President's Message - May 2026

Dear Gainesville Rose Society members and friends,

The last meeting of our rose year is our May 17 picnic at Dudley Farm Historic State Park. There is an entry fee of $5 per car. We will meet on the porch of the visitor center and begin our picnic at 2:00 p.m. Fried chicken will be supplied; bring a side dish or dessert to share. The sign-up list is below. Please email Mary M at menoski@msn.com with the number of people you are bringing and dish. If you decide to come at the last minute, please do come. Somehow, the food always works out! Chairs are available on the porch, but you might want to bring a lawn chair. Google Dudley Farm State Historic Park for more information and a map of the park.

Thanks to Art Wade for arranging our visit. After the picnic, he will be available to talk about the collection of heirloom roses in the garden. There may be a ranger available to tour the farm or you can visit on your own. We are investigating use of the tram. The park closes at 5 p.m.

Many thanks to all who made our Roses for Everyone event a success. We tallied 55 visitors who enjoyed our displays and activities. If you gave us your email address, you will be receiving this newsletter, and we encourage you to join us at Dudley Farm and in September when we meet again after a summer hiatus.

Are you and your roses enjoying the cooler than usual spring weather? It’s starting to heat up in the afternoons, but the mornings are still delightful. The cold winter delayed blooming, but what a spring display! We now have two “new” favorite roses, Honeymoon and Climbing Pinkie.

Honeymoon, or more correctly Arborose Honeymoon, is a vigorous large-flowered climber covered with scapes of up to seven or more blooms. The lovely blooms are white with tinges of pink. The moderately fragrant cupped blooms have a high petal count reminiscent of English style roses. Released by Kordes about ten years ago, it can reach at least 10 feet in height and scoffs at foliage diseases. Heirloom Roses, Edmunds, and High Country Roses carry Honeymoon. Heirloom Roses can say it better: “While Cl. Pinkie is technically a Climbing Polyantha Rose, her nearly thornless canes are easy to train as a Climber. . . . Cl. Pinkie’s rose pink blooms are cupped and produced in clusters with great profusion. Once established, it is very difficult to catch this rose out of bloom and the flushes of scented, semi-double flowers simply smother the bush in bright rose pink. Train her as a Climber or let her grow without support as a graceful, cascading shrub.”

If you want a very easy to grow and train pink climbing landscape rose, try Climbing Pinkie. In my mind, it is superior to Climbing Pink Pet in vigor and display. It was discovered as a sport of Pinkie by E. P. Dering in 1952, and has been given the Earth Kind designation. It is also listed in Peter Kukielski’s Roses without chemicals book of 150 disease-free varieties. Heirloom Roses and the Antique Rose Emporium carry Climbing Pinkie.

Jean Giesel, Master Rosarian, Acting President 

President's Message - April 2026

Dear GRS members and friends,

As most of you know, our rose friend, mentor, and President of GRS, Ralph Stream, passed away on March 3 after a long illness. Despite his health, Ralph soldiered on, helping wherever he was needed and leading our society, with the help of his wife Jean. We truly miss him. As Vice President and acting President, I am trying to fill some very big shoes. Jean is working to pare down their rose collection and has roses to give away. Please arrange with her if you would like some rose plants.

Thanks to all who attended our special rose program with Michael Johnson of David Austin Roses USA on March 8. With your help, it all came together, and the day went well. We learned a lot about the business side of a world-renowned rose breeding and selling company. It was also interesting to learn how bare root roses are grown and prepared for selling and shipping.

Our next event will be our Roses for Everyone program at the Millhopper branch library on April 25. See below for rota and other details. We will have a short business meeting to vote on the slate presented at the March meeting. Many thanks to Dan Mills and Kathi Warren for serving on the committee and to those who agreed to serve. There will be no regular meeting in April. I thought we had already decided that, but if I made an “executive decision,” I apologize.

Please help us publicize this event and invite your gardening friends and neighbors. Flyer is attached for your use. Dr. Joe Rush will be providing rose plants to give to all who attend.

Our May 17 end-of-year picnic will be at Dudley Farm. Art Wade is working with the staff there and details will follow. Highlight will be the heirloom roses in the garden.

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the lovely spring weather and that your roses are waking up and flourishing after such an unusually cold winter.

Jean Giesel, Master Rosarian, Acting President