How do all the red roses bloom just in time for Valentine’s Day?
Long-stemmed red roses are practically synonymous with Valentine’s Day. Over the past 50 years Pearsons has seen Valentine’s Day grow in popularity … with a dozen sexy long stemmed roses remaining the most popular gift.
So do how our flower farmers get all the red roses to bloom just in time for Valentine’s Day?
It’s all to do with Sacrifice and Timing!
Flower growers time the growth of the flowers, heavily cutting all the rose plants back in December and January, whether they are in bloom or not. They let the rose bushes re-grow and bloom all at once in time for Valentine’s Day. Effectively the growers’ sacrifice crops from late December through January to ensure they are in full bloom for February.
Roses and the climate
The challenge has been so much greater this year with local flower growers struggling with hot temperatures and drought. One of Pearsons regular flower growers lost 90% in one glasshouse on Christmas Eve with temperatures soaring to 48.5C. Our longer summers and shorter winters are affecting harvesting and pruning timelines. This combined with rising water bills due to increasing water stress means more pressure this year. Luckily only a very few flower growers were impacted directly by Bush Fire, although some around Bilpin lost sheds and equipment.
Where do Pearsons roses come from?
Pearsons source our roses both locally and internationally, road-testing different varieties before selecting the best roses for our Valentine’s bouquets. Luckily for Pearsons’ customers we have over 50 years’ experience and strong relationships with our growers to ensure that we can provide beautiful roses on our busiest day of the year. Pearsons owner Bernard Pollak personally visits local farms on a regular basis to ensure our customers get the best quality available. Many of our roses are imported from South America or Kenya although the majority of our cut flowers are Australian grown. 90-95%.
