I am very saddened to hear this. I remember meeting him in New Hampshire many years ago, at the suggestion of a friend living in NH, who knew of my interest in OGRs. If I recall correctly, he told me had served in the European theater or had visited in Europe where his interest in roses began to grew. It was a rainy bleak day near the end of his season and his rose season seemed to be passing in his area while we were still expecting bloom in ours. His rose bloom was scarce but his interest was vast. I recall that he loved so many of the roses, e.g., Gallicas, etc., that I later learned I could never grow properly in my zone. He made roses sound so romantic and eutopian.

I read about Mike Lowe on your website a couple of years ago and while in Nashua I called him to see if I could come by to see his roses. Of course, it was in October and his roses were in bed, something us southerners don't often see. He was helpful but said there was nothing to see but come when I wanted to.

Anyway, I drove to his house and sat outside just looking at his beds. He wasn't selling anymore at that point, but it was fun just to sit and look and wonder what all was there. He wasn't home so I didn't get to meet him.

I came home and ordered Mike's Old Fashioned Pink or Bon Chance from you all. I am sorry he's gone and thank you for telling us.

{{gwi:272545}}

I read this post with shock and deep sadness, I got to know Mike Lowe just a little through a mutual friend when I lived in Vermont and was a budding rosarian. I visited his place in New Hampshire and later I went to an ARS Yankee district meeting and chatted with him again. I remember sitting in his kitchen in New Hampshire and talking roses with Mike and Irene and David Cunningham, a novice rose breeder from Vermont and I walked with him and David in his greenhouse where he was propagating new varieties. He and his wife were the loveliest hosts and welcomed everyone who loved roses.

I remember his gardens, with the hybrid perpetuals that he loved most, in particular a 'General Jack' that he was very proud of and some gargantuan climbers that he tied up with bungee cords! I was amazed at that ingenuity. There was an incredible Tausendschon that I was enamored of and so many gallicas it was hard to keep track of them all. David gave a demonstration on cross-pollinating, there was so much to see and learn about for a new rosarian like myself.

I'm sure there are many of you who have crossed paths with this wonderful, generous man over the years. He will be greatly missed.

A sad loss to the rose world

Florence

Although I didn't know him or his work, I am saddened by this news. My heartfelt condolences to all who knew and loved him.

I cherish the times I talked with him at ARS meetings and at Ashdown. We visited his garden in NH because we heard about it via friends on Garden Web (Joss) and at peak bloom it was inspirational.
He will be missed.

Mike was truly one of a kind. He never failed to make me laugh or drive me crazy! During one of our last conversations he asked me if I thought he was being difficult and I said, No, you are just being you. He got a chuckle out of that. I will miss him.

Trish

I am so saddened to hear of the loss of this inspirational man and fellow New Hampshire rosarian. I have tried unsuccessfully to get in touch with him and regret that I never had the privilege of meeting him. It seems quite a
few of you were fortunate to have known him and toured his gardens. I live an hour and a half north of his gardens but do travel to Nashua frequently and dreamed of the day I would get the rose tour and chat about the old roses in particular. Yes, our rose season is quite short up here in the Granite State (and Nashua is quite a bit warmer than here) and it takes a real love and passion for roses to be successful. We have lost a real rose hero.
My prayers and thoughts are with his wife and family.

Celeste

I'm so sorry to hear this what a wonderful collection of roses he had.

We were very saddened to learn of Mike Lowe's sudden passing away. We were acquainted with him for many years and even visited him in his home many years ago. When we first met him in 2000, at an ARS National Convention in Norfolk, Va., he instantly became a member of our Indian Rose Federation. We had been in touch with him off and on over the years. He was so 'rose-knowledgeable' and so willing to share his knowledge. Every year we would send him a copy of our Indian Rose Annual and he would email us with his latest news. When we visited his home in Nashua many years ago, though it was not flowering time he took us around his garden and we had a wonderful chat about all kinds of roses. We have a lovely pic of him up a tree!
He will be greatly missed.
Our condolences to Irene and his family.

We'll make sure Mike's family sees all the kind words everyone is writing. They will mean a lot.

The funeral home has a website where you can sign the guest book and leave a message for the family. Here is the link below. If you have a moment...

Here is a link that might be useful: Mike Lowe Guest Book

Such a loss! Thank you for posting this, Paul. I was so lucky to have attended the seminar a few years back at Ashdown featuring Mike Lowe. To have met him and listened to him speak is a memory I will always treasure. I so wanted to visit his garden in New Hampshire and kept telling myself "one of these days." I am sorry now I was never able to arrange that trip. Mike's contributions to roses especially for us in the north were immeasurable and he will be greatly missed.
Anne

I'm so sorry to hear this sad news. I have often visited Mike's website over the years, and some of the most treasured roses in my garden have come from Ashdown Roses and Mike Lowe.

My condolences to Mike's family and friends.

Hi, everyone, I just came here for the very first time...and it's because of Paul's wonderful tribute to him on the regular rose forum. I thought of an idea about about everyone working together to try to get a memorium bouquet going on the regular forum only to come across duchess nalbama's gorgeous photo... May I please bring your photo, Duchess and your tribute back with me to the regular forum...? I think it's very sad to have Mike leave our rose world, and would love to let the other forum enjoy the beautiful rose legacy he is leaving behind... If any of you have photos of Mike Lowe's roses in your garden please place them in our rose forum as well it'd make a lovely visual gift I am sure for his family and loved ones. And if any of you don't know how to post photos just email me with the hyperlinks and I'll help you get the photos online.

Here is the link on our regular forum...

memorial photos

Such a great loss to all of us who love old roses and especially those once bloomers I love so much. A great man. I am sorry to see this.
patricia

While looking up one of my roses on helpmefind.com just now I see that it's creator is Mike Lowe. How wonderful to have been able to give the world a beautiful flower like "Autumn Sunset".

The color is reflected in the name and it has been disease and insect free and not gone naked like so many here in Florida's steamy summer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Autumn Sunset

I never met him, but knew about him from the beginning of my obsession. It seemed ever other rose I bought came from Mike Lowe. But every time I was up his way I was always in a hurry, always telling myself, "next time." A good lesson. The time to stop and smell the roses is Now.
Thanks for posting, Paul. I am grateful you took the time to know him!

This is very sad news indeed. He was a great Rosarian. My sincere condolences to his wife and family.

Patrick

Thanks Paul for passing on this sad information. Mike Lowe was a giant in the world of old roses. I heard of him 30 years ago and knew I must meet him and experience him and his collection of OGRs in Nashua. I contacted Mike and was off to Nashua for his spring bloom, in Jume. Mike and Irene were the best of hosts. Mike was always impetuous with me, but showed me much including how to propagate rose cuttings at his home in Nashua. I made 2 forays with him to Karl Jones' 11 acre rose garden in Barrington RI for cuttings. We kept sporadic contact over the years, but it was always engaging, enthusiastic, and full of information. Mike also helped me with a contact at Roserie d 'la Hay for some rambler bud wood one summer. Oh, those were days of great joy and possibility. I shall miss Mike and the opportunity to catch up on his latest rose adventures as I discovered a few years ago when he came to Washington for a National Rose Show. Sadly, this will take some time to get over. Losing a mentor always does and will be felt deeply. Nick

What a loss. I will never forget a June afternoon in 1994 when my husband and I toured Mike's wonderful garden. Rest well, Mike, and happy gardening!

This is a very sad thing. I visited Mike a number of times up in Nashua & spoke with him often at many rose events here in New England. Truely a unique person who made enormous contributions to the rose world. We had our differences, but I always respected my mentor's great knowledge of old roses. I'm reminded of what he himself wrote in his obit on Karl Jones: perhaps no-one ever knew him very well & also Leonie Bell's remark to me that everything has its season. Surely a great light has left the Northern sky. My sincere condolences to Irene & her family.

Dan Russo