I wish I could snap my fingers and cross the continent! Carol

I love the Old City Cemetery! The cemetery itself is a wonderful combination of graveyard, garden, and museum. Their rose sale is the only place left around here where we can find a good selection of OGRs and other old roses in person.

Connie,

Could you share a bit of detail between Hollywood Cemetery and Old City Cemetery; both have their uniqueness I would assume?

Patty

I visited the cemetery's website, the closest I can get to attending the rose sale. I encourage others to check it out. The history of the cemetery itself is significant. Outside of family plots, it is the resting place of the entire African American population of the area from 1806-1865. 2,200 Confederate soldiers lie in a designated portion. Also located in the cemetery is the grave of poet Bransford Vawter.

The website lists the many old roses which are grown in the cemetery, an amazing collection! The sale is one I wish I could attend.

I also noticed that weddings are held on the beautiful grounds. An unusual and embracing custom which unites past lives and present life.

A purchase of the cookbook Food to Die For benefits the cemetery. And if you Google for images of Lynchburg Cemetery Roses, you can take a wonderful virtual tour of the OGR plantings.

Carol

I had the enjoyment a few years ago to take a ride up to Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA, and volunteer under the leadership of Connie Hilker for Rose Work Day. A very rewarding time I had. I have heard Connie talk about Old City Cemetery and always wanted to take a ride up to Lynchburg for that pleasant event; maybe this is the year.

For the record, I am not affiliated with any of the businesses or organizations that I mention here. As an independent consumer and antique rose lover, if I were to travel to the rose sale (which I can't but maybe some of you can), I'd stay just down the road at this B&B. Carol

https://www.thecarriagehouseinnbandb.com/

Would love to go to the rose sale, but 10 hrs driving is too far.....

That is far, but it might be worth it. You meet rose people as well as find roses to buy. People drive that far to come to the Sacramento Cemetery rose sale. The sad truth is that are fewer and fewer old rose nurseries left. Many of those that survive are excellent, but you cannot find some of the roses offered in cemetery sales anywhere else.

I only can drive 3 hrs straight, then I have to take a 30min nap, that's 3 naps on the way there......what's the GPS address there? I will have to think about it. Can I buy the roses online?? Save me a 20 hrs driving trip plus 6 naps on the road........is there a rose list anywhere? :-)

Another source for some old roses is Roses Unlimited and their selection may be the biggest and best east of the Mississippi. They are mail order as well as pick up.

A more obscure source with only limited offerings used to be the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, but I couldn't find any roses on their site this year..

If you are near the panhandle of Florida, Goodwood Home and Garden in Tallahassee has an Heirloom plant sale Saturday, April 8. In the past, I know that Heirloom roses were offered.

An event later this spring at Tufton Farm (adjacent to Monticello) will feature Heirloom roses for sale. this is the schedule for that day.

Tufton May 26th

Thanks Ann for the info! :-)

Thanks for the info. I posted that to a friend who visits that cemetery already. Now to send her a copy of "In search of Lost Roses"

I've been there -- and on that weekend, though years and years ago. If you can go, do!

Late to the party to reply to questions ... sorry about that.

Anyway ... The Old City Cemetery is owned by the City of Lynchburg. They have a wonderful cooperative relationship with the Southern Memorial Association, which has made the cemetery into the destination for tourists and for local folks that it has become. Support buildings were moved to the cemetery, or built from scratch, including a depot, the Pest House, a visitor's center, a beautiful chapel, and the new Comfort House. Rose garden, including a separate area for the Carl Cato collection, is but one of the things that I love about Lynchburg's wonderful cemetery. (Jane Baber White wrote a fantastic book about her work restoring the cemetery's roses, planning and planting the new gardens, and developing the rest of the grounds. It's fascinating!)

As far as roses for sale ... The largest variety this spring for browsing and buying in person may be at Lynchburg. The sale at Tufton is much smaller, and it includes only a few of the rarest varieties from their garden. At the HRF conference in May, we will have roses available for sale at Saturday's banquet. (I don't have the list of those yet. I can let you know what we have as soon as I know.)

Connie