rirs.org No paid content found

What is the Rhode Island Rose Society?

The Rhode Island Rose Society is an educational and social group for people in Rhode Island who grow roses or want to learn more about them. It runs on a simple, recurring rhythm: monthly meetings on the second Saturday at 10AM, a large rose show each June, an award-winning newsletter, and a calendar photo contest. It is affiliated with the American Rose Society (ARS) and belongs to the ARS Yankee District, so members connect to a wider regional and national rose-growing community.

Rhode Island Rose Society

Who it suits

• New growers who want hands-on advice instead of trial and error.
• Experienced rosarians who want to show roses, judge, or compare notes with peers.
• Social members who mainly want the meetings, pot lucks, plant swaps, and trips.

What the page shows it actually does

The news feed is a good snapshot of the group's real activity: a pot luck lunch, a "Buying and Selling Roses Plus Plant Swap" meeting, rose show preparation sessions, rose show results, and a Yankee District Lobsterfest. In other words, this is a club that mixes practical horticulture with plain sociability, rather than a purely online information source.

How to get involved

The site says you can join by attending a meeting or through the membership page, and it points to meeting and membership pages for details and benefits. If you are deciding whether it is worth your time, attend one monthly meeting first — that lets you judge the advice quality, the welcome, and whether the June show is something you would want to enter.

How do I join the Rhode Island Rose Society and what are the membership benefits?

You can join the Rhode Island Rose Society (RIRS) by attending one of its monthly meetings or by using the membership page on its site. The group describes itself as an educational and social organization for people in Rhode Island who love roses and want to learn more about them. Meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m., and the society also hosts a large rose show each June and publishes an award-winning newsletter. It is part of the American Rose Society and a member of the ARS Yankee District.

Rhode Island Rose Society

Practical next step: Check the site's meeting and membership pages for current details and benefits, then try a meeting before committing. If you are new to roses, a meeting is the lowest-pressure way to see whether the group's mix of education and social activity fits you; if you already grow and show roses, the June rose show and ARS affiliation are the parts most likely to matter.

When and where does the Rhode Island Rose Society meet each month?

The Rhode Island Rose Society meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10 AM, according to its site. The location isn't fixed: the homepage lists individual gatherings at different venues, such as Shepherd of the Valley for a potluck and the Hattie Ide Chaffee Home for an April meeting.

If you're planning a first visit, check the latest post under "Meetings" or "Important notices" on Rhode Island Rose Society before you go, since the date, time and venue for each month are announced there rather than in one permanent listing. As a reader scenario: someone interested in joining could confirm the next second-Saturday meeting, note the address in that post, and simply attend—the site says you can join by coming to a meeting or through the membership page.

What happens at the Rhode Island Rose Society's annual rose show in June?

The June rose show is the society's biggest public event of the year, and it is organized as a judged exhibition of roses grown by members rather than a plant sale or garden tour. Based on the site's own announcements, the show is a one-day event in mid-June (a recent edition was held June 13), preceded by a preparation meeting in May and followed by posted results.

What typically happens

• Judged classes: Members enter cut roses and compete in classes, with results published afterward. The site notes an annual "Grand Prize Winner" tied to its calendar photo contest, showing that photography of roses is part of the society's culture alongside live exhibits.
• Prep meeting beforehand: A May meeting is dedicated to getting entries ready, which is useful if you have never prepped a rose for judging.
• Open to visitors: The event is promoted publicly with reminders and times, so non-members can attend to look, ask questions and decide whether to join.
• Social and educational layer: The society describes itself as educational and social, meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10AM, publishes an award-winning newsletter, and belongs to the American Rose Society and its Yankee District.

A practical reader scenario

Imagine you grow a few hybrid teas and want to know whether your blooms are show quality. You could attend the June show as a spectator, watch how exhibitors groom and stage their roses, then join a monthly meeting and aim for the next year's show. If you only want inspiration for your own garden, the show still works as a single afternoon visit.

Where to start

Check the society's meeting and membership pages for current dates and benefits, and look at Rhode Island Rose Society for the latest show times and results. For broader rose-growing guidance and judging standards, the American Rose Society is the national body this group is affiliated with.

How can I enter roses in a rose show or get help identifying a rose problem?

The Rhode Island Rose Society is a local club that answers both needs: it hosts a large rose show each June, and it holds monthly meetings where members bring questions and problems to other growers. For show entry, the practical path is to attend a meeting first, learn the show schedule and entry classes, then prepare your blooms the day before. For identification help, bring clear photos of the whole plant plus close-ups of the affected leaves, canes and flowers, and note your location, sun exposure and watering routine.

H3 Where to start

• Show entries: Meetings are the second Saturday of each month at 10AM. Ask about the June show, entry deadlines and how blooms are staged and judged. Rhode Island Rose Society
• Problem ID: Bring photos and a sample cane or leaf in a sealed bag to a meeting, or post to the group's Facebook page for faster informal feedback.
• Regional context: The club is part of the American Rose Society and the Yankee District, so members can point you to district shows and rose-specific guidance. American Rose Society

H3 What to bring for a problem diagnosis

H3 Practical next step

If you want to show roses, visit a meeting before the June show and ask which classes fit the roses you grow. If you want a diagnosis, take three photos — whole bush, affected area, and a close-up — and write down your watering and spray history. A local club can often identify common regional problems on the spot, while a state extension service is a good backup for laboratory confirmation. URI Cooperative Extension

What is the Yankee District Lobsterfest and how do I attend?

The Lobsterfest is the Yankee District's annual gathering for American Rose Society members in the northeastern district, and the Rhode Island Rose Society lists it as a three-day event, September 11–13, 2026, in its news feed. That entry is a notice rather than a registration page, so treat it as a save-the-date: it tells you the event exists and roughly when, not how to sign up.

How to actually get in

1. Watch the Rhode Island Rose Society's updates. The Lobsterfest post sits alongside meeting notices and plant-swap announcements on Rhode Island Rose Society. Check back, because details like the venue, cost and registration deadline appear later in the same news stream.
2. Ask at a monthly meeting. The society meets on the second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Members who attend the Yankee District events in person are the fastest route to accurate logistics, and you can join by simply showing up.
3. Go through the district or national body. The Rhode Island society is a member of the Yankee District of the American Rose Society, and district events are typically organized and ticketed at that level rather than by a single local club.

What to expect from the format

The name is literal: a lobster dinner is the social centerpiece, wrapped around rose programming and the chance to talk plants with growers from several states. That makes it a good fit if you already grow roses and want to meet people outside your own club, or if you are deciding whether to enter shows and want to see how experienced exhibitors talk about their plants. It is a weaker fit if you are looking for a beginner's workshop or a family drop-in — a multi-day district event with a ticketed meal is a different commitment.

For a local, low-pressure first step, the Rhode Island society's own calendar is easier: monthly meetings, a June rose show, and occasional events such as a buying-and-selling-roses session with a plant swap. Start there, then decide whether the Lobsterfest trip is worth it.