In the early days of the transition of the American Rose Society from an organization of nurserymen to a society serving the general public, Dr. Robert Huey conceived the idea of providing a bureau of information for rose growers. In 1920, this group was formalized as 32 past presidents of ARS, hybridizers, nurserymen, scholars, and other noteworthy rosarians were designated “Consulting Rosarians,” and the CR program was born. In 1949, the ARS Board of Directors greatly broadened the scope of the service by deciding that Consulting Rosarians would be appointed by each district, following guidelines approved by the board. This made the knowledge of CRs available nationwide. To ensure further that Consulting Rosarians were well qualified, in 1996 a system of CR schools and exams, run by the districts, was established. In 2024, educational outreach was further expanded through the development of the ARS Rose Forum, providing an online source for Consulting Rosarians to share rose knowledge with all rose gardeners.

Current ARS CR Resource Material – 2024

ROSEMANIA SPRAY REFERENCE (2018)
SOIL & WATER BASICS
FERTILIZATION CR SCHOOL
ROSE DISEASES – MARK & ALAN WINDHAM
ROSE INSECT PESTS – MARK WINDHAM & FRANK HALE
EARLY DETECTION OF RRD – MARK & ALAN WINDHAM AND FRANK HALE
ROSE DISEASE: IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT – MARK & ALAN WINDHAM

 Older DSD Training Presentations

1-4 CR Program Wayne Myers 2017
7-8 Pest Control – Phil Paul
9-10 Insects & Disease Dr. Owings