The American Rose Society's spring conference is being held in Winston-Salem, NC this weekend - the city where I was born and raised, and where my parents reside. So I flew down yesterday and am attending the next two days of exhibitions and workshops with my mother, who has become a knowledgeable "octogenerian rosarian" in her own right, after starting a rose garden last year (she now has about 40 varieties). Here's our itinerary for the next two days:

Friday, June 3
* 10:00am session: Garden Design for Mixed Roses, by David Pike of Witherspoon Rose Culture
* 11:00am session: Garden Structures – Arbors, Trellises and Pathys, by Ken Novak
* 1:00pm exhibit: Judged Photography Show
* 2:00pm session: Rose Photography workshop
* 3:00pm session: Rose Photography Show Critique

Saturday, June 4
* 1:00pm session: Best Roses to Grow in Three Regions: East, West, and Central
* 2:00pm session: Top Minis and Mini-Floras for 2011
* 3:00 pm exhibit: Judged Rose Show
* 4:00 pm session: Klima Lecture

We aren't bothering to go on the tours of local gardens, because we know them all too well, having been to them plenty of times in the past, so we're focusing on the exhibits and workshops instead. Should be fun!

It does sound like fun. It's great that your mother and you share the interest in roses. Be sure to give us a full report.

That sounds like a TON of fun! Make sure you take lots of pix!

and if you find anyone desperate for old garden roses, I'll send you a list of what I have available at this time!

Sounds wonderful.

Ohhh, we expect a full report and pictures! Have fun!

I can't wait to hear what roses they recommend for the northeast!

Kathleen how desperate do they need to be? I'd be interested to hear what you have.

Can't wait to see your pics!

What fun! How many photographs have you entered?

I entered six photographs, and guess what? I won Best in Class in the Rose Art category with my rendering of Amber Queen, shown here. And then that photo ultimately won Best of Show across all seven categories! The award is a beautiful Waterford crystal vase!

Entries in the Rose Art category are permitted to be digitally manipulated to suit the photographer's re-visioning of a rose. In my case, I used a technique that causes the photograph to resemble a watercolor painting.

I also won a 1st Place Blue Ribbon for my photograph of a Chrysler Imperial bud that I titled Dew Drop Diamonds. I heard that this one prompted a fair amount of discussion among the judges.

Congratulations!! I love both of them!

Thanks Sue. After the judging took place, the judges conducted a public critique of the photos, and it was interesting to hear what each judge liked about each photograph that was given a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place ribbon.

Congratulations! And I have to brag that Sue and I have our very own enlargements of those two photos. I personally can't remember ever seeing a rose photo I liked more than Dew Drop Diamonds.

The dew drop picture is my favorite as well.

I also won two second place ribbons, and one third place ribbon, for these three images:

Peace:


Betty Boop, rendered with a "posterized" filter:


Sheer Bliss, also rendered with a posterized filter:

There were plenty of other "pure" (unaltered) photos in the other judged categories, but I thought it would be fun to submit these off-beat photos in the Rose Art category instead.

Zuzu and Sue, you'll probably notice that the Betty Boop I entered above is not the same photo as the one I gave you. I ultimately decided I liked the above photo better, and rendered it after my visit to your neck of the woods this past February.

Absolutely fantastic! Congratulations!

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Zuzu, I told my mother that Dew Drop Diamonds was your favorite, and that this would bring me good luck in the judging.

However, Amber Queen was John's favorite choice among the 6 photos I entered.

BTW, for those who may not know, after 15 years together, John and I are being legally married in Connecticut this month, with the reception being held in New York at Mohonk Mountain House, shown here (www.mohonk.com).

I defer to John's judgment.

Are you all set for the big day or are the arrangements sending you into a frenzy?