Category: Rose Society Activities

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. 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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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.

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

This is a great opportunity for both first-time exhibitors and experienced rose growers to become familiar with the show schedule before the convention.

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

To receive the Zoom link, send an email to diane@medleyofroses.org.

We hope you’ll join us!

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PLEASE share with your social media. To download, click here

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The roses are blooming, the plans are growing, and support for the Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention & Rose Show is beginning to blossom from across the country!

We warmly invite ARS districts and local societies to join in supporting the convention. Whether large or small, every contribution helps this event continue to grow into something truly special.

We are delighted to recognize the districts and societies that have already stepped forward with generous donations and sponsorships in support of the convention:

American Rose Society Districts

Local and Affiliate Rose Societies

 

A heartfelt thank-you to these early supporters for helping our convention take root and flourish. Their generosity helps provide exceptional speakers, educational programs, beautiful exhibits, and memorable experiences for rosarians from all across the nation.

Now we’d love to see even more names added to the garden path!

Let’s make the 2026 Medley of Roses a celebration worthy of the beauty, friendship, and passion that roses inspire.

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It will have been a little over two years since we had the opportunity to meet with our rose friends in Rhode Island and share, commiserate and encourage one another by the time the Medley of Roses – 2026 American Rose Society National Convention & Rose Show comes around. The Nashville Rose Society is honored to once again host this convention from October 2-5, 2026. It has been a while, 1999 to be exact, since Nashville hosted and we are so excited to welcome you back – and also to welcome first timers. To say that we are thrilled with the developing plans would be an understatement. With a focus on modern (Kordes and Jalbert) roses, we believe we are offering something for all rosarians at this event.

Regular ARS convention attendees already know this, but we want to reassure those who have never attended one that you will NOT feel out of place or awkward at a rose convention. We LOVE first time attendees and first time rose exhibitors!! Even if you are attending by yourself, it won’t take you long to find someone you will enjoy hanging out with. With a stunning rose show that will give you an opportunity to add roses to your wish list, great and diverse programs, a fabulous variety of vendors and lots of enthusiastic and FUN people, we think we will have something for everyone.

We want to share a bit of information now about Nashville and encourage some of you to consider spending a few extra days exploring our beautiful area following the Convention. Early October is a wonderful time to be in Tennessee!!!! Days are still pleasantly warm, the horrible summer humidity has typically relented, and evenings are perfect! Our rainy season normally doesn’t start before mid to late November so weather is incredible.

Of course, Nashville is known for music, primarily country music, being home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry is always a popular destination for those visiting Nashville and offers a weekly shows featuring at least 8 artists. Plan to attend the Friday night, October 2, show after the Convention Reception, only 15 minutes from the Sheraton Hotel.

We are offering NRS Bus Tour on Monday, October 6, that will feature the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and Cheekwood Estate and Gardens.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum “collects, preserves, and interprets the evolving history and traditions of country music. Through exhibits, publications and educational programs, the Museum teaches its wide range of audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music.” A 2014 expansion doubled the size of the facility to approximately 350,000 square feet offering exhibition galleries and retail stores.

Cheekwood Estate and Gardens serves as Nashville’s botanic garden as well as an arboretum and museum. The 1930’s Cheek estate features 55 acres of gardens to enjoy, including the 1.5 mile Carell Family Sculpture Trail. Cheekwood regularly offers exhibitions of contemporary and classic artists, live music and seasonal garden events and displays.

We have several members of the Nashville Rose Society (as well as a few other folks) who are planning to open their gardens to attendees. These will not be a part of the NRS Bus Tour but something you could do on your own.

Nashville is also well known for food! If you want to try some chic and trendy spots we have a lot of options. Food Network personality Maneet Chauhan and her husband have a local popular restaurant, Chauhan Ale and Masala House. Other well known and rising chefs include Kelly English (Restaurant Iris), Tandy Wilson (Nashville’s City House), Trevor Moran (Locust), Josh Habiger (Bastion), Jake Howell (Peninsula) and Philip Krajeck (Rolf & Daughters, Folk).

Some fun and interesting tours/areas to check out include the Belle Meade Historic Site and Winery, President Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, The Parthenon (The world’s only exact-size replica of the original Parthenon in Athens) located downtown in Centennial Gardens, and Music City Walk of Fame.

For night owls, Lower Broadway, Printer’s Alley, The District and Music Valley offer great options. Lower Broadway is where you will find the live music as well as retail shopping and tourist attractions. A night owl but not really into music and/or the bar scene? – maybe the always popular Nashville Ghost Tours might be for you.

We hope you will consider joining us at the Medley Of Roses – 2026 American Rose Society National Convention & Rose Show and perhaps spending a little extra time exploring our part of the city. We will soon have information for places to visit and things to do around Tennessee and nearby states. Keep some days open to venture out!

We look forward to meeting you – or seeing you again – and sharing our roses and our city with you.

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Rooted in Love

Every gardener carries someone else’s fingerprints in the soil.

A grandmother who taught pruning.

 

A neighbor who shared rose cuttings.

 

A friend who showed us how to notice beauty unfolding slowly.

We invite you to honor the person who helped your love of gardening take root — especially the growing of roses and the joy found in tending a garden.

Please share a favorite photograph along with a few words, a memory, or a lesson they passed on to you. Together, we hope to create a beautiful memory wall celebrating the people whose influence continues to bloom through all of us.

Please submit your photo and remembrance to emerymedleydonations@gmail.com by September 8, 2026.

Click the Donate page for ways to make a donation.

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You won’t want to miss the Friday reception at the Medley of Roses – ARS National Convention & Rose Show. The theme for the reception is “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.” You may recognize the lyrics from Lynn Anderson’s 1970 legendary hit song “Rose Garden”. She won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1971, and received gold certification for the record. Lisa Sutton and Melissa Hempel, Lynn’s daughters, will host the reception.

Lynn’s early life was intwined not only with music, but also with horses. She was an accomplished equestrian who competed quite successfully, earning over 700 trophies. Lynn commissioned a replica of a life-sized horse that reinforced and complimented her love of music and horses. Maverick was painted as a Palomino (at Lisa and Melissa’s grandfather’s suggestion) with beautiful pink roses inset with rhinestones. He wears Lynn’s grandmother’s gorgeous custom-made ornate silver parade saddle that is over 100 years old. When it came time to name the horse, it was Grandpa who suggested the name Maverick, after the parade horse he had in his younger days.

The convention is not Maverick’s first rodeo! You may remember him from his appearance at the 2019 Miniature Rose Convention in Franklin, Tennessee where he was quite a hit! Maverick will be a very popular photo op. The reception will not only feature Maverick, but also some of Lynn Anderson’s memorabilia and outfits as well as musical entertainment.

Be sure to include tickets for the reception when you register. If you have already registered and would like to add the reception, send an email to diane@medleyofroses.org. After the reception you will have plenty of time to go to the Friday night performance at the Grand Ole Opry.

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