It is (almost) Show Time! Save the Date – Sept. 25-26 the 2021 Tenarky District Fall Rose Show & Convention will be hosted by the Nashville Rose Society. It is time to start preparing your roses for the show. The speakers for the August 1, 2021, meeting of the Nashville Rose Society will be Jeff and Cindy Garrett, ARS Master Rosarians and National Trophy winners for rose exhibiting. Jeff and Cindy will talk about “Growing & Preparing Your Roses to Show”.
The in-person meeting will be held in the Potter Room at Cheekwood starting at 2:00pm. Anyone who wishes to join the meeting virtually should see Marty Reich’s email to NRS members for information on how to log into GoToMeeting. If you would like to attend as a guest, please submit your request on the Ask a Consulting Rosarian form on the website.
In the early eighty’s, Jeff and Cindy Garrett bought a house in Hixson, Tennessee, and planted their first three roses. They were not performing well, so after reading an article in the local newspaper by Lester Smith talking about growing good roses, they decided to give him a call. Lester invited them over to his garden, which they found to be absolutely beautiful. He took them under his wing and began mentoring them on growing roses. He also invited them to a Tri-State Rose Society of Chattanooga meeting. They were hooked!
The Garretts moved to their current home on Lake Chickamauga in 1989. That spring they added two rose beds with about 96 plants. Over the years they have continued to develop their landscape to its current capacity of just under 350 roses.
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 and Jeff is the current president. The Garretts have been honored with the Bronze Medal from their local society.
Both Jeff and Cindy are active in the American Rose Society and are Master Rosarians. They and have been honored with the Silver Medal from the Tenarky District of the American Rose Society. They have both also won the Outstanding Consulting Rosarian Award for the Tenarky District. For many years Jeff has been the Tenarky District Roses In Review Coordinator. They are also regional editor’s for the annual Horizon Roses publication.