Meetings & Events

Click for NRS Calendar

Visit the post for the current monthly meeting for the location, date and time of the meeting.

The 2025 meetings of the Nashville Rose Society will be held at the Cheekwood Estate and Gardens or at the Ed Jones Auditorium in the Ellington Agriculture Center.

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.

The Ed Jones Auditorium at Ellington Agriculture Center is located at 416 Hogan Rd, Nashville, TN 37220. More information on how to find the Ed Jones Auditorium, click here .

For a list of past meetings and events, click here.

Sunday, July 12, 2-4 pm – Howard Carman, “The journey that turned a hobby into a lifelong passion for roses.”

Howard Carman, ARS Tenarky District Director,
Join us Sunday, July 12, from 2:00–4:00 PM in the Bradford Room at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens for an afternoon with fellow rose lovers and special guest speaker Howard Carman.

Howard has lived in Big Spring, Kentucky his entire life and began growing roses in 1997 after being inspired by the Kentucky State Fair. What started with a few roses quickly turned into a lifelong passion that led him to join both the Louisville Rose Society and the American Rose Society. Over the years, he expanded his garden to more than 200 roses, built a homemade greenhouse, became a horticulture judge in 2004, and today still grows around 125 roses including hybrid teas, floribundas, shrubs, miniatures, and minifloras.

One of Howard’s Seedlings
Howard is a past president and current treasurer of the Louisville Rose Society and currently serves as the Tenarky District Director, beginning his term in 2024. His love of roses has also led him into propagation and hybridizing, with two roses now registered with the ARS — the miniature “Miss Paula,” a sport of Miss Flippins, and the miniflora “Anna Mae,” named in honor of his mother.

Howard will be sharing his experiences with propagating roses from cuttings, hybridizing, and the journey that turned a hobby into a lifelong passion for roses.

As always, we’ll have time to visit with fellow members and guests before the program begins. Guests are always welcome! Please bring roses from your garden to share!

LOCATION NOTE: This meeting will be held in the Bradford Room at the Cheekwood Estate & Gardens Frist Center, a new meeting location on the Cheekwood campus (not the Massey Center used in previous years).

* Address to enter: Back Gate, 111 Cheek Road, Park in Lot C or D
* Enter 1st Floor of Frist Center from Lot C – Turn left and you will find the elevator.
* Take the elevator to 3rd floor and enter Bradford Room on the Right.

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.

Monday, August 3, 7:00-9:00PM – Dr. Nar Ranabhat, “The Latest Research on RRD”

Dr. Nar Ranabhat
Come learn about the latest research on Rose Rosette Disease at our August 3 meeting at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. Our speaker will be Dr. Nar Ranabhat, Assistant Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Ranabhat received his Ph.D. from Kansas State University and his M.S. from Montana State University. His research and Extension program focuses on the diagnosis, biology, and management of diseases affecting ornamental nursery crops, landscape plants, and turfgrass.

With more than a decade of experience studying mite-transmitted viruses, Dr. Ranabhat is actively involved in a multi-state collaborative project focused on developing sustainable rose cultivars with resistance to Rose Rosette Disease.

His lab is currently investigating the mechanisms behind virus-rose and mite interactions, while also developing Extension and Outreach programs to increase public awareness of early symptoms of Rose Rosette Disease and strategies for prevention.

Please join us for our April 2026 meeting of the Nashville Rose Society in the Massey Auditorium of Botanic Hall / Visitor Services Building at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. The evening will begin with time to mix and mingle at 6:30 PM, followed by the program at 7:00 PM.

This will be an informative and timely program for anyone growing roses in the Mid-South. Guests are welcome! Simply tell the gate attendant that you are there for the Nashville Rose Society meeting.

Monday, August 17, 6:30-8:00pm – Understanding the Medley of Roses Show Schedule

Whether you’re planning to exhibit or just curious about how a rose show works, you won’t want to miss this special Zoom presentation by Mary Ann Hext, ARS Master Rosarian, member of the Bowling Green Rose Society, Nashville Rose Society, and Rose Show Judge. This meeting is in addition to our regularly scheduled August monthly meeting.

Mary Ann will walk us through the Medley of Roses Show Schedule for the upcoming ARS National Convention, explaining:

  • The three show divisions
  • Show rules and how they apply
  • Selected classes in Horticulture, Arrangements, and Photography
  • Tips to help you understand the schedule and feel more confident about participating

This is a great opportunity for both first-time exhibitors and experienced rose growers to become familiar with the show schedule before the convention. We hope you’ll join us!

Click here to download a pdf copy of the Rose Show Schedule (2026 02 27).

The Zoom link will be shared with members of the Nashville Rose Society by Marty Reich email.

For a list of past meetings and events, click here.