based on what the rose is needed for as much as the colour as Ian explained. “I buy everything online but because I’m using a web shop service I can pick and choose the same rose from a range of grades and lengths. So whilst I will obviously choose
Grade 1 for the bridal bouquets etc, if I’m buying roses purely to scatter petals along the aisle then I can go for a cheaper grade with bent stems and if I’m working massed designs then I’ll go for a shorter stem as there’s no point
paying the extra for length. It may only be a few pennies diff erence but it can make a huge diff erence to the end profi t which is what it’s about.” Profi t that can also be aff ected
AlexandraFarms_half_FWBfin_Layout 1 2/26/13 9:23 AM Page 1
Garden roses from Alexandra Farms
by failing to check the fl owers on arrival and poor care and conditioning. “You have to make time to check the fl owers properly” says Ian. “Roses are particularly prone to botrytis, especially densely petalled varieties like Dolcetta, so watch out for signs of mould on the outer petals. I personally don’t like taking the guard petals off - they are called guard petals for a reason - but will for weddings and shop sales because customers think it makes the fl ower look old. On the conditioning side, if it’s everyday quantities then I’ll use a knife as you get the best results but for weddings, when I’m maybe dealing with 2000 plus roses, I use my trusty rose stripping machine.” Asked about his favourite rose and he immediately says Extase,
Ian Lloyd
an extra-perfumed variety. He also predicts that scented garden roses from Alexandra Farms in Colombia will be a great seller – he worked with them when he was a designer on the Colombian Flowers Roadshows late last year and was very impressed. He swears by the FloraHolland rose catalogue which he reckons is an extremely useful tool for anyone in need of rose expertise and design-wise he adores roses en-masse “big is beautiful” is his mantra - think great domes of rose heads tightly packed together - and loves the Carmen rose - a beautiful and unusual composite design.
Long-lasting Nostalgic Garden Roses, available year round.
White O’Hara
For more information, please contact: Jayne at J&E Page Distributors. Tel: 01981-240990 Clive at Vered Flowers Import. Tel: 02083-494944
For a free variety poster of our garden roses, go to: 16 F&wb Spring 2013
www.alexandrafarms.com/freeposter.html Like us on
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100