Hi. My name is Diane Sommers, current president of The American Rose Society. I live in Wisconsin and currently grow over 250 roses of all classes
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My Name is Gerry Mahoney. I am an active member of the Pacific Southwest District for the ARS as well as President of the Rose Society of Glendale in Arizona. My spouse and I grow approximately 120 roses of all classes, and love to share rose knowledge.
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My name is Elena Williams and I live in the Pacific Northwest District. I have been growing roses since 1997 and I am now a Master Consulting Rosarian. I really enjoy miniature and miniflora roses but do grow all types of roses.
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My name is Jim Beardsley and I live in Minneapolis/St Paul Minnesota area. Iāve been growing roses for 60+ years. My garden contains approximately 100 roses of all types. Iām a Master Consulting Rosarian and Horticulture Judge.
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Hello. My name is Jason Capote, I live in New York City and have been growing roses since the age of 9 in 1997. I now have 170 bushes in almost all classes of roses. I am also the editor of the Fragrant Rose and am active in the New York, Yankee, and Penn-Jersey Districts.
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Hi Diane,
Carol McRee here. I live in South Carolina. I have grown roses for about 3 decades. I grow mostly minis, floribundas and hybrid teas. I consider myself to be the OGR killer as I have not successfully grown an Old Garden Rose.
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HI Gerry - thank you for joining our community!
My name is Billie. I grow roses in the hot and humid Gulf Coast. I grow all classes of roses including Old Garden Roses, Hybrid Teas, Shrubs and Miniatures. I grow roses because it makes me happy to look at the beautiful colors while sitting at my breakfast table sharing a cup of coffee with my husband or friends. I enjoy grooming each brush, looking for a spent bloom that needs removing or a beautiful bloom that will be added to an arrangement for a friend or myself. The fragrance of roses uplifts my spirit does wonders for my attitude.
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Hello from Jill in Kennesaw, Georgia, about 35 miles north of Atlanta! I moved here from Las Vegas five years ago, and have just a small garden of 40 bushesā¦ mostly Hybrid Teas with a few Floribundas and a few climbers. Iām still trying to adapt my gardening practices from the desert to this rainy, humid climate. I pay special attention when a rose is described as āpoor disease resistanceā !
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Hi Jill. Nice to meet you and welcome to the Rose Forum! We do have some Georgia members on the forum and I am sure they can help you. I understand how challenging it is when you change climates and need to learn new ways to grow roses. The good news is that the basics still apply - even if timing or soil composition is different. One benefit of the forum is to bring rose growers together from around the country.
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Hi Carol - Looks like we have similar gardens although I find myself growing more and more shrubs. Not only are they hardy, I enjoy their ability to put on profuse blooming throughout the season. OGRās - looks like you need some help and I bet others on the forum can assist!
Hello, Iām Christopher Huffer from Brookhaven, Georgia (North Atlanta). Iāve been growing roses since I was 5 years old (45) years. Iāve grown them in Northern and Southern California, North and South, Texas, and North Georgia. I have just under 500 roses in my garden. I collect vintage moderns (Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, Floribundas, and Polyanthas) I also grow Minis, Mini-Floras, and Shrubs. Iām always trying new introductions too. I also oversee the rose garden at the Carter Center in Atlanta. My full-time profession is that of a Realtor. Additionally, Iām an ARS Consulting Rosarian, and Vice President of the Greater Atlanta Rose Society. I love to share my love and knowledge of roses.
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As well you should! Take ALL catalog descriptions of disease resistance with a ROCK of salt. Local information is the best. However Meilland and Kordes have been breeding disease resistant roses for decades in Europe but their roses can be hard to come by at a local nursery here in the US. Roses Unlimited in SC has a Meilland collection and perhaps a Kordes collection. Great people - Bill Patterson and Pat Henry. Their website is rosesunlimitedsc.com
Hi Diane,
I love this opportunity to introduce myself to all forum users. I am Satish Prabhu, a retired anesthesiologist. I started growing roses when I was 12 years old and have been continuously doing so without interruption, for 64 years. We emigrated to the USA in 1975, became members of the ARS in 1977 and life members in 1983, but the records at ARS reflect only the date of life membership and skip the original date of 1977! We started exhibiting roses quite seriously in 1983 and have continued to do that as well. But I think we are getting ātimed outā of most of these rose activities. Experiences (good, bad, and idifferent) have taught me a lot about growing and showing roses and I am glad to be available to answer any questions the budding rosarians might have. The most important message I want to share , from my experience is that anything that has something to do with growing roses has been made very complex and difficult and labor intensive, and that does not have to be so! I would like to congratulate you and the ARS on starting this forum. I have no doubt it will be very useful and most successful in achieving its goals.
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Thank you Satish - and so glad you have joined our community. We need experts such as yourself to share your knowledge!
Is it possible to ask for MRs to volunteer in groups every month? One can do it one month at a time, or as long or as short a period of time as they wish. But it is important that all questions are answered with correct information ASAP. It took me a while to understand how it is supposed to work, but that is on me. We could denote the CRs and MRs in some way so that the people who read answers know that they have likely found the correct answers to their question instead of just another opinion. Who are the moderators (watch dogs?) May be a word about this having started could be announced in the American Rose, so that people know. I am trying to figure out the best way to let people know that it is available.
Thanks, Satish
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Ask Diane, but I believe it is still in beta testing here with invited guests only to build up some content. When the new web site launches, then it will be public and you can/should publicize.
Hi. We are launching this week. I had hoped to do it at the same time as the new website but knowing that has a few more weeks I want to get this going. I am looking forward to seeing our community grow!
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Hello, Iām Teresa Byington. I garden in Zone 5b. I grow about 120 roses of many classes from the oldest to the most modern shrubs in a cottage garden setting. I am an active member of the Indianapolis Rose Society, a blogger, and the host of the Rose Chat Podcast. I rarely meet a rose I donāt love.
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Hello all! Iām Justin, a consulting rosarian in the Pacific Northwest.
My husband and I grow somewhere around 60 roses in the suburbs, and Iām actively seeking opportunities to improve my garden. Iāve been looking forward to when this project would become public. Thanks!
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