Join correspondent Tom Wilmer for a fascinating visit with Jim and Kim Keeter as they share their passion for roses and propelling their business as a wedding destination and so much more.
The Keeters purchased the Antique Rose Emporium from founders, Mike and Jean Shoup in December 2022 and its been non-stop ever since, planting and sharing their passion for the world of legacy roses and the Antique Rose Emporium as a highly recommended Texas travel destination in Washington County.
Back in 2014, when correspondent Tom Wilmer first visited Independence Texas he met Mike Shoup and recorded an interview about his journey propagating antique roses since the late 1970s.
Long, long ago, Shoup first stumbled upon neglected “survivor” heirloom varieties still growing in old Texas pioneer cemeteries—even though no one had cared for them for decades.
He subsequently made numerous cemetery forays to secure cuttings, and thus was born his nickname, “The Rose Rustler” and the creation of the Antique Rose Emporium. Fittingly, Shoup’s tagline became, “If dead people can grow roses, anyone can!”
Following the interview with the Jim and Kim, stay tuned as we re-share Shoup’s classic 2014 interview about his life journey as a Rosarian, and brilliant, insightful tips about how anyone can propagate and maintain healthy roses, organically, without utilizing pesticides.
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