Master and Consulting Rosarians
Our American Rose Society Certified Master and Consulting Rosarians
are available to answer all your rose growing questions.
Master and Consulting Rosarians are among the most knowledgeable and active people in the American Rose Society (ARS). The Consulting Rosarian (CR) Program is an integration of persons knowledgeable in the culture of roses who serve the American Rose Society in a variety of capacities. A Consulting Rosarian must attend an approved ARS school and have grown a variety of roses for at least five years. Master Rosarians must have grown a variety of roses for at least ten years. Our Master and Consulting Rosarians are available to answer your questions about growing roses and are always willing to share their knowledge and love of roses.
Larry Wiley
Master Rosarian
Larry was a faculty member in the Music Department at The University of Texas at Arlington for over 30 years. He taught piano and for six years was chair of the department. He retired in 2003 and has enjoyed having the time to spend in the garden.
He has grown roses for almost 40 years and has been active in the Fort Worth Rose Society for about 35 years. He has served as President of the society, Vice President for programs, and has been editor of its newsletter, Rose Prose, since 2006. In the American Rose Society National Bulletin Competition, the newsletter won Silver Awards in 2010 and 2011 and in 2012 the Gold Award. Larry was also editor of the ARS South Central District newsletter, The Rosarian, from 2016-2018. In 2014, the American Rose Society named him a Master Rosarian. In addition, he has presented many programs on rose growing for interested organizations, was a judge for All-American Rose Selection Test Garden program as well as a judge for the American Rose Society national Newsletter/Bulletin Competition. judge for the American Rose Society national Newsletter/Bulletin Competition. judge for the American Rose Society national Newsletter/Bulletin Competition.
Larry can be contacted by phone at 817-343-5074 or email at larry-wiley@att.net
To find Master and Consulting Rosarians in your area, visit the American Rose Society.
Jimmy Sanford
Master Rosarian
Jimmy retired in January 2014 after auditing for the State of Texas for 40 years. He has grown roses in Arlington since 1973 and has been a member of the Fort Worth, Dallas, and American Rose Societies since 1980. Jimmy is a past president of the Fort Worth Rose Society (1990 & 1992) and Mid-Cities Rose Society (1994). He has been an ARS Consulting Rosarian since 1987, an ARS Judge since 1991, and a Master Rosarian since 2005. He has served as FWRS Treasurer, Program Chairman, and Rose Show Chairman and show co-chairman for the 2004 ARS National Miniature Rose Show.
Jimmy served as an evaluator for the AOE test miniatures and minifloras at the Farmer’s Branch public gardens and received the ARS Bronze Medal in 1997. He has served as the South Central District (SCD) Data Coordinator since 1998 and SCD Membership/Data Chair since 2016 and was named the SCD Outstanding Judge in 2009. Jimmy received his first ARS Miniature Princess certificate with Red Beauty in April 1983. To date, he has won ARS Show certificates; 4 HT Queens, 5 HT Kings, 3 HT Princesses, 12 Miniflora Queens, 5 Miniflora Kings, 8 Miniflora Princesses, 21 Miniature Queens, 25 Miniature Kings, 25 Miniature Princesses, and 1 Victorian Rose.
Jimmy can be contacted by phone at 817-654-3832 or email at minirose@msn.com
Michael Braun
Master Rosarian
Mike grew up on cattle and farming operations in Tranquillity, CA, and Jerome, ID. His grandmother has been an avid rose gardener all her life and Mike got interested in roses through her garden in Tranquillity. His good friend, Bill Welzenbach, a long time Fresno rosarian; also influenced Mike’s interest in roses. Mike started actively growing roses in 1998. Since then he became increasingly more involved in growing and exhibiting roses along with involvement in the San Joaquin Valley Rose Society. Mike was accredited by the American Rose Society as a consulting rosarian in 2011 and became an accredited horticulture judge for the American Rose Society in 2014. He was the President of the San Joaquin Valley Rose Society for 8 years. This year he was made a Master Rosarian. Mike’s garden in Fresno’s Tower District contained over 300 roses. All varieties of roses were represented there; hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, modern shrubs, Old Garden Roses, large-flowered climbers, miniatures, minifloras, and polyanthas. Mike sold his home in Fresno in May 2021 to some young rose lovers and purchased a home in Fort Worth in July. He is in the process of redoing the landscaping there to include roses.
Mike can be contacted by phone at 559-978-4193 or email at michael.a.braun@comcast.net.
Herschell Fortner
Master Rosarian
Herschell has been a member of the Fort Worth Rose Society since 1985. Over the years he has served in various roles on the FWRS Board including President, VP of Programs and Membership as well as newsletter editor. Herschell is currently the VP of Rose Shows and is responsible for organizing our annual Spring Rose Show at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. He is actively involved in Boy Scout Leadership locally and has developed several activities to instill a love of roses in the next generation of rose growers. If you are interested in propagating roses, Herschell is a wealth of knowledge on this topic.
Herschell can be contacted by phone at 817-292-3795 or email at hforcf@att.net.