Why our Heritage Roses are safe to sniff.

Our heritage and heirloom roses don't look or smell like the stiff, unscented cut flowers you might find for sale at the supermarket or traditional florist. And that is something we're very proud of.

Not only do our roses smell gorgeous and look like they've been grown outside in a well nurtured garden, they're also safe to put your face into and take a deep sniff. I wouldn't recommend putting your face up close to imported roses or flowers, or even some hot house grown roses.

Most supermarket flowers are grown under artificial conditions, often with pesticide and fungal sprays, and forced to bloom out of season. And if those bunches of flowers from the supermarket include imported roses, they have been sprayed with highly toxic sprays that are not approved for use in Australia.

Imported flowers into Australia are required to be sprayed with these highly toxic sprays, including herbicides, so as to comply with our very strict quarantine rules. From a humanitarian point of view, however, workers in some countries that grow roses for export, who are required to use toxic, even carcinogenic substances prohibited in Australia, are exposed to these toxins in unregulated environments. This means that not only are they exposed to toxins, but the level they're exposed to is not regulated. Not a pleasant thought that, if more widely understood by consumers, would certainly diminish the joy of purchasing or gifting these same roses.

While imported fruit and vegetables are checked for high levels of pesticide residue, imported cut flowers are not held to the same standards for toxic spray residue. Which I believe is a problem for unaware consumers who might purchase those same flowers for decorating cakes, to use in cooking, or even adding them as decoration to food items. It also means you may want to hold off sniffing those imported roses (which disappointingly rarely have perfume!).

Did you know that it's the fragrance of a rose that is responsible for its shorter vase life? This is why roses grown for the cut flower trade have traditionally been bred without scent for longer vase life. This is changing somewhat with consumer demand for scent causing rose breeders to re-introduce scented roses for the cut flower trade. However, there still seems to be an expectation from consumers that flowers should last for over a week, or even two, in the vase. This expectation is also aided by the provision of artificial 'flower food' given with floral arrangements. In reality, it is the use of preservatives as well as toxic sprays on many flowers that prolong vase life, but at what cost?

If like me, you like to have your beautiful roses scented, with movement and life as though they've just been gathered from a garden (which in our case they have been!), then you would probably prefer to enjoy their delicious fragrance and beauty for up to 5 glorious days, rather than a week or more of stiff unscented, soldier straight blooms that don't open or move in the vase! Yes, fresh flowers grown organically will move and open in the vase!

I would much rather have a gorgeously scented bunch of roses that last a shorter period of time and grown organically, which means it is safe to handle and sniff as often as you like. You also have the joy of tending your vase of cut roses by deadheading spent blooms to allow room for opening buds. A little like tending a mini garden! And changing out the water daily with fresh clean water (no artificial 'flower food') will help to keep your beautiful roses fresh for longer, as well as ensuring there are no leaves under the water line in your vase. Ephemeral, safe to sniff, gorgeously scented beauty brings much more joy in a vase, making your gift of a bunch of roses, or bouquet, even more valuable I believe!

In addition to not spraying our roses with toxic sprays, we have chosen to grow heritage roses for their lovely old-fashioned blooms with delicious scent. Our roses are unusual and often quite rare, so you won't find them in your standard flower market or florist, and definitely not in the flower section of your supermarket.

The fragrance from our heritage roses can be surprising; with some roses having a hint of lemon or citrus in their scent profile, or smell of violets or lilac, and other roses that have a fruity fragrance of peaches or apricot! And while some of our roses have a strong old rose fragrance that you can smell as soon as you lift the rose to your face, some of our roses are a little shy and have a more subtle fragrance that wafts gently over you.

In fact, I sometimes say to customers that if you try to smell the rose up close, they may not get its full impact, but by standing back there'll be a sweet scent that is hard to define. It all adds to the charm and beauty of these lovely old heritage roses that have been grown for centuries and saved by dedicated rose lovers from extinction for us to enjoy.

So next time you decide to give a gift of roses to that special someone, seek out a local flower grower or ask your florist for locally grown roses that are not dripping in pesticides or preservatives.

Or if you live in the lower Hunter Valley region of NSW, contact us for local delivery or pick up.

You might be surprised at how beautiful roses grown without pesticides can be.

xx Lillian