Thursday, November 1, 2012

2012 Festival of Roses is here!

Two more days to go until the Festival of Roses in Ocala! I really hope many of you will drive across town or maybe even across the state to participate in this fragrant annual event. (Is anyone game for the drive from Georgia, Alabama and beyond? Come ahead!!) Last year's event was my first ever, and I felt like a little child on Christmas morning. I had never seen - or smelled - 99% of the roses on display. Roses of rich colors - wine, apricot, incredible pinks. Cupshaped roses with 100+ petals. Stunning single roses with 5 petals. Roses so deliciously fragrant that they changed my life - and my garden. I simply had to have some of these roses that are not only gorgeous but also happy to grow in Florida. To say the least, not all roses are happy here, so be prepared to take notes and write down the names of your favorites among these winners in Florida's uniquely challenging climate.

Festival of Roses Program

Carolyn Parker will be our special guest speaker Saturday and Sunday. I am so looking forward to meeting the lovely lady who takes such killer photos of roses. Take a peek HERE at her work. I’m sure you’ll want to meet her, too.

Experienced rosarians will be there to answer your questions. One thing I've learned about the folks who love roses is that they are such NICE people. And delicious food will be there! The event is free, the fragrances are free, the beauty is free, a rose bush is free to new members, but you do have to pay for the food and as many of the 200+ rose bushes as you can load in your vehicle! Please join us. I will be there, and I would love to give each of my blog friends a big squeeze. The schedule of events and directions to the Marion County Ag Center are in the program. It’s a short drive from I-75 for those coming from out of town.

Click on this link to see the 28-page program for the Marion County Rose Society's Festival of Roses happening this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3rd & 4th.
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Be still my heart!! My roses arrived this morning. Oh, how I love the FedEx guy! And to remove all doubt that David Austin has taken over my brain (not to mention my pocketbook), I have two more coming from Roses Unlimited.

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Hope to see you Saturday!! Don’t forget to bring your Carolyn Parker books, so she can sign them.

2 comments:

  1. Super good publicity posting.....way to go~
    XXOO
    Cyd

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  2. I wish I could go. It sounds amazing.

    I think you'll like Jude. It smells very strongly of citrus and has a beautiful bloom form. Tradescant looks like something I may whan to grow in the future. Let us know how it does.

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