October 10-12, 2008 Birmingham Botanical Gardens Birmingham, Alabama

The Birmingham Rose Society cordially invites you to “Experience the Magic” at the DSD Convention and Rose Show, October 10-12. We are hosting this convention at the beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Birmingham became known as the “Magic City” in the 1800s because of the population explosion from the iron and steel industry. We think it is magical because of the beauty surrounding it - Red Mountain, named for the iron ore, Shades Mountain covered in trees and flowers and Oak Mountain, site of a state park. At night the sparkling lights of the city with Vulcan, the iron man, standing high on Red Mountain, give a magical feeling.

All the convention events will be held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The host hotel is the Hampton Inn, located a short drive away in Mountain Brook Village. The Village has interesting places to eat, stroll and shop for antiques, clothes, books, shoes, jewels and flowers.

Registration for the convention will 1-9 pm at the BBG. Arrangement enthusiasts will not want to miss the DSD Arrangement Workshop begins at 1:30 pm at the gardens. Mayre Parr, the organizer, has lined up two experts, Douglas Helberg, our current National Chair of Arrangements, and Jane Mullins, a Master in the Ikebana Ohara School. After these excellent presentations, we will have a hands-on session to practice what we have discussed. Flowers and containers will be provided for those so registered. Please bring your own arrangement tools. Learn how to express your own attitude toward life in “Floral Art” - Join us for some fun!

Friday night we’ll have a Social Hour with a cash bar at 6 pm, upstairs in the East room, followed by a delicious BBQ dinner in the Ireland room. This venue provides a lovely setting to enjoy eating barbecue and pie, greeting friends and meeting new rosarians.

The prep areas open Saturday morning at 5 am. Entries will be received in the BBG auditorium from 6:30-9:30 am. Everyone attending please bring and enter your beautiful Fall blooms and do some arrangements! The Judges Breakfast is 8:30-9:30 am with the judging beginning at 9:45 am. Shortly thereafter, tours of the BBG gardens will be conducted by knowledgeable docents. Tours of both the General Garden and the Japanese Garden will be given, so mark your choice on the Registration Form. These tours begin at 10:15 am in the courtyard. After lunch (on your own), our programs begin in the lecture hall at 12:30 pm. Jason Powell, (Texas A&M masters degree in horticulture) will talk on “Petals from the Past”. If you are a fan of Antique roses, heirloom shrubs and hard to find perennial flowers and herbs, you’ll want to hear Jason Powell’s program.

At 1:45 pm Dr. Harold Settle, a rose grower since the early 70’s, will discuss his four acres of gardens entitled “Gardens for all Seasons”. Dr. Settle grew up in Virginia and started gardening while in medical school there. Dr. Settle’s garden is designed to have something in bloom 365 days a year. His rose garden is the focal point of the more formal garden in the front of his house. Multiple other focal points in the gardens include 85 Japanese maples, camellias, azaleas, daylilies, iris, ferns, hostas and an annuals cutting bed. This is a program you will not want to miss in preparation for the tour of the Settle gardens on Sunday. Our traditional DSD business meeting will follow this presentation from 3:00 to 4:00 pm.

Saturday night, our social hour (cash bar) begins at 6:30 pm in the Hodges room with a wonderful buffet banquet in the Auditorium at 7:30. The famous Fish Market will cater a magical dinner for us that will then be followed by the ever-popular DSD awards.

Sunday morning at 7:30 am we will board the busses for our Garden Tours. The buses will leave the BBG at 7:45 pm and travel to the gardens of Patty Ragsdale and Glenn Hodge where snacks will be served. We will have lunch at the garden of Harold Settle on beautiful Logan Martin Lake. Then onto the Siddiqui garden (one block away) for dessert. The buses will return to the BBG at approximately 2:00 pm. We hope you’ll come join us for this “Magical Weekend”.

We will have various vendors at the Convention. You can also preorder roses from K & M Nursery, 601-648-2908, email Millsrose@myway.com or from Cool Roses, 561-684-2421, email Geoffcoolidge@bellsouth.net, www.coolroses.com and have them delivered to you at the Convention. See you in Birmingham

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