Photo © Natalie Stout
The San Diego Rose Society, in honor of its 100th anniversary, is hosting the San Diego World Rose Symposium April 30 to May 4, 2027, at the Bahia Resort Hotel on Mission Bay.
"This is a rare opportunity for professionals and passionate hobbyists alike to access world-renowned experts in rose breeding and cultivating. This is the first time in 25 years that a World Federation of Rose Societies Convention has been held in the United States," said symposium co-chair Ruth Tiffany.
The five-day symposium will also incorporate the 2027 American Rose Society Convention, the 2027 National Rose Show and an in-person rare rose auction.
The society said that the educational lineup ranges from master hybridizers such as Tom Carruth, who has created more than 100 rose varieties, including 11 All-America Rose Selections, and Ping Lim, a breeder of eco-friendly, stress-resistant roses, to authorities on chemical-free rose growing options, integrated pest management and rose selection for changing climates, heritage roses and the latest in new cultivars.
Attendees will be able to tour gardens such as the 37-acre San Diego Botanic Garden, with 5,000-plus plant species and four miles of trails, and Balboa Park's Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, which features 1,600 roses and 130 varieties, plus many regional private rose gardens.
Attendees will commemorate the centennial of the society, which is affiliated with the American Rose Society, with a 1927-themed American Rose Society Awards Dinner.
"The Bahia Resort Hotel will provide the perfect surroundings to combine a rose experience with a lush tropical beachside vacation," said Natalie Stout, symposium co-chair. "The award-winning property features a secluded beach on a 14-acre peninsula on Mission Bay and lush tropical gardens. It is only a 10-minute walk from Pacific Beach's Belmont Park and numerous beachfront restaurants."
The symposium will be capped off by an optional eight-day tour designed by rose expert and tour planner Paul Zimmerman, who will guide participants through Southern and Central California estates, public gardens, nurseries and tourist attractions, while sharing insights on rose growing, garden design and sustainable practices.
Registration and complete details on the symposium and discounted hotel accommodations are available at sandiegorosesociety.com/2027.