Author: Medley Webmaster

You won’t want to miss the Friday evening reception at the Medley of Roses – ARS National Convention & Rose Show! The reception theme, “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,” may sound familiar. It comes from Lynn Anderson’s legendary 1970 hit song, “Rose Garden.” The song earned Lynn a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1971 and went gold.

This very special evening will be hosted by Lisa Sutton and Melissa Hempel, Lynn Anderson’s daughters, who will share a glimpse into their mother’s remarkable life and legacy.

The reception will begin at 4:30pm. Enjoy a drink (cash bar), appetizers, and time to mingle with fellow rose enthusiasts as the evening gets underway.

At 4:45pm we will have the Convention Kick-Off with welcomes from our Janie and Liz, our Convention Co-chairs, announcements, and important information about Friday night’s special outing to the Grand Ole Opry Birthday Weekend, featuring the Oak Ridge Boys and Ricky Skaggs.

From 5:00–6:00pm we will enjoy an hour of live musical entertainment by Karen Walrup.

Before heading out at 6:30pm for the evening, take advantage of this final half-hour to visit, linger, and get your picture with Karen and, of course, Maverick!

Come celebrate an unforgettable evening where roses, music, horses, memories, and Nashville come together. You may not have been promised a rose garden — but we think you’ll find that the Medley of Roses Friday reception comes pretty close! For more information, click here.

If you have not included the Reception on your registration, but would like to attend, send an email to diane@medleyofroses.org.

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Be sure to take time to browse the vendor tables and discover something special. You’ll find a wonderful variety of offerings, including rose vendors, garden supplies, painting, sculpture and ceramic artists, jewelry, soil enrichment products, and even a Rose Doctor Clinic.

With so many unique vendors to explore, there’s sure to be something that catches your eye—and perhaps something new to take home for your garden!

Our vendors include:

(Vendors subject to change.)

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Do you dream of an organized inventory of your roses? Notes in one place? Rose photos in labeled albums? Finding roses online with discounts at your fingertips?

In short, do you just want to click, snap, and be done?

Kimberley Dean, ARS Consulting Rosarian and Master Gardener, St. Mary’s County, University of MD, has been growing roses for over 30 years now. She grows 1600 roses in Maryland zone 8. You may know Kim as The Rose Geek on social media. Kimberley will be speaking on Sunday afternoon at 1:30pm. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, Robin Jennings will not be able to join us.

This presentation shares a new tool, My Rose Tracker, designed to help you maintain your garden like a “Rose Geek.”

Kimberley Dean is a passionate consulting rosarian with more than 1,100 roses in her extensive garden. She is known for sharing garden tours, spotlights, and vendor unboxing videos through her YouTube channel, The Rose Geek, giving viewers the opportunity to discover new varieties and see roses growing in a real-world garden setting.

Like many rose gardeners, Kimberley found herself using multiple places to keep track of her roses, notes, photos, and wish lists. She also wanted an easier way to find where roses were available to buy. That led her to create My Rose Tracker, bringing these resources together in one place. The website allows gardeners to build a personal rose inventory, explore a comprehensive Rose Library, map their garden, compare varieties, maintain wish lists, record notes and observations, organize rose photo albums, and connect with participating nurseries offering roses and exclusive discounts.

Kimberley is passionate about helping gardeners move beyond simply growing roses to building a more organized relationship with their gardens. Her presentation will showcase My Rose Tracker and show how an organized garden is possible!

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Mary Ann Hext, ARS Master Rosarian, member of the Bowling Green Rose Society, Nashville Rose Society, and Rose Show Judge, led a Zoom meeting focused on preparing exhibitors for the upcoming Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS Rose Show which includes the Nashville Rose Show and the Tenarky District Rose Show.

Mary Ann explained the show schedule, the different divisions (Horticulture, Arrangements, and Photography), and the rules for each, emphasizing that all blooms must be exhibitor-grown outdoors. She detailed the various classes within each division, including challenge classes, open classes, and novice classes, and provided visual examples to help attendees understand what to expect. She encouraged new exhibitors to participate, even with just a few roses, and offered to answer questions via email at mhext@outlook.com. This is an excellent opportunity for the members of the Nashville Rose Society and the Tenarky District to attend a national ARS rose show and convention within driving distance of their home town.

The presentation covered how to select and prepare roses for entry, the importance of correct naming, and tips for successful exhibiting.

Click here to see Mary Ann’s presentation. Please note that you will be required to register before the video is played.

Click here for a copy of the Rose Show Schedule (2026 02 27).

Enjoy! Please plan to come and exhibit at the Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS Rose Show.

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The Rose Doctor’s Clinic is an Extension and Outreach booth where we will answer questions about rose rosette disease and other common rose diseases. We will have printed copies of our publications on rose rosette disease available for visitors.

Participants are welcome to bring diseased photos or plant samples to discuss with your “Rose Doctor”, Dr. Nar Ranabhat, Assistant Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Tennessee. Stop by to share your experiences, including strengths, challenges, opportunities and threats facing your rose garden or the rose industry with Dr. Ranabhat.

And it is FREE!!

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On Friday, October 2, 2026, after attending the Welcome Reception, plan to continue the evening with the Grand Ole Opry Birthday Weekend, featuring the Oak Ridge Boys and Ricky Skaggs.

The Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention & Rose Show Welcome Reception will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Music City Nashville Airport Hotel. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the reception before heading to the Grand Ole Opry at the Opry House, 600 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville, Tennessee 37214, just approximately 15 minutes from the Sheraton.

For ticket information, click here. Lyft is the official rideshare partner of the Grand Ole Opry. A Lyft promo code GOOPRY gives new Lyft users 50% off their first 2 rides, up to $10 off per ride – no parking and you are dropped off at the door (you should verify current validity in your Lyft app).

The Grand Ole Opry is Nashville’s legendary live country music radio show and stage performance, a tradition that has been entertaining audiences since 1925. Known as the home of country music, the Opry brings together country music legends and rising stars for an unforgettable evening of live music and entertainment.

The Grand Ole Opry will host its annual Birthday Weekend celebration from October 1–4, 2026, as part of its ongoing centennial era Opry 100 festivities. The entire month of October features special birthday shows, plaza parties, and events at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an evening of Nashville’s rich musical heritage while celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry and attending a weekend at the Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention & Rose Show .

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We’re excited that Brad Jalbert, Founder and Owner of Select Roses, will be the featured banquet speaker at the Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention & Rose Show on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

Brad recently shared a preview of one of his outstanding new introductions, ‘Double Ambre’. This exceptional variety has proven itself in both hot, dry climates and damp, rainy conditions. Despite its very double blooms, ‘Double Ambre’ is totally unaffected by heavy rains — a remarkable achievement—and it is also exceptionally long – lasting as a cut rose.

The growing enthusiasm for Select Roses is evident throughout the industry. Convention sponsors Heirloom Roses and Lakeview Roses will be adding many more Select Roses varieties to their offerings this year and in the years ahead.

As Brad shared:

“It’s great to see the interest from both growers and gardeners now.”

Join us in October to hear Brad discuss his breeding program, exciting new introductions, and the future of Select Roses.

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