Author: NRS Webmaster

February 18, 8am-4pm – 2023 Tenarky District Winter Workshop & Photo Contest

The Tenarky District Winter Workshop & Photo Contest will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the Cheekwood Estate & Gardens Massey Auditorium in Nashville.

The Workshop will include educational seminars, a photo contest, and a silent auction. The Workshop will conclude with the Tenarky District Business Meeting.

Dr. Gary Rankin will kick off the Workshop at 9:00am with “Best Miniature and Minifloras to Grow”. Peggy Martin will talk about the rose that was named after her in “Hurricane Katrina Survivor Rose”. Dr. Satish Prabhu will share his ideas for “Simplifying Growing Great Roses”, and Connie Baird will wrap up the Educational Seminars with “Rose Arrangements”.

Find more information about the Workshop in the links below:

Schedule of Events

Workshop Speakers

Workshop Photo Schedule

Registration Form

The price of the Workshop includes lunch at Maggiano’s Little Italy Restaurant, 3106 West End Ave. Nashville TN 37203.

The meeting will be held in the Massey Auditorium of Botanic Hall / Visitor Services Building at Cheekwood Garden and Estate, 1200 Forrest Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37205. The Cheekwood Campus Map shows the location of Botanic Hall.

Note: Admission to Cheekwood is not required – let the gate attendant know that you are attending the Tenarky Workshop in the Massey Auditorium.

February 5, 2:00-4:30pm – NRS Members’ Favorite Tools & Gadgets

It is February. It is cold outside and the roses are still enjoying their winter nap.

For us humans, now is the time to begin to assess the supplies we will need in the spring, including new roses, fertilizers, soils, tools and gadgets. It is time to start making your list for Vendor Day.

On February 5, 2023, members of the Nashville Rose Society will share what their favorite gardening tool is and how they use it. .

The deep freeze in December damaged many of the roses in the Nashville area. At the meeting Ron Daniels will lead the Rose Care discussion on what to do and how to care for freeze damaged roses.

The meeting will be held in the Massey Auditorium of Botanic Hall / Visitor Services Building at Cheekwood Garden and Estate. The Cheekwood Campus Map shows the location of Botanic Hall.

Note: Admission to Cheekwood is not required – let the gate attendant know that you are attending the NRS Meeting in the Massey Auditorium.

Historic Christmas Freeze for Nashville Rose Society

The temperature in Nashville on December 22, 2022, was a balmy, sunny 50 degrees. By Friday, December 23, 2022 the temperature dropped to -1 degrees, marking the first time the city has seen temperatures below zero since 1996. In surrounding areas, the temperature was even lower, with windchill factors down to -17 degrees.

The frigid weather stayed around through the weekend. With temperatures not making it above freezing until Monday, Dececember 26, Nashville was at or below freezing for almost 84 hours.

The Rose Study Garden and NRS member gardens took a big hit, particularly the climbing roses. Even the RSG climbers that had some protection from the building they are attached to were severely damaged.

When Ron Daniels, NRS member from Hendersonville (north of Nashville), recently pulled back some of his winter protection to check his roses, he did find some green canes. Any Old Garden Roses, shrubs, and roses on their own root, should recover well. The roses will have to be cut back pretty low to take off the deadwood when we prune in the spring, but for now, keep your roses covered for protection. We could still have some freezing winter weather in Nashville.

Ron will discuss how to take care of your freeze damaged roses at the February 5, 2022, meeting of the Nashville Rose Society at Cheekwood. See the February meeting announcement for more details.

Roses Damaged from Christmas Freeze




Photos by Ron Daniels

Time for Roses: Come Home to America’s Rose Garden

Hello Rose Lovers! Time for Roses will be the theme of the 2023 ARS National Rose Convention to be held at the American Rose Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 5-7, 2023.

It is time to celebrate this “Crown Jewel” of the American Rose Society. Most of us have never been there but after seeing the great article and photos by Marilyn Wellan in the March/April issue of the American Rose, didn’t it make your heart desire to see the garden?? The clockworks design is amazing to see. This garden is our heritage and our home and now it has been transformed by the Great Garden Restoration into a stellar destination for all rose lovers. Continue reading “Time for Roses: Come Home to America’s Rose Garden”

NRS Monthly Meeting Calendar


The Nashville Rose Society Programming Committee, led by John Wendler, has been working hard to plan the 2023 monthly meeting calendar. The programs are subject to change, but save the dates. You do not want to miss one!

This year’s meetings will be organized somewhat differently from past years. Each meeting will be organized and led by a member of the NRS Executive Committee, one of our Consulting Rosarians, or a member of the Programming Committee. To date, we have volunteers for nine out of ten of the meetings. .

MonthGuest Speaker/TopicLocation
May 7NRS Spring Grand Prix Rose ShowEd Jones Auditorium, Ellington Ag Center
May 20Bowling Green Rose Show
June 11Jeff Garrett, “Rooting & Budding Roses”
July 9Peter Grimaldi, VP of Gardens at Cheekwood
August 6Austin Lohin, Bates Nursery landscaper, TBD
September 10Connie Baird, "Show Winning Rose Arrangement" and NRS Fall Grand Prix
October 1Louisville Rose Show
October 8Preparing for the Rose Show
October 14-15Music City Rose Show Massey Auditorium, Cheekwood
November 5Todd Breyer
December 3Christmas PartyEd Jones Auditorium, Ellington Ag Center