President's Message - October 2026

It was such a joy to get together again at the Harn Museum of Art for our September meeting. If you missed it, it is well worth a visit or a return visit. There is seating in most of the galleries so you can move at your own pace and rest and contemplate. An amazing display related to flowers is the spectacular new showcase of art glass including Tiffany pieces. Phil L. pointed out to us the many vessels in flower forms or decorated with flowers. Many thanks to program chair Kathi Warren for planning a year of interesting programs and field trips.

I’m sure hoping that this cooler weather will bless us with rose blooms for our October events. The information for our October 17 booth at the Horticultural Expo is on the event calendar below. We were somewhat dismayed to learn that our booth will only be 10x10’ since the Expo space is sold out. We need roses to display and give away. Kathy Porter requests that you please identify varieties and bring them to the event early Saturday morning, before 9 a.m. when the Expo opens. You may need to call Jean Stream or Jean Giesel to meet you at the entrance. Contact information is below.

Besides information booths, plants of many different types will be for sale, and food trucks will be there, or bring your own lunch.

Our Deep South District Conference and Rose Show is October 23-25. In addition to the informative talks and the rose show, a rose arrangement workshop has been added. It will start at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. Cost is $15. More information is below.

Thanks to Wayne Myers for keeping us on track with what to do in our gardens for October.

Wishing you rosey days, Jean Giesel

Jean Giesel, Master Rosarian, Acting President 

President's Message - September 2026

Dear GRS members and friends,

August 21. We are up here in Fancy Gap, VA, enjoying the “coolth” and hoping our roses will bounce back as the heat lets up a bit in Florida. I’m planning to start pruning around Labor Day unless it is still too hot. This should produce blooms in October when GRS will be taking part in the Horticultural Expo on October 17 and the Deep South District Conference and Rose Show October 23-25. More information and the conference registration sheet are available in this newsletter.

If you haven’t attended a DSD event, you have missed a great opportunity. And if you have never entered a rose show, give it a try! The schedule for the show is available at deepsouthdistrict.org. The schedule lays out the various categories. New exhibitors can enter the Novice classes as well as any others. For beginners it is easy to enter photographs which can be taken at any time. Just remember to keep track of the rose name and make the focus as sharp as possible. Our Consulting Rosarians and others will be happy to help new exhibitors.

Our Vice President and Program Chair Kathi Warren has been working diligently to schedule our programs for 2026-27. We kick off with a docent led tour Sept. 13 at the Harn Museum of Art focusing on plants and gardens. A detailed calendar is below.

It’s time to pay your membership dues! Please bring to our September event or mail to Jean Stream.

Because we won’t be having a regular business meeting until November, we need you to sign up to help (and bring roses) at the October 17 Expo. At present, we are planning to meet and greet, pass out literature and free cut roses, and do mini arrangements and rose rooting.

Jean Giesel, Master Rosarian, Acting President