenda Lee, and Pam Tillis, who, along with other Nashville musicians and artists are honored by name-sake roses in the Nashville Music Garden, where the ‘Crescendo’ rose honoring the Nashville Symphony is now also featured prominently. While Cheekwood celebrates its 50th anniversary with the world-famous, Dale Chihuly glass art exhibit displayed throughout the gardens, the arrangement section of the Nashville Rose Show will follow the theme of Chihuly’s artistic designs. Cheekwood visitors will be admitted to the rose show in the exhibition hall without charge, an admission fee will be charged for those desiring to tour Chihuly art exhibit during the weekend. The rose show in Botanic Hall will be open to the public on Saturday, October 2, from 1:00 p.m. till 4:30 p.m., and on Sunday, October 3, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. A Seminar for the public on the “Basics of Growing Beautiful Roses” will be conducted by veteran rosarian Marty Reich, on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., in Cheekwood’s Potter Room. A large number of local rose society members and exhibitors from other cities, towns, and states are involved in conducting the 2010 Nashville Rose Show,
co-chaired this year by NRS members, Sam and Nancy Jones. Anyone, whether rose society members or not, may enter roses in the show, according the classes and rules outlined in the show schedule, available at www.nashvillerosesociety. com. Roses must be entered in the show by 10:00 a.m. Saturday, and placed in glass containers provided by the rose society. In addition to challenge classes that attract experienced exhibitors, there are novice classes for those who have never won a blue ribbon or trophy at an ARS (American Rose Society) accredited Rose Show. Judging of the roses will be conducted Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., and awards will be selected, including for beauty and artistic display, the Queen of the Show, or the hybrid tea rose that evidences the highest form of beauty, color, size, and freshness. The public is welcomed to experience the fun of entering roses in the show and the delight of viewing the scores of varieties and classes of roses that will be displayed. For more information, contact Sam and Nancy Jones, 615-646-4138; email: gsamj@bellsouth.net; website: www.nashvillerosesociety.com.
Great Roses In The South That’s GRITS, Y’all
The most frequently asked questions I receive are about where and when. We’ll be hosting this event at the Marietta Conference Center/Hilton, just up I-75 from Atlanta, north of the Perimeter (I-285), about three miles west of the highway, (an easy 3 1/2 hour drive from Nashville). The key dates are October 7-11, 2010. Thursday will be an arrival day, with an evening beer-tasting. Friday will be speakers and the welcome reception. The rose show and more speakers will occupy Saturday, plus a bang-up party at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Garden tours are on Sunday, followed by the awards dinner. And on Monday, we’ll have an all-day arrangements seminar hosted by the national chair of arrangements judges, our own Sandy Dixon. There will be other tours, as well: Friday, visit the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center, the Carter Center (yes, they both have rose gardens) and have lunch at the world-famous Varsity. Saturday tours will include the Marietta Trolley, and a visit to the Atlanta Aquarium and the new World of Coke. Monday will also have a special tour event; we’ll be in the heart of Civil War history in Marietta, so we’re putting together a tour of nearby sites of historical importance, and a visit to an encampment of Civil War reenactors. Here we go, “Marching Thru Georgia.” For information, contact: Convention Chair: Bobbie berdks@mindspring.com
Reed,
Rose Show Chair: Susan Clingenpeel, roses4sjc@comcast.net ARS National Convention and Rose Show Atlanta – October 7-11 By Bobbie Reed, 2010 ARS Fall Convention Chair Yes, it’s true, the rose societies of north Georgia – Greater Atlanta, Greater Gwinnett, Northeast Georgia, and South Metro Rose Societies – invite you to attend the 2010 Fall ARS Convention and rose show, right here in the Deep South.
Registration: Cindy Dale, rosepro@ bellsouth.net Vendors: Wendy Tilley, TheGa-Rose@ aol.com Hotel Reservations: Hilton Atlanta/ Marietta Conference Center, 500 Powder Springs Street, Marietta, GA 30064. Phone 770-427-2500, Fax: 770-4299577 Complete details are available online at www.gwinnettrose.org
Color in the Garden By Mary Bates, ARS Consulting Rosarian with our increasing variety of perennials. We learned to avoid using perennials that were too strong and aggressive and would steal the fertilizer and water from the roses. Seeds such as larkspur and cosmos worked well, as they could be thinned if they became too aggressive. Soon, we had borders of flowering plants with successive waves of color, all with similar growing conditions. Luckily, the roses did not need extensive spraying, because when adding roses to mixed borders I have found that by the time I finish trying to care for a rose that requires a lot of spraying and maintenance I have trampled over the other plants in the same bed. And so, our garden progressed with space for seating, trees for shade, shrubs, paving, and paths. As our confidence grew and our roses continued to thrive in the mixed borders, we began to look closer at the hybrid teas. We knew they would require more care and a more structured setting than the cottage style of our mixed borders. With the dilemma of how to add hybrid teas to the existing garden, we began to look for suitable spots for new beds. Our sunny, expansive front and side lawn were soon to be targets. During our travels in New Zealand, we learned rose beds can come in all shapes and sizes. Rose beds do not have to be rectangular (and often a circular bed with an ornament in the center can give the bed a sense of purpose). We wanted the
Foreground - floribunda Sexy Rexy Background - Carefree Delight 1996 AARS shrub rose practically indestructible hybrid teas to have their own beds. We knew they would be easier to care for and weed in their own manicured beds so we began with a circular bed in the center of our front lawn. Now, we were ready to choose the colors of hybrid teas to plant. I had noticed that hybrid tea roses are often planted with all colors of roses mixed together. Each hybrid tea just declares, “I’m the Prettiest” and has little regard for its surrounding competition.
They know they are the prettiest, but how does adding all these colors together in one bed really work. I began to study photos of the beautiful rose gardens we have visited and discovered that the most beautiful mixed hybrid tea beds included soft pink, yellow and white roses that were used as a buffer against the more vibrant colors. With this revelation we were free to choose the hybrid teas we wanted by adding whites and soft colors into the bed. We found we loved the gaiety of planting hybrid teas with colors mixed together, and the roses thrived in their own special beds.
Pope John Paul II Hybrid tea with blue Larkspur
Circular rose bed in front of Michael and Mary Bates home in Knoxville
As far as plants in existing nearby beds, we have left them as they were originally planted. There are often several colors in
Photos courtesy of Mary Bates
Color in the Garden
Highlights From the August NRS Meeting
(Cont’d)
By
the more formal hybrid tea beds that blend well with the plants in nearby beds. If not, it is easy to repeat the color of the hybrid tea with annuals or bulbs in these beds. The one key ingredient that I have added to the surrounding beds is several white and blue flowers. Blue is a favorite colors to harmonize with roses as it is missing in the rose palette. Blue seems to set off every shade in roses. I especially like to use delphiniums, larkspur, columbine, pansies, forget-menots, irises, salvias, and hydrangeas. When choosing color companions for roses, learn to complement rather than overwhelm. When you plant other plants with the rose, there is often a competition which can cause stress or disease. The hardier roses will do great, but roses that require a lot of spraying and maintenance like hybrid teas may resent the competition from other plants. With regard to spraying I do spray fungicide on all my roses, even in the mixed borders, but I am hesitant about pesticides and do not like to use them as I have lots of bees. Plus I have so many other plants for bugs to chew on I don’t really have a problem. Occasionally I will use something for spider mites but I usually just wash the rose down for a few days in a row with water and that does the trick. There are so many ways to add color to the garden and each rosarian must decide how they want to personalize their garden to evolve and change throughout the season. But one thing is certain--a garden that rises from the bare earth each spring is one of the most rewarding experiences and never loses its wonder. This experience has captured the hearts and imagination of gardeners since the beginning of time.
Lyle Worsham demostrates fall pruning techniques one handed while holding a microphone.
The annual ice cream social was once again a big hit. Thank you goes out to Lynda Correll, Sandra Frank, Linda Ring, Cindy Lemay, Dottie Metcalf, Bob Bowen and Ruby Worsham for sharing their delicous frozen treats. Winners by popular vote were Ruby Worsham and Bob Bowen
Garden Color Tips: Orange and yellow - Adds warmth and gaiety Red - Wonderful as an accent Pinks - Great for blending other colors Blue - Adds harmony Purple - Adds drama White - Use as a buffer between strong colors
The President’s special guest, Wilma Wrongfoot, entertained NRS members with both her wit, charm and arranging talent.
September Inaugurates
Flowers, Food and Fun
Three Great Weekends
in Memphis
For Area Rose Lovers
By Barbara Olive
By Sam Jones
2010 Tenarky Convention Chair
Three of the most exciting and important weekends “in-a-row” for all who love roses in the Mid-South will start September 24th, held consecutively in the cities of Memphis, Nashville, and Atlanta.
It is once again Memphis’ turn to host the Tenarky Annual District Convention and we hope all of our rose friends will come join us on September 24-26, 2010. We hope it will be a fun weekend for all rose enthusiasts and not just our beloved exhibitors.
Highlighting area-wide rose events for 2010 is the annual “TENARKY” Rose Show and Convention on the weekend of September 24-26, 2010 in Memphis at the beautiful, circular Hilton Hotel. The show on Saturday offers some of the highest quality blooms and arrangements that may be seen by rosarians and the public. Saturday evening, outstanding achievements with roses will be recognized at the Awards Banquet. On Sunday, September 26th, rose horticulture judges may update their credentials, and new apprentice judges may become approved, at an accredited ARS Judges School/ Audit, held also at the hotel. The following weekend, October 2nd, the Nashville Rose Show will help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, where a world-famous, Dale Chihuly glass exhibit is proudly being displayed throughout the gardens. The Arrangement Division of the rose show follows the theme of Chihuly’s artistic designs. The Horticulture Division features a special class for exhibitors growing the Crescendo “Symphony Rose,” a new hybrid tea honoring the Nashville Symphony. The rose was developed by Keith Zary of Jackson and Perkins and will be commercially introduced in 2011. During the third of the back-to-back weekend events, area rose lovers have a singular privilege this year of enjoying the pinnacle display of beautiful roses at the near-by ARS Fall National Rose Show and Convention in Atlanta, October 7-11. Hosted at the Convention Center in Marietta, GA (even slightly closer to Nashville), the show features entries from across the nation competing for ARS’s most coveted trophies and challenge classes of hybrid teas, miniatures, and minifloras, shrubs, and old garden roses. For all rose-lovers, hobbyists, and enthusiasts, these weekends are great rose events you will be glad you did not miss and will long remember with pleasure.
The traditional reception will be Friday night and will give everyone a chance to visit with one another and talk about the great roses that they are growing or that they brought for the show. The show will be on Saturday with the grooming area opening up at 5:00 am. We are trying something a little different with the conference schedule and hope that you like it. It may look a little strange on paper, but we have intentionally spaced the programs out. The first program is from 10:30 am until 11:30 am. This will give exhibitors a chance to get their entries in and take a breath. It also gives our non-exhibitors a chance to sleep in a bit, enjoy breakfast and browse the vendors. We will then have a three hour break which will give everyone plenty of time for lunch, more shopping with the vendors and viewing the rose show before the next program begins at 2:30 pm. Our district meeting will be at 3:30 pm. Attendees will then be free until the 6:30 pm social time preceding the banquet. As you can see we have scheduled quite a bit of free time to see the show, shop with vendors, visit with friends or catch a quick nap. I hope that our members like this and will find that it makes for a more relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Tammy Manderson is chairing the rose show and we are expecting a great one. We have all been reveling in how gorgeous the roses have been this year. I have talked with several people in different parts of the country and everyone says the same thing. I hope those of you who have never exhibited will consider bringing a rose or two or doing an arrangement. We have novice classes in both horticulture and arrangements and lots of regular classes as well. It is a shame to see classes in rose shows with no entries, because our trophy people are working hard to come up with beautiful trophies
for the winners, which is an added incentive. Connie Baird, our previous district arrangements chair, is in charge of the arrangements division and she has come up with a wonderful schedule that is going to be a lot of fun to work with. I would like to rave a little about one of our speakers, Blann Britton, who will be unknown to most of you. He is not an active ARS member and I don’t know that I have ever seen him at a rose show. He is, however, an EXCELLENT rose grower and rosarian. He is an Arkansas farmer who has several hundred acres of fruit trees, berries and assorted vegetables. When I first met him, I assumed that this was his occupation. I was aware that he was from a very respected farming family. However it turns out that he actually has a “real” job. He is now a semi-retired financial planner and analyst (only working three days a week). He also grows several hundred roses and grows them beautifully. Talk about an over-achiever! He is exceedingly knowledgeable about fungicides, miticides, herbicides, insecticides and every other chemical. On top of all of this knowledge he is a very interesting and wonderful speaker that everyone will thoroughly enjoy meeting and hearing. The highlight of the Tenarky District Conventions is always the garden tour and I know you will not be disappointed. Murray and Karen Creasy are in charge of the tour and they always do an incredible job. Their gorgeous yard will be one of the gardens on tour and you will love it! Their garden is a panorama of hundreds of roses interspersed with shrubs, annuals and perennials overlooking a small golf course lake. Our new horticulture judges’ chair, Joe Spruiell, is also going to have a judging school for those that are interested in becoming a judge or that need to audit a school. From the comments I have heard I think quite a few of our judges need to audit! As you can see, we have packed a lot into the weekend, especially considering that we have still left a lot of free time for everyone to do whatever they want. I hope all of our friends will come and spend the weekend with us in Memphis. If you have any questions you can call me at (901) 4933200, or email: Barbara.Olive@memphistn. gov; Tammy at (901) 937-1210; email: tmanderson63@comcast.net. Information is also available on the Tenarky Website: www.tenarky.org.
NRS News
Leann Barron on Channel 4 NRS’s own Leann Barron will take us through her garden on three upcoming Better Nashville segments on WSMV-Channel 4. The first piece will air on August 30th: Dealing with Garden Pests, the 2nd segment airs on September 1: Certified Wildlife Habitat, and the third will air on September 10: Beautiful Garden Year-Round. Better Nashville can be seen from 1pm to 2 pm Monday-Friday on Channel 4.
A Little Bit
Membership Dues When renewing your Nashville Rose Society membership, please do not feel that you must cut out your address label to send with your dues check. The check alone will suffice. However, do remember to send me any address or e-mail changes. Many thanks! Marty Reich, Membership Chairman
of History Tenarky District History In 1974, what is now the Tenarky District was called “The TenKy District.” Sometime before 1979, several societies from Arkansas joined the district and the name was changed. The first district rose show of the new district was held Sept. 23-24, 1978, at Cheekwood in Nashville. Dates of origination of some of the Tenarky local societies include:
ARS
Knoxville, 1926; Tri-State,1932,
NEWS
Memphis, 1946; Tennessee, 1946;
Congratulations Leann! Holston, 1949, Louisville, 1953; NRS 2010 GRAND PRIX II The Grand Prix is a rose show that is held at a regular NRS meeting. Its purpose is to give members a chance to learn about and practice exhibiting roses. Grand Prix II will be held on September 7th at the Cheekwood Botanic Hall. The Grooming Room will be open at 5:30 PM. Experienced exhibitors will be there to help beginners and others on the grooming of roses. Please refer to the Grand Prix insert for information on classes, rules, exhibitor explanation, the point system and how winners are determined. This year I have attempted to simplify the class sheet and will have separate tables for novice, intermediate and advanced exhibitors. It is my hope this will eliminate some of the confusion we have had in previous shows. For questions, call Dillard Lester at 615896-0203 or e-mail at d-lester@comcast. net. Arrangement Day September 11th from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM According to Connie Baird there is still time to register for what promises to be a fun filled event. See the August issue or the NRS website for complete details.
Roses in Review
Nashville,1953; Bowling Green,
This Roses in Review (RIR) marks the 85th time that the members of the American Rose Society have evaluated new rose introductions. Reviews must be submitted by September 26, 2010. If you use the online feature, your report will be automatically sent to our Tenarky District coordinator.
1960; Dixie, 1964; Blytheville,
The ultimate value of this procedure is realized only when the ARS has a broad base of participation. They need your contribution, whether you grow only one plant of one variety on the list or many of them. They need input from “garden” rosarians as well as exhibitors, and from new rosarians as well as seasoned veterans. They also welcome reports from those who are not yet ARS members, so please pass along this website address to your rose-growing friends.
1965; Cookeville, 1993; Lexington, 1996; Capitol City, 2002; Greene County, 2005. Sadly, in 2006, the Knoxville Society, the oldest in Tenarky voted to disband due to the small number of members left and their age. They were no longer able to continue. In 2008, Lexington disbanded as did Greene County in 2009. Five national conventions have been hosted by Tenarky societies: Nashville, 1982 and 1990; Louisville, 1999;
The complete results of this survey will be included in the January/February, 2011, issue of American Rose, and will help determine the ratings in the ARS Handbook for Selecting Roses. For these results to be meaningful, the ARS needs everyone to participate So, please - take a few minutes of your time to evaluate your new roses. You can visit www.ars.org to complete the online survey.
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Memphis, 1971 and 2005. In all cases, these were fall nationals and the district show was included in the national show. The Tenarky Winter Workshop started in February 1979 and was hosted by the Golden Circle Rose Society of Jackson, TN, for the next twenty-one years through 1999. Tenarky Historical Information courtesy of www.tenarky.org
Reprinted from the 2010 Summer Fall issue of Katnips, Publication of the Tenarky District NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, SEPTEMBER 2010
from the ground up
by: leann barron
“Into the Inferno: Fully Cooked in the South”
The middle Tennessee area is peculiarly toasty in summer for a reason--simple geography: Nashville is situated in the Central Basin (or as I affectionately call it, the Sweat Bowl). It’s uphill in any direction out of Nashville, surrounded on all sides by the Highland Rim plateau. My idyllic childhood was spent atop the plateau’s northern rim, which averages about 5 degrees cooler year-round (and that’s not saying much when it’s 99 in the shade). Come every summer, Daddy made certain his three little angels were all out there pitching in with the dreaded farm chores. When we couldn’t take the heat or the chores or Daddy anymore, we burst into the house and stood in front of the rotating fan. Alas, Mother would shoo us back outside to play and eat our dripping orange popsicles. Speaking of popsicles, that’s what comes to mind when I see ‘Playboy,’ ‘Easy Does It’ and other floribunda roses blooming their hot little heads off in late summer. I wouldn’t be without these garden workhorses, performing like champi-
ons, as long as you give them nice watery drinks and a bit of fertilizer. Even when you choose not to be nice to them, they are very forgiving roses. I salute them in summer’s relentless heat.
large pill down a shark’s throat. Or slamming your whole hand in the car door kind of fun. So what if you get a couple of flower bouquets in August? I can buy them at the grocery.
But I digress from the sweaty pleasure of my rant. I don’t like summer gardening. In fact, I don’t like summer one itsybitsy-teenie-weenie yellow polka-dot bikini bit, and unless absolutely necessary, I don’t garden. Does that mean I’m not a true gardener? I would argue that I am a sensible gardener.
Okay, so maybe I’ve just had one too many heat strokes the summer, the latest attack brought on following a brief wrestling match with bermuda grass. Guess who won? But seriously, folks, would you agree that the weeds are much worse this summer? Take, for example, NUT SEDGE. Like wrinkles, these show up overnight, in massive quantities in places you don’t want it....namely, everywhere. I hate nut sedge. And crabgrass. And bermuda grass. In the spirit of all things G-rated, I dare not say what I really think about these most dreadful of God’s green inventions. I mean, the Big Guy must’ve been on vacation that week. And, and, and...what is that sniveling little ivy climbing vine cropping up anywhere there’s a vertical object for it to clamber around? Its favorite hiding place is right in the far depths of the shrubbery. It only appears at the top of the bush, after tightly curling itself around the plant, just out of reach without getting stabbed by something prickly. Grrr. Photo By: Lori Greig
If you are reading this, you are by definition, somewhat crazy. Period. Only crazy people like us would actually enjoy gardening in the South, one of the most miserable places on earth in summer. After this past spring’s devastating floods and pestilence, we find the late summer air hanging thick as soup and about as wet. You sweat just looking out the window. The dogs longingly stare at the steaming hot water in their plastic wading pool. No swimming today, and they burn their tongues just having a quick lap at it. You know what I mean. It’s been hellishly hot and sticky outside, and unless your swimming pool is air-conditioned, it’s basically unbearable. I know, I know, it’s all relative, ask anyone in New Orleans or Houston. And yes, I feel guilty for complaining when I see hard-working roofers and asphalt street pavers glistening with sweat, but the truth is, I shall forever yearn for autumn.
Who in their right mind chooses to work outside in 98 degrees and 400 percent humidity, complete with a shimmering mirage on the horizon? And the summer gardener’s “uniform” consists of a non-breathable, too-tight baseball cap, long-sleeved shirt and pants, work boots, repeated applications of SPF-1000 sunscreen guaranteed to run into your eyeballs, liberal squirts of toxic bug spray (the modern-day version of DDT) all over your body, and gallons of water around at all times so you don’t get dehydrated. All the time, you must drag the garden hose around, fervently praying that you don’t get skin cancer--or ticks--or chiggers--or mosquitoes, and pull large quantities of deep rooted weeds. It’s a great summer hobby!” You call that fun? I would compare that sort of fun with trying to stick a
NASHVILLE ROSE LEAF, SEPTEMBER 2010
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But yippee! September is here, the month when the weather begins to show promise of autumn...with its falling temperatures, leaves putting on their eyepopping color shows, roses again blooming, the dogs are once again frisky....and it can’t come soon enough. Except it’s my birthday month, and with each passing year, September seems to roll around a bit sooner than it should. The rising number of birthday candles require advanced pyrotechnics to avoid catching your arm hairs on fire. But let’s raise a forkful of birthday cake and a dozen autumn garden roses to sweaters, blankets, and the promise of crisp autumn air. I, for one, can’t wait!
Gift Subscriptions
A Rose Lover’s Calendar
NRS, Tenarky, & ARS Coming Events SEPTEMBER 7
NRS Meeting at Cheekwood - 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM - The Why & What of a Rose Show Grand Prix II 11 8:30 AM-3:00 PM Arrangement Day - Cheekwood - Connie Baird 931-729-5259 12 Evansville Rose Show 18-19 Louisville Rose Society Rose Show - Wuorenmaa@bellsouth.net 25-27 Tenarky District Convention - Hitlon Hotel - Memphis, TN OCTOBER 2-3 5 7-11
NRS Rose Show - Cheekwood NRS Meeting at Cheekwood - 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM - AARS Film ‘Love at First Sight: America’s Affair With The Rose” ARS Fall National Conference & Rose Show - Atlanta, GA Bobbie Reed 770-979-4237 berdks@mindspring.com
One of the nicest things you could do for a gardening friend is to provide them with a gift subscription to the Nashville Rose Leaf. For only $20 you can send a gift that will last an entire year, and each month when the newsletter arrives in the mail they will think of you fondly. You can order a gift subscription by sending the name, address and phone number of the person along with a check payable to Nashville Rose Society to Marty Reich, 5020 Dovecote Drive, Nashville, TN 37220. We will notify the friend of your gift.
NOVEMBER 2
ARS Consulting Rosarians
NRS Meeting at Cheekwood - 6:30 PM - Refreshments 7:00 PM - Winterization - Lyle Worsham & Doyle Clark + Chili Cook-off 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.
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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, SEPTEMBER 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
Lemon Spice (Cont’d from page 1)
Photo courtesy of Jim Harding
our particular experience with the growth habit of this rose is upright, some growers report its habit as spreading. Despite the different experiences, all parties would concur that its growth is, nonetheless, vigorous. As difficult as it would dare be to ask more of a rose, enough cannot be said about the intense citrus fragrance of Lemon Spice. It had but one bloom the night Jim brought it home and when he opened up the rear hatch, I immediately went in search of the bush whose fragrance had quickly overpowered the musty smell of our garage. It was none other than dear Leann’s “pick” of the night, Lemon Spice.
Lemon Spice with French Perfume and Intrique to cupped, yielding 30-35 petals which bloom perpetually throughout the season. Its dark-green leathery foliage provides a striking backdrop to the bloom’s pastel color. The rose is clearly deserving of its 7.5 ARS rating and is wellknown for its disease resistance, particularly mildew. While
When Jim and I were choosing roses for the fragrance garden, our selections were based on ratings of “high to intense” fragrance. We soon learned that fragrance ratings are not always reliable. Lemon Spice, so aptly named, is our happiest exception. It is our most reliably fragrant rose and we know of no occasion in which this rose did not ace the “sniff test.” There has been more than one instance that I have sought Leann Barron’s counsel on a particular rose issue, but Jim and I remain forever grateful for her best advice, Lemon Spice.
Photos courtesy of Murray Creasy
Tenarky District Rose Tour Will Highlight Memphis Gardens Photos of Murray and Karen Creasy’s Garden