NRS 2023 Awards and 2024 Executive Board

The 2023 Nashville Rose Society December meeting and Christmas party was held at the Ellington Agriculture Center Ed Jones Auditorium on December 3, 2023. The evening was filled with good food and fun gift exchange, the announcement of the 2023 Society awards, and introduction of the 2024 Executive Committee members.

2023 Bronze Medal Award

Gene Meyer, recipient of the Nashville Rose Society 2023 Bronze Medal Award.
The 2023 Bronze Honor Medal, the highest award that can be presented by a local rose society, was given to Gene Meyer for his outstanding support of the Society during the past year. Gene is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian and the NRS Consulting Rosarian Chairman. He organizes and conducts the Spring and Fall Grand Prix Rose Shows and serves on the NRS Annual Rose Show and the Programming Committees. Gene supports the rose community in our area by judging the Wilson County and the Tennessee State Fair Rose Shows.

2024 Executive Committee

The 2024 Executive Committee members of the Nashville Rose Society were introduced at the meeting and Christmas dinner.

The next term of the Society president position will be co-led by Janie Hagan and Liz Louie. By sharing the responsibility of president, Janie and Liz will be able to bring more leadership to the Society and to the rose community in Nashville.

Diane Coleman (Recording Secretary and Webmaster), Bob Bowen (Member-at-Large), Janie Hagan (Co-President), Gene Meyer (Consulting Rosarian Chair, Grand Prix), Ron Daniels (Rose Study Garden Manager), John Wendler (NRS Rose Show Coordinator), (front row) Gary Spencer (Treasurer), Lori Emery (Tenarky District Director), Marty Reich (Membership Chairman and Rose Leaf Co-Editor), and Liz Louie (Co-President)

Other members of the Executive Committee, not shown, are Lani Rossman (Programming Committee Chairman), Pam Brown (Rose Leaf Co-Editor), Martha Garman (Corresponding Secretary), Lisa Schaaf, Angel Cohen, Rose Markham, and Karin Bailey (Hospitality Committee), Mary Hext (NRS Rose Show Committee), and Nancy Jones (Member-at-Large).

Ron Daniels and John Wendler
As a show of appreciation, the Nashville Rose Society acknowledged out-going co-presidents, Ron Daniels and John Wendler, for their outstanding contributions and leadership of the Society for the past six years. Their accomplishments include the development of the Rose Study Garden at Cheekwood and growing and strengthening the membership of the society during the COVID crisis.

Rose Dresses!!

Members of the Nashville Rose Society are well known for their rose fashions.

Heidi and Jose Gonzales
Liz Louie

Heidi and Jose Gonzales are new members of the society, and Heidi is in full swing with roses! She ordered her beautiful dress online at The Pretty Dress Company, www.theprettydresscompany.com, in London, England. It specializes in classical cut dresses and Heidi especially likes 1950’s vintage. They have several dresses with roses on them, for those shoppers among us. (She assures us that she does not vacuum in high-heels and dresses like Mrs. Clever!)

Liz Louie found her rose felted shawl when she was visiting her sister-in-law in Vancouver, BC. She was passing by the Alarte Silks Studio Gallery, alartesilks.com, and saw this shawl on a mannequin. She had to have it!

Getting Ready for 2024

The Nashville Rose Society leadership team is working hard to get ready for 2024. The Programming Committee is working to identify monthly meeting programs that will be interesting and educational for our membership. If you have suggestions or ideas for programs, please let us know.


December 3, 6-8:00 pm – NRS Christmas Party

Enjoy the holiday spirit with your fellow Rose Society members and guests at the 2023 Nashville Rose Society Christmas Party! The party will be held on Sunday, December 3, from 6:00 – 8:00pm at Ellington Agriculture Center Ed Jones Auditorium,440 Hogan Road,Nashville, TN 37220. This venue has excellent parking and easy entry.

NRS will provide turkey, ham, rolls and drinks, and dinnerware; members are asked to bring their favorite side dish or dessert. No one ever leaves hungry!

There is also a gift exchange if you would like to be a part of it. Bring a gift costing no more than $20 suitable for a man or a woman. One gift per couple or two, whatever you want to do. Give one, get one.

Please see Marty’s email for more information on the gift exchange and RSVP by Monday, November 27, if you plan to attend.

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.

We hope to see you there!


November 5, 2-4:40 pm – Todd Breyer, “Garden Design with Entertainment In Mind”

Todd Breyer, Landscape Architect
Photo credit Gloria Ballard
Our guest speaker for the November, 2023, monthly meeting of the Nashville Rose Society is Todd Breyer. Todd will share with us different elements of gardens and outdoor entertaining, along with examples from historic Nashville estates.

Todd is an award-winning Nashville landscape architect who specializes in residential garden design. He has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. Todd’s many projects and positions in Nashville include Cheekwood Botanic Garden (twenty years chairman Plant Collections Committee, Botanic Garden Committee, docent, fundraising, design projects), Nashville City Cemetery Association (past president, landscape and grounds coordinator, holiday party coordinator, Living History Tour, liaison to Metro Parks and Metro Historical Commission), Metro Beautification & Environment Commission (past county-wide Chair & District 24 Commissioner), Antiques and Garden Show (Board member, Gardens Chair), Nashville Lawn and Garden Show (event producer, garden chair, lecture coordinator, grants, event, PR & Media liaison), Friends of Richland Park Library (grounds committee chair & NPL Seed Exchange), Richland Park Farmers Market (garden designer, founder and organizational committee, litter abatement, plantings and grounds, liaison with Metro Parks) and West Nashville Community Festival.

It is also that time of year for our annual Chili Cookoff. 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.

Our hostess this month is Janie Hagan. The meeting will be held in the Massey Auditorium of Botanic Hall / Visitor Services Building at Cheekwood Garden and Estate.

Directions: Enter Cheekwood and drive up to the parking attendants at the top of the hill. If they direct you to park outside the stone gates and it is difficult for you to walk far, tell them that the Rose Society has spaced reserved in Lot A. If those spaces are full, there is a golf cart shuttle that roams the large parking area. Once you park, bypass the ticket booth and come into the first building on your left with a large, covered entrance, which is Botanic Hall. The Cheekwood Campus Map shows the location of Botanic Hall. Enter that building and proceed to Massey Auditorium. You do not have to purchase a ticket.


October 21 – CANCELED – Ron Daniels Fall Open Garden & Book Signing

Please note that the Open Garden that Ron planned to have on October 21 has been canceled.

Ron has over 170 roses of all types and many companion plants in his Gadwall Abbey Garden. Ron’s garden produces many Rose Show winners and has been featured on Talk of the Town.

If you have not seen Ron’s garden, put this event on your calendar!


October 1, 2-4:00 pm – “Nash Creek Farm” Tour and Monthly Meeting

The October monthly meeting of the Nashville Rose Society will be held at the Nash Creek Farm, owned by NRS members Tina and Tony Roy, on October 1, 2023, from 2-4:00pm. NOTE: This is a change from our previously published meeting scheduled on October 8.

The Farm is a micro cut flower farm, located at 5045 Clarksville Highway, Whites Creek, TN, 10 minutes north of Nashville (five minutes from Bates Nursery).

Tina and Tony grow over 50 varieties of flowers such as sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, celosia, amaranth, ranunculus, tulips, etc. Their greatest love and specialty is Dahlias – they grow over 5000 plants and 150+ varieties. Over the last two years, they have started to learn about roses and now grow about 75 young plants.

Nash Creek Farm sells flowers to local florists, restaurants, salons and farmers markets as well as creating floral designs for parties, weddings and other events. They also do u-picks, allowing the community to walk around and cut their own vase of flowers.

The meeting will include a talk by Tony and Tina on growing and caring for Dahlias. During the Farm tour, attendees will be able to cut their own flowers, five or so dahlias and any other variety that is blooming, for $35 which includes a vase/jar.

Please send email to RSVP to Diane Coleman by September 27, 2023, if you are interested so they can have enough snips and vases available. This outdoor event will be held rain or shine (wear a raincoat!), unless the weather is potentially dangerous. If the event should be canceled, Marty will send out an email blast and notice will be posted on this website.

The Farm is a small, working farm so please wear closed toed shoes, bring a bottle of water (or your drink of choice), sunscreen and bug spray and a lawn chair if you want to hang out a bit. There is a small building with restrooms and air conditioning , as well as a covered porch with limited seating. Parking is limited, so PLEASE carpool if possible.

If you would like to see some photos of the flowers at the farm, you can view them on Nash Creek Farm Facebook and Instagram pages.

Come and enjoy the beautiful blooms! Many thanks to Tina and Tony Roy!