There's a heatwave coming to the UK for the next few days and many of you will be knee deep in wedding and events trying to make sure that all your beautiful work looks tip top for the special day. So we thought we'd share a few hints and tips with you on how to look after cut garden roses when the weather gets a bit toasty.
First of all, there are Roses and then there are Roses...
As you are all aware, Roses that are classified as Garden Roses are completely different 'beasts' to the Roses that are commercially bred specifically as cut flowers and more often than not are grown in their millions in large greenhouses in countries such as Kenya and Colombia. The main difference between Garden Roses and the commercial cut Roses is that certain characteristics are bred out of them to improve vase life, tougher petals and different petal formations that can withstand the rigours of airfreight and being shipped from country to country and handled many times.
The Roses that we grow are classified as Garden Roses. These Roses are generally highly scented and have a softer, some say more romantic, petal formation and style which many floral designers prefer. They are the more traditional style of Rose.
Hot weather care tips:
1. Upon receipt of the Roses, cut approximately 2cm from the bottom of the stem. Strip any leaves that will be under the water level. DO NOT STRIP THE THORNS OFF. Stripping thorns off the Roses will reduce the vase life considerably.
2. Place the Roses into buckets of cool/cold, clean fresh water and use the sachet/s of Rose food provided with your order. Make up the solution as per the instructions on the back of the sachet. Ensure that the water reaches at least half way up the stem of the Roses in order to fully hydrate them.
3. Where there is more than one bud per stem do not expect all of the buds to open at the same time. The beauty of Garden Roses is that the buds open at different times so that you have flowers in various different stages of their life and shades of colour. This is preferred by top deisgners who are looking for a more natural style to their designs.
4. Keep the Roses in a floral chiller or walk in fridge that is kept at a constant temperature of no more than 10degrees centigrade. If you do not have the luxury of a floral chilller, then place the Roses in a cool/cold room, away from light sources (direct sunlight,) radiators, fans, boilers, fires, and any other heat source. Do not leave the Roses in full sun or anywhere near windows.If the weather is above 25 degrees centigrade, then please make sure that the Roses are kept somewhere cool/cold. Preferably no more than 15 degrees centigrade.
5. Keep the Roses away from Fruits and Vegetables. The gasses given off by ripening fruits and vegetables will affect the life of the Roses.
6. Hydrate the Roses for at least 12 hours before arranging.When it's time to arrange...Strip off any leaves that will be under the water line of the arrangement. Cut the stem to the desired length.
7. Ensure that the Roses have access to clean fresh cool water at all times.
8. If you chose to strip the thorns from the Roses, please be aware that this will dramatically reduce the vase life. Stripping the thorns from Roses is akin to tearing the bark from a tree - they lose water and go into a state of shock, which usually results in shedding petals/leaves.
9. Replace the water in the arrangement once a day to get the best from your Roses.Consider the environment that the Roses will be in. For example, if the event is in a marquee (which are notorious for being hot and stuffy) then please make sure that the Roses have plenty of water to see them through the event.
We're happy to help if we can, so please get in touch if you have any Rose care questions.
Enjoy the sunshine and lovely warm weather if you can.
UVR