Why we grow Scented Heritage Roses sustainably ...
Forgive me, but I'm going to get a little preachy here ... Everyone loves a fragrant rose; one they can push their face into and take in deep scented breaths. It's usually the first thing we do when given a bunch of florist roses, right? So why are so many florist roses unscented?
While you can buy lovely bouquets from your local florist, most roses sold to florists are grown in poly tunnels, or under glass so that their flowering season is extended through the cold months of winter.
And this usually comes at a cost; that is, the loss of fragrance. But there can be another cost too! Let me explain ...
A rose grown for floristry is usually unscented so that it will last for 5 - 7 days in the vase, and sometimes even longer. Roses that last a long time in a vase have usually been treated with chemicals, such as silver nitrate, and won't have fragrance. A chemically treated rose is not one I want to sniff for fragrance, nor do I wish to scatter its petals over a happy couple for their celebration. And I definitely don't want to scatter chemically treated rose petals over food, which I have seen people do!! Eeeek!!!
Although it is possible to buy scented roses from your local florist, check to see if they've been treated with chemicals to make them last longer. And never add florist bought roses to food, and NEVER let children or babies sniff them. I have seen people do this, not realising they're allowing their children to breathe in a lung full of toxic chemicals in the process. When I've pointed this out to parents, their immediate reaction is one of horror, because most people DON'T KNOW THIS!
So, while the heritage, heirloom and rare roses we grow have lovely scent, and will fill a room with fragrance, they're also free of any chemicals before or after they've been cut from our country garden.
I would much rather have a gorgeously scented bouquet of sustainably grown scented roses, free from chemicals, that last 3 or 4 days in the vase, than a chemically laden rose that sits uptight (yes, uptight!!) in a vase for 5 or even 7 days.
And as a bride, I'd also prefer my wedding roses to be scented, and free from chemicals, because I'll be sniffing the roses to calm any nerves as well as handling them all day for photographs. In fact, I know a bride who developed a rash from the chemically laden roses in her bouquet - not the look you want on your wedding day!
And a little known but highly disturbing fact; imported roses into Australia have been treated with a plethora of toxic chemicals at their source (in Kenya or similar) and treated again with herbicides on entry into Australia. And the chemical use at the overseas growing site for imported roses is often unregulated, creating an unsafe environment for people working on site, which I believe is a human safety issue as well as raising ethical and ecological concerns.
I guess the choice is yours? Do you want a rose that may not be safe to sniff, or a rose that brings delight and scent and is safe to sniff; and once it's gone over can be safely added to the compost heap?
I know which one I prefer, and that's why I grow highly scented, heritage roses in my garden, without chemicals, as sustainably as I can.
And a fun fact, most of the roses we grow wouldn't fit into a poly tunnel or glass house! Many of our heritage roses are huge bushes or climbing and rambling roses (like May Queen) that scramble over arches, pergolas and sheds, covering them in gloriously scented blooms throughout the season.
And while our fresh heritage roses are only available seasonally, they make gorgeous, dried bunches that also have scent and will last for months in the vase!! A win-win if you ask me.
In addition, our highly scented, heritage roses, such as the ancient Damask rose, Kazanlik, can be dried for our range of scented rose petals. In fact, Kazanlik roses are grown in Bulgaria for making rose water, so their strong scent is just lovely in our limited-edition pot pourri, in scented pillows, sachets and for our apothecary range of scented petals.
All our roses are free from chemicals, with only sunshine, compost and water added during their growing season, with only fresh water added after cutting. And we're working hard to curate the heritage roses we grow so that we can offer a bespoke collection for our scented petals range in the coming months.
So next time you pick up that supermarket or florist bunch of roses, ask the questions; are these free from chemicals and where have they been grown?
And if your florist is happy to, or even already sourcing locally-grown-without-chemicals roses, make sure you support them and buy their bouquets.
And enjoy xx
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