Purdue Master Gardener Program Spotlight: B. Rosie Lerner – Extension Master Gardener Program

Purdue Master Gardener Program Spotlight: B. Rosie Lerner

“Everything’s Coming Up Roses”

B. Rosie Lerner deserves to be recognized for her many years of contributions to the Purdue Master Gardener Program as State Coordinator. When Rosie came to Purdue in 1984 there were less than 10 active Master Gardener Programs around the state. Now there are more than 70! What an accomplishment! In September of 2002 a leaf was turned over when Peggy Sellers assumed responsibilities of the Master Gardener State Coordinator. We are grateful that Rosie will still be contributing to the educational needs of Master Gardeners while continuing her responsibilities as Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist.

Following is an article written by Bev Shaw, who read this when Rosie was honored at the annual banquet of the Tippecanoe Master Gardener Master Gardener Association:

Way back in 1988, a very qualified gardener named B. Rosie Lerner looked out over a fallow field called Tippecanoe County. It had tremendous potential but there was no growth. Despite the fact that the field was under the jurisdiction of someone else, the gardener decided to grow a crop of roses.

RosesMost gardeners would scatter some seeds and see what happens, but Rosie knew that roses require more work than that. By taking the excellent rootstock of the Purdue University Extension Service and the scions of interested gardeners across the county, she performed a tricky and time-consuming task called grafting. This required hours of organization, publicity, teaching and mentoring for which the crop was grateful. She shone on us with her constant presence and gentle guidance. She fertilized us with incredible horticultural knowledge. She tested the crop with quizzes, tests, and question and answer booths, and she was pleased.

Rosie, very aware of her hardiness zone, knew her roses could not overwinter without continuing support, so she helped create the Tippecanoe County Master Gardener Association. On this trellis, the roses could twine and grow through all sorts of volunteer opportunities.

Gradually, the roses were joined by many more roses. As this happened, Rosie gently and softly stepped back from the garden and saw that it was good. She saw that they were ready to grow on without her constant presence, for these were no pansy tea roses, requiring endless attention, rose cones and black spot spray. Through a horticultural miracle, they had become rugged, dependable shrub roses, ready to take on the tasks ahead of them.

Only because of this gardener’s valuable input, do we all exist. For this, all the roses of the Tippecanoe County Master Gardener Association will always be grateful. From the bottom of our roots, we thank you, Rosie.

(Photo by Dr. Michael Dana, Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Purdue University.)


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