Roses have a reputation for being high-maintenance, but the best rose breeders are chasing a different future: roses that bloom for months, shrug off disease, and succeed for everyday gardeners. We sit down with Dr. David Zlesak, a master rosarian and rose breeder, to unpack how roses went from ancient treasures traded across regions to the modern plants you see at big box stores and independent nurseries.

We dig into the deep history of cultivated roses, including how genetics is rewriting origin stories and how repeat-bloom traits from historic Chinese roses helped shape today’s garden varieties. Then we zoom into what buyers want now, from cut-rose goals like longer shelf life, fewer thorns, and more fragrance, to shifting tastes in flower form influenced by everything from rose shows to English-style, old-fashioned blooms.

The conversation turns practical and science-forward: black spot disease resistance, why multiple races make durability hard, and how stacking resistance genes and developing useful genetic markers can speed up breeding progress. We also explore environmental stress, including heat tolerance and winter hardiness, and how the American Rose Trials for Sustainability (ARTS) tests roses regionally to identify truly tough, low-input performers. Finally, David shares how the rose business has changed, why Knock Out roses reset the market’s expectations, and the career mindset that keeps him moving: ask what if, focus on market-limiting traits, and build a community of collaborators.

If you love gardening, plant breeding, or sustainable horticulture, subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a fellow rose grower, and leave a review so more listeners can find Plants, People, Science.

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Learn more about the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at https://ashs.org/.
HortTechnology, HortScience and the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science are all open-access and peer-reviewed journals, published by the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS). Find them at journals.ashs.org.

Consider becoming an ASHS member at https://ashs.org/page/Becomeamember!

You can also find the official webpage for Plants, People, Science at ashs.org/plantspeoplesciencepodcast, and we encourage you to send us feedback or suggestions at https://ashs.org/webinarpodcastsuggestion.

Podcast transcripts are available at https://plantspeoplescience.buzzsprout.com.

On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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A great public garden can change your whole day and sometimes your whole life. We sit down with Seth Hamby, Director of Living Collections at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, to talk about the real work behind a place that feels effortless to visitors: the plant records, the people, the science, and the stories that turn a landscape into a living collection.

We trace Seth’s path into horticulture through volunteering, fieldwork, and conservation genetics, including research on an endemic Texas prairie clover and statewide genome collecting tied to the Smithsonian Global Genome Initiative for Gardens. Then we go behind the scenes at Fort Worth Botanic Garden as it earns the ASHS HortLandmark designation, exploring what makes it a standout public garden in the Dallas Fort Worth area, from the Rose Garden and famously peaceful Japanese Garden to a rainforest conservatory and seasonal Butterflies in the Garden.

We also get practical about collections management including why GPS mapping matters and how a modern plant database supports research, education, and better visitor experiences. Seth also shares how volunteers help sustain the accredited Begonia collection and other details. We close with what we wish every student knew about careers in public horticulture, internships, and building opportunities by showing up consistently.

Subscribe for more conversations on Plants, People, Science, then share this episode with a friend who loves botanic gardens and leave us a review. What’s the public garden that always resets your brain?

Learn more about Fort Worth Botanic Garden at https://fwbg.org/.

Send us Fan Mail

Learn more about the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at https://ashs.org/.
HortTechnology, HortScience and the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science are all open-access and peer-reviewed journals, published by the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS). Find them at journals.ashs.org.

Consider becoming an ASHS member at https://ashs.org/page/Becomeamember!

You can also find the official webpage for Plants, People, Science at ashs.org/plantspeoplesciencepodcast, and we encourage you to send us feedback or suggestions at https://ashs.org/webinarpodcastsuggestion.

Podcast transcripts are available at https://plantspeoplescience.buzzsprout.com.

On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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Many horticulture students feel like they have to choose early: academia or industry, teaching or “real world” work, research or marketing. We wanted to test that assumption, so we sat down with Dr. Alicain Carlson from Syngenta Flowers, a cut flower scientist who built a career that blends floriculture research, technical problem-solving, leadership, and science-backed marketing. Alicain is currently serving as the ASHS Industry Division Vice President and was named ASHS Outstanding Industry Scientist in 2025.

Alicain walks us through her path from Virginia Tech to graduate work at NC State studying cut flower production and postharvest quality, and then the moment she took an unexpected leap into the commercial side of horticulture. We talk about what Syngenta Flowers actually does as a global flower breeding company, and why the best marketing in plant science is not fluff. It is trial data, clear comparisons, and practical guidance that helps growers choose varieties, manage growth regulators, and hit production targets.

We also get specific about career development: how student organizations, teaching assistant roles, and conference presentations build the leadership, communication, and project management skills that employers pay for. Then we dig into networking that feels human, including simple follow-ups, local grower meetings, and using LinkedIn without turning it into a performance. Finally, Alicain breaks down the California Spring Trials as a can’t-miss floriculture event for seeing new genetics, meeting breeders, and spotting collaboration opportunities with universities.

If you’re figuring out your next step in horticulture, floriculture, greenhouse production, or plant science, this conversation is a roadmap and a reality check. Subscribe for more career stories, share this with a lab mate, and leave us a review with the career question you want answered next.

Send us Fan Mail

Learn more about the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at https://ashs.org/.
HortTechnology, HortScience and the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science are all open-access and peer-reviewed journals, published by the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS). Find them at journals.ashs.org.

Consider becoming an ASHS member at https://ashs.org/page/Becomeamember!

You can also find the official webpage for Plants, People, Science at ashs.org/plantspeoplesciencepodcast, and we encourage you to send us feedback or suggestions at https://ashs.org/webinarpodcastsuggestion.

Podcast transcripts are available at https://plantspeoplescience.buzzsprout.com.

On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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