Welcome to the Louisville Rose Society!
Louisville Rose Society members are dedicated to sharing their love and knowledge of roses.
Our members have installed and tend a rose garden at the Louisville Zoo with Earthkind Roses (that require no spray and minimal care).
We have garden tours scheduled every season and hold an annual Rose show in the Fall. Our meetings are on the 4th Sunday of each month at 2pm. There is time to speak with growers about your roses and issues or questions your might have.
Annual dues of $20 provides our monthly newsletter, monthly meetings and access to American Rose Society Consulting Rosarians who will provide personal phone consultations. Your membership helps to promote roses in the Louisville area.
Email us at LRSMembership@gmail.com for more information.
Visit us on Facebook: Louisville Rose Society
Upcoming Events:
Sunday March 26 – Presentation: Minis & Minifloras, Saint Xavier High School Campus 2:00pm
Sunday April 23 – “So You Think You can Start a Rose! – by Paula Williams, St. Xavier High School 2:00pm
March Speaker Information
Gary O. Rankin, Ph.D.
Professional
• Professor and Chair
• Department of Biomedical Sciences
• Vice-Dean for Basic Sciences
• Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
• Marshall University
Research Area: Toxicology
Background in roses
Gary and his wife, Monica Valentovic, had been growing a few roses for many years, but became active in the Huntington Rose Society (HRS) in the early 1990s. Since the early 90s, the number of roses that they grow has increased from about 25 to around 300 rose bushes of all kinds, including about 125 miniature and miniflora roses.
Gary has been President of the HRS and Rose Show Co-Chair for the annual HRS Rose Show on several
occasions, and has held a variety of other positions in the HRS. He and Monica have been the Editors for the HRS’s newsletter Thorny Bush for the last twenty-six years. He is a Consulting Rosarian (CR) and Master CR for the American Rose Society, served as Cyber CR, and was Colonial District CR Co-Chair for six years. He served as a member of the American Rose Society’s Product Evaluation Committee to evaluate new rose care products for over eight years and has been Co-Chair, with Monica, of the
ARS Product Evaluation Committee since October, 2006. He has received the Bronze Honor Medal from the Huntington Rose Society and the Charleston Rose Society, the Silver Honor Medal from the Colonial District, and the Colonial District Outstanding Consulting Rosarian Award. He and Monica write the “Rosarian’s Toolbox” column for the American Rose magazine and frequently contribute rose articles and programs at the local, district, and national levels.