The Lake Superior Rose Society (LSRS) consists of approximately 40 individual members who grow roses and enjoy learning and sharing their knowledge and experiences with each other and the public.

The Lake Superior Rose Society began in 1996 and has enjoyed much social interaction. Our group activities have included: member garden tours; road trips to garden nurseries, public gardens and the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum; the annual mid-winter banquet; July potluck picnic; August wholesale plant orders; monthly meetings that include educational briefs by LSRS Consulting Rosarians, monthly programs of interest, and additional topics relating to rose growing. The members share information through book reviews and personal anecdotes. We also host an annual LSRS Rose Show each summer. In 2004, the Lake Superior Rose Society hosted the American Rose Societies, North Central District Rose Show. We also have fundraising activities to help defray operating costs of this non-profit society.

The members of the Lake Superior Rose Society also serve the community through education and outreach by volunteering their time in the Leif Erikson Rose Garden (LERG). These tasks include to raise the roses in April, deadheading the spent blooms during the summer months, participate in the final pruning winterizing of the roses in October.

After receiving a grant in 1998, the Lake Superior Rose Society wrote information for 10 topics and had the information commercially prepared for the LERG. Four of the signs are displayed at any one time, and the message in the signs are rotated through the season. A grant in 2004 from the G Kendall Smith Fund of the Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation, allowed the Society to add additional signage to the Rose Gardens.

The G Kendall Smith grant also supported the 2004 North Central Distrist Rose Show and Convention sponsored by the LSRS. These shows promote rose growing to the public and showcase the beauty and diversity of the many rose classes that exist and may be grown in Minnesota.

Evaluating our roses and giving the information to the American Rose Society for their Roses in Review program helps insure northern locale input into the ratings of the published findings for their annual Handbook for Selecting Roses. We also have fundraising activities to help defray operating costs of this non-profit society.

All this and so much more! It’s fun and rewarding. Meet new people and enjoy learning more about roses. The rose is America’s floral emblem, a symbol of love, friendship, beauty, and peace.

The Lake Superior Rose Society is an affiliate organization of the American Rose Society, and is a member of the Duluth Garden Flower Society and the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. For more information, contact an officer listed below.

Co-President: Julie Overom
715 - 795 - 2892
joverom @ chegnet.net
(remove spaces before emailing)


Vice-President: Lone Cooke
218 - 525 - 2276

Secretary:  Carol Borich
218 - 254 - 2179
cjborich @ uslink.net
(remove spaces before emailing)


Treasurer: Dennis Soukup
218 - 724 - 4746
ddsoukup2 @ msn.com
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Past Presidents:
2008-2009 Carol Borich & Julie Overom
2006-2007 Margaret Anderson
2004-2005 Bruce Berg
2002-2003 Margaret Anderson
2000-2001 Kathy Ahlgren
1998-1999 Julie Overom
1996-1997 Wayne Jesswein