Cheekwood Rose Study Garden as of March 2023

The Rose Study Garden at Cheekwood has a two-fold purpose: provide a beautiful garden of roses for Cheekwood visitors to enjoy, but primarily to function as a teaching garden for new and experienced rosarians.

This photo gallery is as of March 20, 2023. The work day started on a cold morning and the crew included several new members. One of the main goals of the work day was to prune away the dead canes that were damaged from the Christmas 2022 freeze.

Continue reading “Cheekwood Rose Study Garden as of March 2023”

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”

2022 NRS Christmas Party and Annual Awards

Gary Spencer with 2022 NRS Bronze Medal Award
The Nashville Rose Society 2022 Christmas party was a big success. The party was held on Sunday, December 11, at the Belmont University Ayers Academic Center. We had approximately 40 members attending including several new members.

One of the main attractions of the NRS Christmas party is always the food. The Society provided turkey, ham, and drinks and the members brought a wide variety of delicious side dishes and desserts. No one should have left hungry!
Continue reading “2022 NRS Christmas Party and Annual Awards”

October 8, 10:00am-5:00pm – Fall 2022 Open Rose Gardens

Here in Nashville, the summer heat is gone (we hope) and the roses are loving it! This is the time of year that many gardens have one of their best flushes of rose blooms.

Three of our members, Ron Daniels, Gene Meyer, and Marty Reich are opening their gardens from 10am – 5pm on Saturday, October 8. In addition, you won’t want to miss the Rose Garden at Belmont University and the Lynn Anderson Rose Garden at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Ron Daniels, Nashville Rose Society Master Rosarian and Master Gardener, will host his Gadwall Abbey Open Garden at 1000 Gadwall Circle, Hendersonville. Ron has over 170 award winning roses of all types and many companion plants in his Gadwall Abbey Garden.

Gene Meyer is known for the Old Garden Roses (OGRs) that are in his garden along with his hybrid teas and miniature roses. Gene is the Tenarky District Committee Chair for OGRs. Gene’s garden is located at 5111 Country Club Dr. in Brentwood.

Marty Reich is one of the Nashville Rose Society Master Rosarians, and most recently her rose “Mango Blush” won Queen of Minifloras at the 2022 Tenarky District Rose Show last month. Marty also grows winning hybrid teas and miniature roses. Her garden is at 5020 Dovecote Drive, Nashville.

The Belmont University Rose Garden may be seen anytime during the day on Saturday or Sunday. You can park in the Belmont Mansion Visitor Parking – the garden is to your right as you walk up to the mansion. On Sunday, October 9, you can visit the garden before the NRS Monthly Meeting which will be held at Belmont University. Our speaker will be Myers Brow, Executive Director of Belmont Mansion. His presentation will explore the gardens and landscaped environment surrounding Adelicia Acklen’s summer home, the Belmont Mansion. Guests are welcome to the meeting. You can walk to the garden from the meeting parking in the Ayers Garage at 1515 Wedgewood Avenue.

The Lynn Anderson Rose Garden at the Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Memorial Park may be seen on Saturday afternoon or all day Sunday. The Lynn Anderson Rose Garden honors country music star Lynn Anderson at her final resting place. The Rose Garden features 114 “Lynn Anderson” hybrid tea roses hybridized in honor of her and her 1970 classic hit song “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden”. The garden is to the right of the main building of the funeral home at 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville.

Get out and enjoy the (predicted) sunshine and pleasant temperatures. The roses will be beautiful!