Presenting

Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 27 losses to 1 percent," says Manuel Gastelbondo, research and development director at Ball SB. "It's a huge saving for growers to be able to harvest multiple bloom flushes from the same plant. If you want to see the difference plant breeding has made in flowers, simply look at the wild mother species of any flower. Breeding has increased the size, quantity and colors of flowers in addition to stem length and durability. ere's a lot of science behind it." e Roses of Success Alexandra Farms specializes in artisan-quality garden roses. Selecting varieties from breeders across the world including Holland, Japan and the U.K., the company is the largest licensed grower of David Austin Roses. But the field is always changing. As part of its floristry rose breeding program, David Austin Roses crosses more than 20,000 roses each year, all done by hand. e promising crosses are grown out and evaluated over a five-year period, at which point another cull is made. From the initial lot, only nine or 10 "child" plants are chosen to propagate in greater quantity for further assessment, and only one or two of the original 20,000 possibilities will be selected for introduction. David Austin Sr. once wrote, "e goal remains the same: to try to develop the healthiest roses possible without compromising their beauty ; fragrance; grace; and, most important, their charm." is vision remains true today, led with equal passion by his eldest son, David Austin Jr. Staying On-trend in the Field e decade-long selection process makes it challenging for breeders and growers to align with shape-shifting color and design trends. "Trends move fast in this industry," Gastelbondo notes. "We maintain strong relationships with marketing and our growers, to understand where the industry is headed. We used to discard promising plant crosses that weren't on-trend for color or form. But now we keep them. If a cross shows good possibility but isn't currently in favor, we hold it for future use. You never know when a color will suddenly be back in fashion." "It's tough to predict demand," Azout confirms. "It takes nine months for a new rose bush to establish before it begins producing, and then the plant can produce roses for another 10 years. But will the color be popular in 10 years? We completely missed the 'muddy' rose color trend a while back and then had to rush to catch up. We now have a half dozen skin and sand hues in our collection. I hope it is not just a short-lived trend! It's about having the right product on the right day." e Right Conditions All Year In Colombia, the right day is every day. e consistent, balanced 12-hour days and ideal soil and temperatures make the country the second-largest floral exporter in the world (behind the Netherlands) and the U.S.'s No. 1 source for imported cut flowers. But Colombia's year-round growing conditions make for year-round marketing challenges. e U.S. may be the largest global importer of flowers (an estimated 80 percent of the cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported), but U.S. consumers spend relatively little on cut flowers, at $35/person/ year compared to $135/person/year by Japanese consumers. Most U.S. spending is pulsed on holiday or event purchases rather than everyday flowers.

• Cover