In The News

In the News

The World Federation of Rose Societies most recent newsletter is available to all PRS members.

World Rose News March 2025.pdf

Colonial District Pre-Spring Meeting 2025

March 22nd

The Colonial District Pre-Spring Meeting will be held at the Blackburn Inn & Conference Center in Staunton, Virginia, on March 22, 2025..

Registration fee of $125 includes all seminars & meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner) on Saturday.

Discounted room rates of $109 per night (Queen) and $149 per night (Queen Suite) are available.

AGENDA:

8:00am - 9:00am | Continental Breakfast (biscuits, pastries, fresh fruit, orange juice, coffee, tea)

8:30am - 9:15am | District Meeting

9:30am - 10:45am | Arrangement Design Program

· Demonstration by David Walsh, Maryland RS President, and ARS Certified Horticulture and Arrangement Judge

11:00am - 12:15pm | Photography

· An interactive program by Pam Powers, ARS Photography Chair 12:15pm -1:15pm | Lunch: Build Your Own Deli Buffet

1:15pm – 2:00pm | “Easy Care Roses for Our Area” or “Beyond Knock Outs”

· Presented by Stephanie Waltz, Rose Trial Coordinator for Star Roses

2:15pm - 2:45pm | "Drywrapping Your Roses”

· Presented by Diane Sommers, Immediate ARS Past President

3:00pm - 4:15pm | Panel Discussion on Growing Roses without Chemicals

· Alex Mundry-Till, owner of Quince Blossom Ridge, a Maryland Flower Farm and Wedding Venue that combines the charm of an English garden with a three-season, organic flower farm
· Jonathan Gazarek, Potomac RS Board of Director, Co-editor of The Capital Rose, Colonial District Awards Chair

Buffet Dinner

· Silent Auction · Raffle · Cash Bar (beer & wine)

For those coming in on Friday, there be a get-together on Friday evening at a local restaurant.

Colonial District Meeting Registration.docx

Article from Martha Stewart Online: The Best Rose Companion Plants for Beautiful Blooms All Season

https://www.marthastewart.com/rose-companion-plants-8679819

Recent Article on Rose Rosette Disease:

Field Resistance to Rose Rosette Disease as Determined by Multi-Year Evaluations in Tennessee and Delaware, Pathogens, 2023, 12, 439 pathogens-12-00439.pdf

Authors: Mark T. Windham (1), Thomas Evans (2), Sara Collins (1), Juniper A. Lake (2), Jeekin Lau (3) , Oscar Riera-Lizarazu (3) and David H. Byrne (3),*
1 Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
2 Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
3 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
* Correspondence: dbyrne@tamu.edu; Tel.: +1-979-845-9500

Abstract: Rose rosette disease (RRD) caused by the rose rosette emaravirus (RRV) and transmitted by
the eriophyid mite Phyllocoptes fructiphilus (Pf), both native to North America, has caused significant
damage to roses over the last several decades. As cultural and chemical control of this disease is
difficult and expensive, a field trial was established to systematically screen rose germplasm for po-
tential sources of resistance. One hundred and eight rose accessions representing the diversity of rose
germplasm were planted in Tennessee and Delaware, managed to encourage disease development,
and evaluated for symptom development and viral presence for three years. All major commercial
rose cultivars were susceptible to this viral disease to varying levels. The rose accessions with no or
few symptoms were species accessions from the sections Cinnamomeae, Carolinae, Bracteatae, and
Systylae or hybrids with these. Among these, some were asymptomatic; they displayed no symptoms
but were infected by the virus. Their potential depends on their ability to serve as a source of viruses.
The next step is to understand the mechanism of resistance and genetic control of the various sources
of resistance identified.

Maryland Rose Society Rose Show is Thursday, June 02, 2022

This year’s Maryland Rose Society Rose Show is Thursday, June 02, 2022, at Vollmer Center, Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Av, Baltimore MD 21209. Come and bring roses!

Rose entries can be prepared 7:00 am to 10:30 am. Roses will be judged about 10:30 to 12:30. The Rose Show is open to the public about 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Come and see the roses in the afternoon. MRS emphasizes Old Garden Roses - including rare, fragrant, beautiful blooms!

Note that many of the OGR roses are grown organically. If you do not spray, it does not matter. Plus there is a category for David Austin, English roses. Ask Dave W. for show booklet. More expert people will help you with entries.

Contact: Dave Walsh, at 410-598-2033. By email at 812.dmichael@gmail.com .

For Cylburn, see https://cylburn.org/ . Hit visit, then Hours & directions.

David Austin, creator of the much-loved David Austin roses, died on December 18, 2018 at his home in England. He was an inspiring rose breeder that made English roses popular the world over. Many of these are disease resistant and grown by PRS members. More on his life and legacy is here.

On January 21, 2018 PRS VP Lou Giacchino received the American Rose Society - Colonial District Consulting Rosarian of the Year Award from District Vice-Director Ray Shipley.

Potomac Rose Society Featured in
American Rose Magazine

PRS is on the move! Please take a look at our outstanding, ARS Mag Article A Rose Society Focused on the Future.pdf on page 86 of the March/April 2017 issue of American Rose, the magazine of the American Rose Society.

Rose Tunnel by Inez Jackson

As PRS aspires to continue its leadership and service, it has been listening to rose lovers. Over the last decade, potential members have been telling us they want beautiful, fragrant, environmentally sustainable, low maintenance roses! PRS has responded by diversifying our programming to make more information available on growing modern and old garden roses in the mid-Atlantic region without the use of synthetic chemicals.

Roseraie du Chatelet by Lisa Mundy

Our programs have been both interesting and informative. A recent talk featured University of Maryland Professor, Mike Raupp, Ph.D.—“The Bug Guy”—who is a frequently-called expert on CNN, MSNBC, and other networks. He has also been a guest on late night TV. Mike presented a fascinating advocacy for Integrated Pest Management in rose gardens. And, the very next day, he was interviewed on local radio station, WTOP.

Scarborough Fair by Carol Edwards

Our June 3 Symposium on Disease Resistant Roses was designed to show that beautiful roses indeed can be grown without spraying synthetic chemicals! Our distinguished guest speakers included Pat Shanley, President of the American Rose Society; and keynote speaker, Gaye Hammond, former President of the Houston Texas Rose Society, the largest in the US.

At the symposium, we discussed the Top Ten Disease-Resistant Rose Varieties for the mid-Atlantic region. These roses were selected on the basis of in-garden experience of PRS members. We took orders for a limited number of these varieties that we have for sale, with delivery within the first week after the symposium. Our venue was the new Silver Spring Library, located at 900 Wayne Avenue. The event was free and open to the public.

Top photo of Gemini rose by Rich Baer

Potomac Rose Society Featured in American Rose Magazine

Potomac Rose Society Featured in
American Rose Magazine