General News
8 February, 2022
Roses bloom in time for Valentine’s Day
AROUND 40,000 roses and thousands of other flowers from Yungaburra’s Roseburra Flower Farm will be on their way to florists across the region at the end of this week to make up bouquets for the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day.
AROUND 40,000 roses and thousands of other flowers from Yungaburra’s Roseburra Flower Farm will be on their way to florists across the region at the end of this week to make up bouquets for the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day.
The big day takes months of planning so the farm will be ready to harvest the roses at the end of this week, with pruning of around 20,000 plants done eight weeks before Valentine’s Day to “flush” the blooms, says farm owner Paul Daly.
While the farm produces a variety of different colours of both standard roses and spray roses – everything from white through to a variegated orange – red remains the firm favourite for customers.
Nationally, there’s expected to be a shortage of roses, with imported blooms not available due to the lack of international flights, pushing the cost up significantly, but Tablelanders are lucky to have such a great producer right on their doorstep.
Paul and his wife Torquay purchased the flower farm just three years ago, but through hard work and commitment, they have doubled its production, employing six full-time staff in the “off season” and 12 staff during busy periods leading up to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
Apart from the roses, the farm produces a variety of other flowers, from gerberas and baby breath to carnations which are still popular.
“We are currently working to produce carnations in 30 new colours – they are still very popular especially on Mother’s Day,” Paul said.
“We’re also looking to grow more filler foliage and more flowers such as sweet williams to use in bouquets.”
