President's Message - November 2026

It’s already November the month when we think about how thankful we are for all our blessings, our friends and families, and the beauty around us, especially roses.

And speaking of being grateful, many thanks to all those who participated in our October activities. Our booth at Horticulture Expo and the Ag and Equestrian Center was a big success. About 2,500 people attended and many stopped by our booth. We were so fortunate to obtain a double booth so that we had room for our displays and activities.

Thanks to all our Consulting Rosarians! Kathy Porter set up a beautiful display of a wide variety of roses and a contest for the Most Fragrant Rose and Favorite Rose of the roses displayed. Favorite was Lyda Rose, followed closely by Cary Grant. It was almost a tie for fragrance with Lady of Shallott coming in just ahead of Kentucky Derby. Kathy, Wayne Myers, and Art Wade, and Dan Mills were available to greet and answer questions and Dan took care of our handouts.

Jean Stream helped with planning and wherever she was needed including set up and clean up. Dr. Joe Rush gave away old garden rose bushes and demonstrated propagation by rose rooting. Kathi Warren helped visitors make mini rose arrangements, Mary Menoski provided cold drinks, and Diana Ziegler also assisted. Special thanks to Ann and Tyler Sherwood for all their help with setting up, cleaning up, and doing the heavy lifting.

Last weekend, several of us attended the Deep South District Convention and Rose Show in Gainesville. Our society provided essential help setting up the rose show, including the awards table. Dan Mills deserves a special commendation for taking care of the awards. Not only has he been storing them, he had the awards perfectly organized for the awards table. Others helping were Jean Stream, Kathi Warren, Willie Mae Burley, and Ann, Van, and Tyler Sherwood.

Please note the change, above, in speaker and topic for our November 8 meeting. Kathy Porter will present something new: “Be Careful Out There: Venomous and Stinging Critters in Your Yard,” helping keep us safe in our gardens. Thanks to Kathy and our GRS Board for quickly acting to step in when our scheduled speaker was unable to attend.

Also, a change: if you are able, bring some finger food to share for refreshments for Nov. 8.

There will also be an opportunity to get advice from our Consulting Rosarians and a short business meeting to make plans for our Christmas party.

I’m looking forward to seeing you on November 8. Hoping that you all have a lovely Thanksgiving and enjoy all your blessings.

Jean Giesel, Master Rosarian, Acting President 

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