Description

Garden Talk with Tom Carruth

Huntington Rose Gardens Update &

How to Care for Your Roses During the Heat of Summer

Tom Carruth is a self-described plant ‘freak’ whose obsession blossomed as a child, despite growing up in the Texas panhandle. His passion became a profession after he received a Bachelors in Horticulture (1974) and a Masters in Plant Breeding (1976) from Texas A & M University.

Regardless of the advice given by his most inspiring professor, Dr. J.C. Raulston, Tom pursued his dream to become a rose breeder. Since 1975, he’s worked in the rose industry in California with the late Bill Warriner of Jackson & Perkins Co. and Jack Christensen of the former Armstrong’s Nursery.

From 1988 to 2012, he was in charge of the rose hybridizing effort as Director of Research & Marketing at Weeks Roses. The broad goal of Tom’s breeding was to make the rose a contender with all plants, rather than a fussy queen of the garden. His introductions stress disease resistance, fragrance, floriferousness, novelty & attractive habit.

Tom has over 100 introductions to his credit with numerous national & international awards. . Among Carruth’s AARS winners developed for Weeks are ‘Julia Child,’ ‘Scentimental,’ ‘Cinco de Mayo,’ ‘Hot Cocoa,’ ‘Wild Blue Yonder,’ ‘Strike it Rich,’ and ‘Betty Boop.’ Tom is currently the curator of the rose collection at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

$45 members/$55 non-members

9:30am Coffee

10:00am Lecture

11:30 Brunch