A highlight of the Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention & Rose Show will once again be the live auction of a stunning handmade queen-size quilt created by the talented team of Kathy Wyckoff and Jo Pederson.
Kathy expertly machine-pieced the quilt top, while Jo custom quilted it using a hand-guided machine in an elegant rose pattern. Measuring 90” × 100”, this beautiful quilt is both machine washable and dryer safe, making it as practical as it is beautiful.
Ever wonder how many hours go into creating a quilt like this? Excluding the time spent selecting fabrics and cutting hundreds of pieces, Kathy estimates that more than 20 hours were devoted to piecing the quilt top alone. Jo then invested another 20-plus hours professionally quilting the finished piece. The result is a one-of-a-kind work of art that reflects exceptional skill, patience, and craftsmanship.
Be sure to attend the live auction for your chance to take home this extraordinary heirloom-quality quilt!
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
Buckeye District ARS — in support of speaker Mark Windham
Colonial District ARS
Illinois-Indiana District ARS — in support of speaker Mark Windham
Tenarky District ARS
Local and Affiliate Rose Societies
Beverly Hills Rose Society — Beverly Hills, California
Bowling Green Rose Society – Bowling Green, Kentucky
Holston Rose Society — Knoxville, Tennessee
Louisville Rose Society — Louisville, Kentucky
Memphis & Dixie Rose Society — Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee
Nashville Rose Society — Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee Rose Society — Knoxville, Tennessee
Tri-State Rose Society of Chattanooga — Chattanooga, Tennessee
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.
Broadway Historic District. U.S. National Registry of Historic Places. Photo courtesy of WikipediaIt 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.
Grand Ole Opry. Photo courtesy of Grand Ole Opry website.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.
Photo courtesy of Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum websiteThe 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 Gardens and Estate. Photo courtesy of Cheekwood Estate and Gardens Website.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).
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.
Lynn Anderson’s Cowgirl Hat The theme for Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention & Rose Show Friday reception is “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden”, the title of Lynn Anderson’s legendary hit song from 1970. Lynn won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1971 and received gold certification. Lisa Sutton, daughter of Lynn Anderson, has generously donated her mother’s cowgirl hat with roses.
The hat will be featured as one of the items in our live auction.
The ‘Lynn Anderson’ rose, featured on the hat, was hybridized by Joseph F. Winchel in 1995 and introduced by Weeks. The rose is a beautiful creamy pink hybrid tea with exhibition form and long stems. The rose has won Queen of the show many times in the past. It is lightly fragrant, disease resistant, and blooms continually.
Lynn Anderson hybrid tea roseThe ‘Lynn Anderson’ rose gradually fell out of commerce as more new roses were introduced. Lisa worked diligently to reintroduce the rose. She created a living legacy to her mother with the Lynn Anderson Rose Memorial Garden in Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville. Jeff Duffer from Dignity Memorial, helped design the garden which has over 100 Lynn Anderson roses. The garden was dedicated in memory of her mom.
The Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS Convention & Rose Show Planning Committee putting together items for live auction. The items and schedule are still in the works – check back for the latest information.
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.
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.
Register now for the Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention & Rose Show and receive a complimentary desk copy of the Rose Atlas (vol. 3): 20th Century Hybridizers. Register at MedleyOfRoses.org to secure your copy.
All About the Book
Publication Date June 2026
ISBN 978-1-218-90758-7
400 pages 7.375 x 9.125 in.
Over 100 hundred breeders
Four Pages per breeder
Fifteen 15 Countries
750 high resolution images
Retail value $50.00
Rose breeders, professional and amateurs, have been so active that an additional third volume in the Rose Atlas series became necessary to chronicle and do appropriate justice to their contributions. Having eloquently demonstrated over the last century exemplary service and camaraderie, they deserved recognition via an authoritative reference work to chronicle their breeding accomplishments in the 20th century. Often stated, reference works are established as key legacies to help future generations to admire and learn from the past. Progress in rose evolution has been aided in the most part by the contributions of a plethora of amateurs becoming a pivotal force to showcase rose hybridizers for their ingenuity demonstrating depth of their passion for roses.
Planning process required guidelines to govern the selection of breeders to remain within the assigned 400 pages. Selections for this international group of over one hundred breeders was a difficult task. Researching the available literature from existing large databases compiled by the America Rose Society and HelpMeFind were invaluable on parentages and their ancestors.
More importantly, the passion and dedication of the relatively small clan of hybridizers is guaranteed to expand in their combined quest providing new varieties to improve our daily lives and the enjoyment of growing roses!
Directory of Hybridizers
Click here to download a pdf of this announcement. Please share it with your rose friends, your rose society, and your district.
… By way of Indianapolis. Get on the bus and join the fun!
Does your rose society or district have plans to attend the Medley of Roses – 2026 ARS National Convention and Rose Show? We would love to hear about it and share it! Send information to webmaster.arsconv@gmail.com.
Kathy expertly machine-pieced the quilt top, while Jo custom quilted it using a hand-guided machine in an elegant rose pattern. Measuring 90” × 100”, this beautiful quilt is both machine washable and dryer safe, making it as practical as it is beautiful.
Be sure to attend the live auction for your chance to take home this extraordinary heirloom-quality quilt!
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 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.
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. 
