Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition May 25

He has a deep appreciation for roses, delighting in their delicate blossoms, rich colors and softly sweet scents.

But while Jeff Wray may appear somewhat reserved in his fondness for America's national flower — some enthusiasts travel great distances to take part in juried shows, spending time grooming their roses — he is less moderate when it comes to accumulating them.

"I've been accused of having an obsession with acquiring roses," he said. Indeed, around his home in Hendersonville are some 60 rose bushes, and a raised bed he recently finished planting in his backyard is expected to yield several dozen more.

A retired lawyer, Wray is president-elect of the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society. The group comprises several dozen members, or "rosarians," who want to "promote interest in all aspects of the rose culture," encouraging the cultivation of roses in the Asheville area, its website says.

On May 13, the society will put on display an extensive selection of roses in the parking lot of the American Red Cross building in North Asheville, as part of an annual plant sale with the Buncombe County Master Gardeners program. Proceeds will go toward both nonprofit organizations.

Although the sale lasts only one day, the selection is larger than that of any purveyor in Asheville, Wray said, including commercial nurseries. He noted that last year nearly 100 rose bushes were sold at the event, including about 70 different varieties.

"There are a lot of people who show up that want to know about roses," he said. He noted that some people have come bearing roses that appear in bad shape, hoping to restore their health.

The Blue Ridge Rose Society formed more than a quarter-century ago. A chapter of the American Rose Society, it has more than 50 members from around the region, roughly half of them men, and it continues to attract newcomers.

In addition to the plant sale, the group organizes an annual plant exhibition at the North Carolina Arboretum, showcasing roses grown in the area and featuring speakers and others who field questions. On Memorial Day, it will mark the 20th anniversary of the non-juried show, which is open to the public and free (save for a parking fee by the arboretum).

Offering workshops and programs, the group seeks to not only inform growers on properly and efficiently cultivating roses, but also dispel common misconceptions that raising them is time-consuming and painstaking.

"Some roses are pretty fussy," said Christine Gum, the group's current president. "But it doesn't have to be that way." Given the myriad varieties of roses, some require less upkeep, including little to no pesticides.

After all, the group practices what it teaches.

It tends its own pesticide-free rose garden outside the Red Cross building off Merrimon Avenue, where members gather for monthly meetings that are open to the public. For more than a decade the group has watched over the rose bushes, most of them adorning one side of the building.

"All the roses that are planted there will survive, and most of them will thrive, without being sprayed," Wray said. He added that the some 50 bushes there are pruned only once a year and fertilized twice a year.

For Wray, who joined the group shortly after moving to Hendersonville with his wife a couple of years ago, raising the thorny plant has remained worthwhile.

"It's a pleasure to grow roses," he said. "They can be very rewarding."

As for whether growing, or talking, about them ever becomes monotonous, "You couldn't begin to name them all," Wray said of the different varieties. He cited names like Dark Desire, Tropical Sunset and Quietness. "There's so many different colors, shades, shapes."

IF YOU GO

• A plant sale organized by the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society and the Buncombe County Master Gardeners program will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 13 at Asheville-Mountain Area chapter of the American Red Cross, 100 Edgewood Road, Asheville. Admission is free.

• The Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 27 at the NC Arboretum. Admission is free with the per-vehicle parking fee at the Arboretum. Learn more about both events online at ashevillerosesociety.org and about the exhibition at ncarboretum.org.

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Source: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/life/2017/05/08/nose-rose-asheville-blue-ridge-rose-society/99685282/