On Valentine's Day and Mother's Day you may have been rushing to find enough roses to meet your customers' demands, but chances are, in mid-summer that demand has decreased -- significantly.

Rose supplies are typically high in June (see chart below), which for about 30 years has been "National Rose Month" in the United States.  While that designation hasn't exactly garnered widespread national attention, many florists say the event has potential. And, communities and private organizations are getting in on the action: On June 2, for instance, the Homestead Museum in City of Industry, Calif., hosted a workshop on roses in honor of National Rose Month, led by Taylor Ingebretsen of Glendora Florist in Glendora, Calif.

Ready to celebrate National Rose Month? Looking for some inspiration? Check out the June issue of Floral Management magazine for tips on new bi-color varieties, and be on the lookout for red varieties (new flowers and classic picks) in the July issue.

Plus, read more about florists who have cornered the market on rose sales in "Sell More Roses" from the July 2005 issue of Floral Management magazine.

Summer Rose Imports 2006

Summer imports in 2006 from Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico peaked in late June with a total of almost 35 million roses. The supply remained high through at least the first week of August before dipping and returning to around the same level in late August. More than 1.6 billion roses were imported in 2006 from all countries. *Chart reflects Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico only. Source: Fruit and Vegetable Market News, USDA, 2007

--Mary Westbrook
mwestbrook@safnow.org

 

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