While many roses will do well in East Tennessee, the table below gives some of the favorites of the members of our society. With reasonable care all should do well in this area. For those who want to find roses that require little or no spraying, see the special section on "no spray roses" provided by University of Tennessee Professor Mark Windham. These roses exhibited the best resistance to "black spot" and "cercospora leaf spot" in trials carried out in the state.

Numbers in (parentheses) indicate the ARS rating according to the latest Handbook for Selecting Roses.

Our Rose Gardens ( slide shows )

Michael and Mary Bate's garden is a nineteen year old spring woodland and perennial garden with a sunny side and front yard where they enjoy growing climbers and shrubs including David Austin English roses and over one hundred hybrid teas and floribundas. Michael and Mary first fell in love with roses during their travels through New Zealand while they were employed with the U.S. Antarctic Program. Mary is an ARS Consulting Rosarian.

Kathy Brennan's "Bren-rose Garden" features approx. 200 roses, hybrid teas, floribundas, hybrid perpetuals, English roses, Old Garden Roses, climbing and rambler roses on arches and an arbor planted all around the house with a garden pathway. There are three perennial gardens accented with "garden art" scattered through out the plantings. This garden also features numerous container plantings. Kathy is an ARS Consulting Rosarian and President of The Tennessee Rose Society

Dr. Joseph and Rhonda Spruiell's garden. Dr. Spruiell is past President of the Tennessee Rose Society and Rhonda currently serves as Social Chairman. Their garden contains over 200 roses in a formal design accented by a water feature and stone paths. Roses are hybrid teas, floribundas and miniatures. Dr. Spruiell and Rhonda are ARS Master Rosarians and  Horticulture Judges.