passing an exam, and apprenticing under an accredited judge. ARS publishes several periodicals including American Rose magazine and American Rose Annual, and has published or co-authored several books such as Encyclopedia of Roses, Handbook for Selecting Roses: A Rose Buying Guide, A Guide to Creating Rose Arrangements, Standardized Rose Names, Guidelines and Rules for Judging Roses, Guidelines for Judging Rose Arrangements, and Consulting Rosarian Reference Manual. Since 1955, the American Rose Society has been the designated International Cultivar Registration Authority for the Rosa genus, and maintains an online database called the Modern Roses Database. Guided by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, the registration process prevents duplicate use of cultivar names, and ARS is charged with ensuring that new names are formally established. Restoration project In 2017, ARS created a five-year master plan for the total restoration of the gardens called the Great Garden Restoration project. The project is a complete makeover for the gardens, consolidating the rambling multiple gardens into one core garden suitable for visitors. The project calls for the cutting back some of the encroaching pine forest and installing deer fencing. The design for the garden layout resembles the gears of a vintage watch and the theme is "The History of the Rose in America". The design includes the stories of great roses such as Peace which has been the parent of many roses through hybridization, and Yellow Rose of Texas which traversed the country with early settlers of America. The story of the Grandiflora and Miniflora classes will be told, and the mission of "Rose Rustlers" who locate and preserve old lost roses found in cemeteries and old homesteads. Part of the garden is dedicated to the "Father of the American Rose Society" J. Horace McFarland, an early leader, editor and publisher for the organization. This area of the gardens was named "McFarland Plaza" and a rose was named in his honor. The American Rose Society will name the new garden America's Rose Garden, home of America's national floral emblem, the rose. Other parts of the master plan include reaching botanical garden status, becoming recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, and becoming established internationally as a rose trial garden. Gallery See also List of botanical gardens in the United States List of Rosa species World Federation of Rose Societies Notes and references External links American Rose Center Facebook page The American Rose