Join us at our Monthly Meetings and Events
The Nashville Rose Society serves all of Middle Tennessee by sharing knowledge and information about our national flower, the rose. Through a monthly newsletter and meetings that feature regional and nationally recognized speakers, we bring you advice and instruction geared to growing roses in the specific soil and climatic conditions of this area. For all scheduled Meetings & Events, click here.
Jeff and Cindy Garrett – Disease Resistant Rose Study
The Nashville Rose Society was honored, once again, to have Jeff and Cindy Garrett as our guest speakers at the August 11, 2024, monthly meeting. In addition to focusing on how to participate in the annual ARS Roses In Review program, Jeff discussed the work that he and Cindy are doing to test and evaluate disease resistant, specifically blackspot, roses in their garden.
Jeff and Cindy moved to their current home on Lake Chickamauga in 1989. Over the years they have continued to develop their landscape to its current capacity of just over 350 roses. Jeff and Cindy have allocated some of that space in their garden to test select varieties of roses in large pots. They change some of the varieties each year. They do fertilize and water, but do not spray for disease. Each year they evaluate which roses are most disease resistant.
Jeff and Cindy have both served their local society, the Tri-State Rose Society of Chattanooga, as President on numerous occasions. Currently they are editors of their local society newsletter, “Basal Breaks”. The Garretts have been honored with the Bronze Medal from their local society.
Click here for Jeff and Cindy’s presentation on Disease Resistant Roses – Fact or Fiction!
Here you will find a list (pdf) of roses in Jeff and Cindy’s test garden.
Upcoming Meeting and Events
For all currently scheduled Meetings & Events visit the Meeting & Events page.
The 2024 meetings of the Nashville Rose Society will be held at the Cheekwood Estate and Gardens.
The Cheekwood Estate and Gardens is located at 1200 Forrest Park Dr, Nashville, Tennessee 37205. The meetings are free to guests, as is admission to Cheekwood for meetings. Simply tell the gate attendant that you are there for the Nashville Rose Society meeting.
Don’t forget! Daylight Savings Time Ends!!
The speakers for the November meeting of the Nashville Rose Society will be two members of the Davidson County Master Gardeners – Susanna Hadley and Joan Clayton-Davis. The meeting will be held at the Ellington Agriculture Center Ed Jones Auditorium, 440 Hogan Road,Nashville, TN 37220. This venue has excellent parking and easy entry.
Joan Clayton-Davis is Coordinator of the Master Gardeners of Davidson County Speakers Bureau, which educates the community on gardening, horticulture, etc. at libraries, schools, community organizations and churches, reaching more than 500 people each year. Joan has been a Master Gardener since 2014 and received the University of Tennessee Extension 2017 “Outstanding Master Gardener Award” Central Region. She is a retired Health Communications/Social Marketing Consultant.
Read more about Joan’s family history of farming and gardening since 1913 in her interview with the Nashville Public Library on blog post “A Master Gardeners Story”.
Joan will present “A Beginners Guide to Saving Seeds”. Seed saving is the practice of saving seeds or other reproductive material from open-pollinated vegetables, grains, herbs, and flowers for your use from year to year.
A Nashville resident since 2007, Susanna’s love for gardening intertwines with her passion for cooking and advocating for equitable food access. She has also contributed her time to organizations like The Nashville Food Project and Restoration Pointe, further reflecting her commitment to the community.
Susanna will teach us “How to Start Seeds” – how to choose good seeds, how to store seeds, containers for starting seeds, media for starting seeds, and techniques for starting, germination, and getting new plants ready for planting.
It is also that time of year for our annual Chili Cook-off. Everyone will vote for the best chili and the best cornbread – a good chili needs a good cornbread! Cook up a batch of your favorite recipe and bring it to the meeting. One thing is for sure, no one is going home hungry.
Finding the Center
From I-65: Take Exit #78-A east on Harding Place. Take a right at the second light onto Trousdale Drive. Travel south on Trousdale for approximately 1.5 miles. Turn left on to Hogan Road at the four-way stop. Hogan Road ends at the front gates of the Ellington Agricultural Center. Note: all buildings have identifying lawn signs for your convenience.
From I-24: Take exit #56 west on Harding Place to the Nolensville Road intersection at Walmart. Turn left onto Nolensville Road and travel south 1/10 mile and turn right onto Edmondson Pike. Travel 1 1/2 miles on Edmondson Pike. The east entrance to Ellington Agricultural Center is on the right.
Finding a Building
To the Ed Jones Auditorium: Enter the front gates from Hogan Road. Bear to your right. The Moss Building (antebellum style mansion) will be on your left at the top of the hill. Follow the drive until you reach the auditorium (a large white barn-like structure that sets at the end of the lawn behind the mansion.) It is located at 416 Hogan Road.