Our History
The early history of NERS began on June 17, 1939, at the New York World’s Fair, where a small group of American Rose Society members—George Sweetser, Edwin Steffek, Mrs. Harriet Foote, Alexander Cummins, and others—gathered for an impromptu meeting on the Jackson & Perkins Garden Terrace. They discussed the idea that regional and local groups could enhance the national scope of the ARS by fostering camaraderie and providing hands-on rose-growing support.
In July 1939, an initial attempt to form a Connecticut Rose Society (CRS) took place at the New Haven Agricultural Experimental Station, but interest waned. However, George Sweetser of Massachusetts took the idea forward and organized a meeting in early 1940. A second meeting followed on March 15, 1940, during the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS) Spring Show. With 24 attendees, the New England Rose Society was officially established, and those present became charter members.
NERS quickly became an active and engaged society, launching its first NERS Bulletin, initiating garden visits, and establishing three annual meetings (March, June, and October).
Milestones & Traditions
1942
World War II
1944
1945
1949
1950s
1955
1958
1970s
1979
NERS held its first rose exhibition at the MHS Boston Flower Show (June 17-18), where MHS awarded NERS its first bronze medal.
Members brought cut roses from their gardens to soldiers in local hospitals.
Membership reached 133 members.
Robert Pyle of Conrad Pyle Company was a special guest at the annual meeting.
NERS exhibited at the Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts for the first time.
The NERS Bulletin transitioned from stapled sheets to a booklet format.
The first recorded NERS Rose Show featured 212 entries from 45 members.
The annual Founders’ Day Luncheon moved from March to October, becoming a longstanding tradition.
Horticultural Hall in Boston and Karl Jones’ gardens in Rhode Island became favorite venues for NERS events.
The NERS Bulletin was renamed The New England Rosarian.
Despite gaps in recorded history, NERS has continued to thrive, sharing rose-growing expertise and bringing together a passionate community of rose lovers across New England. Today, we remain committed to education, preservation, and the joy of growing roses.
