The Heritage Rose Foundation is proud to support HelpMeFind.com/Roses. HMF/Roses is an extremely popular and important web site devoted to roses and all that is rose related. This invaluable tool for rosarians, from the amateur to the rose scholar, is continually updated with new information and corrections.

     By visiting the HMF Roses website, http://www.helpmefind.com/rose, one can view detailed lists of over 28,000 heritage and modern roses and over 42,000 photos of roses. But that’s not all. You should check out the entire site, including an extensive worldwide database of:

     • Detailed information of botanical and horticultural characteristics of roses
     • Updates on found and mystery roses
     • Rose Photos
     • Participation in rating of roses
     • Information on buying, breeding, caring for and exhibiting roses
     • Listings of thousands of rose nurseries
     • Listings of public and private gardens with their contents
     • Listings of rose societies
     • Listings of hybridizers
     • Listings of rose authors
     • Listings of rose-related publications
     • An ezine with articles by noted rose writers

     Support of HMF by the Heritage Rose Foundation, both financially and in an advisory capacity, complies fully with the educational aspect of our charter. In addition to strengthening international prestige for both the Foundation and for HelpMeFind, HRF will benefit from HMF calling attention to our programs and activities. We anticipate that our support will further enhance this great resource as well as strengthen the mission of the Heritage Rose Foundation.

     HRF will not exercise control over HMF. So where does the Foundation fit in? We will contribute new information as well as necessary corrections to the database. Here’s our how members of the Heritage Rose Foundation can help with this venture:

     • First, you must register with HMF and login. It's free! Click the "Login/Registration" tab at the top right of the page (http://www.helpmefind.com/rose) to register.

     • A key element of Heritage Rose Foundation support is a comprehensive HelpMeFind Worksheet available on this website (see top of this page) in Microsoft Word format. This worksheet will guide you in entering information. We strongly suggest you download the worksheet and use it, but check for changes to this sheet, as well. Since HMF is constantly making improvements, additions, corrections, this worksheet will be revised accordingly. When you are sending in information, make sure you have the most up-to-date HMF worksheet.

     • For Breeders and/or to List Sports and Seedlings. You must have authority to list or update your roses. If you don’t have this authority, select the "Breeders" tab and click, "New Listing" and follow the instructions. Use the HMF Worksheet you downloaded from the HRF website to prepare your entry. Once authorized as a breeder, select the "Roses" tab and click "New Plant." Follow instructions using your worksheet as a source. Growers of sports and open pollinated seedlings can also register as breeders.

     • New Rose Listing. Use the HMF Worksheet to prepare your entry. Exercise extreme care with descriptions of found or mystery roses to avoid duplicating entries by previous collectors. If your rose appears to have been newly collected, give it an appropriate study name, enclose the name in double quotes and proceed. Good study names will help future collectors determine what they have collected. You have two choices for uploading:
o At http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/roses.php select the tab, "New Plant" and follow the instructions, or
o Email your selected characteristics including the exact location where collected to an editor listed below for entry.

     Note: The mystery rose dilemma. There is a need to avoid multiple study names for the same rose collected by different people. This could be avoided if the exact location of the rose is made public. However, there is a fear that such publicity could subject the rose to harm by over zealous collectors. On the other hand, keeping that information to only the finders means the information is lost when those people are no longer around. Finally, if someone finds that the rose is gone, it’s appropriate to post that information to the rose’s record. Secure mystery rose location should be recorded as follows:
     Each HMF rose entry has an “Admin” item open only to those with editing authority, the trusted few. This is a place where the exact location and collection date of a found rose should be stored for comparison with another reported collection. If your new find is in doubt, email a description and the exact location of the rose to an editor. If the editor finds that this rose is already entered, you will be advised of the previous study name, If not, the editor will let you know that you should request comment by creating a new thread describing the rose and providing bloom, foliage and habit photos if available.

     • New Synonym (aka), Details or Corrections. If you are sure, provide the current name and synonym with justification to an editor listed below. If you are not sure, create a new thread under the HMF topic and state your case. If there is a measure of agreement, an editor will pick the information up and post it.

     • Photos, Ratings, Questions & Comments and Gardens. If you registered with HelpMeFind, you may post to these areas directly.
          o Photos. You are encouraged to upload photos where you are not duplicating those already there. Especially needed are photos that viewers can use to aid in identifying varieties. Show buds; canes showing prickles; leaves and stipules and the complete plant to show habit. Please include location and time of year in the accompanying text.
          o Gardens. In the interest of rose preservation, you are encouraged to upload your garden list. Click Gardens>New listing and follow the instructions.