The Life & Roses of Anne Belovich

RoseChat Podcast

With Teddie Mower, Caretaker of Anne’s Garden

On today’s podcast, host Teresa Byington chats with Teddie Mower, Anne Belovich’s Daughter-in-Law and the Caretaker of Anne’s rose garden which includes over 1,000 mostly heritage roses. Anne was a rose collector Rock Star and Teddie's main focus is to ensure that her rare and imported roses are conserved through propagation efforts for future generations to enjoy. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear some of the fascinating stories about this remarkable woman who was the author of 6 books - all written when she was in her 90s. And, that’s just a small part of her story!

The Knock Out® Rose Day

Beth Smiley, ARS Executive Director

How fun and exciting is this? The Knock Out® Rose now has an official holiday! It will be celebrated every year on the Friday before Mother's Day. This year the celebration is on May 9.

According to a Star Rose and Plants press release, "The decision to create a national day was made as part of the celebrations surrounding the 25th anniversary of Knock Out®. From nearly 30,000 annual submissions, only about 20 are chosen by National Day Calendar. National Knock Out® Rose Day will be recognized every year going forward.

“The Knock Out® rose has become so recognizable over the last 25 years, we knew we wanted to try to get it nationally recognized with its own day, and we’re thrilled that it was selected,” said Susan Bacus Morgan, Marketing Manager for Star® Roses and Plants.

Here are a few easy ways to join in the fun!

• Plant a few Knock Out® Roses in your garden
• Gift a Knock Out® rose bouquet to a loved one
• See how many Knock Out® shrubs you can find in your neighborhood
• Share photos of your Knock Out® garden using #NationalKnockOutRoseDay and #AmericanRoseSociety.

Join in the fun, share your Knock Out® blooms, post your photos and tell people how easy it is to grow roses with the help of the American Rose Society.

Beth Smiley

Interim Executive Director
& Publications Director
American Rose Society
318-938-5402

BELOW: 'Knock Out' by Emily Hamann

Dear Rose Friends

Craig Dorschel, ARS President

Spring is truly here, even where I live in New England. Time for planting, fertilizing, and awaiting glorious blooms. Or already enjoying them in the warmer climates.
The title of this publication is The Fragrant Rose for a very good reason. Fragrance is a highly appreciated and desired characteristic of roses. So often the first thing a person does seeing a rose bush in bloom is to sniff the blossoms in the hope of being treated to the reward of glorious fragrance. Carolyn Elgar’s article linked in this issue explores the topic of fragrance in depth, including why some roses are fragrant and why some, alas, are not.

One of the missions of the American Rose Society is the preservation of rose varieties. Over the years, many thousands of rose varieties have been created but, alas again, many of these have become extinct. Besides losing some beautiful examples, these extinctions are losses to the genetic diversity of roses. A major effort of the ARS is the preservation of rare rambler roses, the giant mostly once-blooming plants popular in the earlier years of the twentieth century. Ann Belovich amassed a large collection of these roses, most of which are now under cultivation at the American Rose Center. You can learn more about Ann and her roses in the podcast linked in this issue.

One of the many benefits of ARS membership is access to the member’s digital bookshelf, where you will find Ann’s book which features pictures of the roses in her collection. Please join us to be part of our mission to share the love of roses, America’s Floral Emblem, with all.