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February 14th 2019

The {Farmer} & the Florist Interview: Grace Rose Farm

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Floret

I’m so happy to have the opportunity to introduce Floret readers to Gracielinda Poulson from Grace Rose Farm as part of a Farmer & the Florist Interview. If you aren’t already familiar with Grace Rose Farm, you’re in for a real treat!

Gracie’s story is simply remarkable. What started as a few social media posts from a backyard hobby garden has exploded into one of the fastest growing local flower businesses in the country.

In addition to growing thousands of exquisite garden roses for florists, Grace Rose Farm also sells potted roses via their online shop, offers on-farm workshops, a new rose-infused skin care line and plans to offer public tours.

Located in Santa Ynez, California, Grace Rose Farm specializes in rare and old fashioned garden roses that are lovingly and organically grown. In their nursery you’ll find antique garden roses, English shrub roses, cold climate roses, and roses with the very best blush, pink, peach, white and coffee toned colors. While most other suppliers sell bareroot plants, Grace Rose Farm ships two year old plants in three gallon nursery pots that are ready to transplant and thrive in your own garden. Whenever I see Gracie’s photos on Instagram, I can’t help but want to add more varieties to my own rose patch.

Gracie Poulson Grace Rose Farm Interview

Erin: Gracie, thanks so much for taking time to share your story with Floret readers. When I recently asked Instagram followers to name some of their favorite farms they follow, it was no surprise to see Grace Rose Farm listed as one of the most loved. For those not familiar with your story, can you share a little more about yourself and your farm?

Gracie: I’ve been a lifelong gardener who took my roses with me every time I moved. I grew up helping my grandma and uncle in their beautiful rose gardens and have always related to roses from within. I was that person with a 50 square foot New York City balcony covered in potted roses who would drag them inside in December and cram my apartment with them! In January 2016, my husband and I bought our first home that sat on a half acre where I was finally able to plant dozens of roses that had previously lived in pots.

In the winter of 2016, we planted 500 more roses in our backyard, and florists quickly found out about my roses through Instagram. It was never my intention to sell cut roses, but as more florists asked for them, I began thinking it could be a fun hobby. I was completely unaware of the slow flower movement and what I had perhaps stumbled upon. I have a marketing and graphic design background and at the time still flew 100,000 miles per year around the country to consult with clients. I didn’t have a lot of downtime, but when I did, it was with my roses.

As 2016 went along, we planted more and more roses, and by fall of that year we were cutting 2,000+ roses each week and providing them to around 200 florists across the country. In November 2016, I decided growing roses was something I was interested in doing on a larger scale, so we leased two acres of farmland nearby, and I let go of my marketing clients. We then purchased and planted an additional 5,000 roses for our new leased farmland, which was used previously for vegetable production.

We found our roses grew wonderfully there, and our production increased to 10,000-15,000 stems per week. About halfway through our 2017 season, we found ourselves always short roses and turning away business. By this time we were working with 500+ floral designers, and I was the only person cutting roses. Additionally, our cold storage, processing and packaging was done 15 minutes away at our home, so our life was chaotic. It was at this time when we began thinking about purchasing our own farm. We didn’t want to lease more land and then have to move our roses. Roses, like trees, should be planted with permanency in mind so the thought of moving even the 5,000 roses we already had was daunting, but we knew if we could find the right land, we needed to move sooner than later so we could scale up and meet demand.

Grace Rose Farm Interview Floret

Erin: You scaled up in a big way! Can you share more about the process of expanding your production?

Gracie: In August of 2017, we began looking at 10-20 acre properties in southern California. I ordered an additional 15,000 roses that fall while we were looking for a new farm with the hope that we would find something. We ended up putting an offer on the first property we looked at in Santa Ynez because it fit most of our needs, and coincidentally the day we made an offer, we also got a full price cash offer on our home, so we knew it was meant to be! The only drawback to the property was it was an equestrian property, as most are in the area, and every building and outdoor space was designed for horses. The front six acres would be home to 20,000 roses, and we very quickly had to tear out 12 horse pastures.

We went to work on the pastures so we could transplant our 5,000 roses from our previous farm. The transplant season is very, very short here because it never freezes, which means roses don’t go fully dormant.

Erin: I know a lot of readers are interested in the process of converting pasture land to flower production. Would you mind talking a little about how you prepared the soil?

Gracie: We hired a farmer with large tractors to plow, rip, till and disc our pastures. In hindsight, we should have tried to kill the grass before just tilling it. All the grass grew back immediately and caused so much stress for us and our roses. My best advice for anyone looking to turn pastures into flowers is to give yourself time. In most areas that means an entire season, otherwise the grass will haunt you for months or years. We didn’t have the luxury of time because we couldn’t manage two farms that were two hours from one another. If we ever expand, I will give myself time to get the soil completely free of grass before planting roses!

Grace Rose Farm Interview on Floret BlogErin: The pictures of your roses practically take my breath away. What are a few of the varieties that you can’t grow enough of?

Gracie: Well thank you…that’s so kind! We grow around 1,800 Koko Loko and 2,000 Distant Drums, and there are never enough. Even with our vigorous disbudding and bloom cycle manipulation, we never have as many as everyone wants. Lately the demand for the muted mustard/brown tones has grown, so I’ve had to identify roses I want to grow and propagate them with permission from the patent owner as they’re not commercially available. We’re growing Stephen Rulo, Julia’s Rose, Connie’s Sandstorm, Butterscotch and Honey Dijon in very large quantities for 2019 to hopefully meet demand! Of course the creamy tones are always also in high demand – Lichfield Angel and Pure Perfume to name a few; and blush/peach are always popular. David Austin’s beloved Evelyn is and will always be the rose that fills the need for peachy/blushy tones. I have a collection of nearly 1,000 Evelyns now and wouldn’t trade them for anything!

Erin: Many Floret readers have expressed that they’d like to learn how to successfully grow garden roses. What advice do you have for them–especially for those that garden in other growing zones?

Gracie: I think the best advice I can give is to purchase plants that have a high likelihood for success in your growing area. Here in California we can grow everything because our climate is mild, but that’s not the case everywhere. I hear time and again that someone’s bare root rose in zone 6 died from die back or never took off. Then I ask what rose it was and they name a rose that’s suitable for zones 7-10. All of the roses in our nursery, and most nurseries, are sorted by zone, so be sure to pick a rose that’s going to thrive where you live. Also, a huge part of rose gardening is being proactive. No matter whether you have one or one thousand roses, pests and disease will come. If you want perfect roses and don’t want to deal with pests or disease, don’t grow roses. Some roses are more disease resistant than others, and that information is generally provided by the nursery.

Grace Rose Farm Interview on Floret BlogLook for roses that are disease resistant so you don’t have to spray. Being a proactive rose gardener means providing the rose with what it needs before things go wrong.

Erin: For those not familiar with your process of producing and “budding” garden rose plants, can you share a brief insight as to what is involved?

Gracie: Like most things in my life, I want things that don’t exist somewhere for me to buy. That’s how our nursery and “budding” roses started. Once I saw the demand for our cut roses, I was immediately convinced that I needed to introduce different roses to the cut flower market. I’ll be honest, I get bored of producing the same old thing that other growers also have and I love the idea of having rose varieties that are unique to us. This is when I decided to take my collection of antique and rare roses, grow them out and then produce new plants from them. Many rose growers take cuttings from plants, root them and then they have a new plant. That method is great if you want one or two plants, but when you want to produce hundreds of new plants and only have one plant to start with, you need to get creative.

Grace Rose Farm Interview on Floret BlogWe adopted the method commercial rose growers use called “grafting” or “budding” to grow our collection of antique and rare roses. This allows for as many as 100 new plants to be born from a single mother plant since you’re only using the bud eyes on the stems.

We purchased rootstock seedlings, grew them for several months and then began harvesting bud eyes from our mother plants and cuttings to graft them onto the rootstock. Once the bud eye is grafted onto the rootstock, growth from the graft should appear within a month. As soon as new growth appears, you have a new rose in the variety grafted onto the rootstock.

This technique is quick and while costly for labor, we produced thousands of new roses in one season. These are roses that are otherwise commercially unavailable and would take us years to find and propagate.

Erin: It looks like 2019 is going to be an incredible year for you. In addition to hosting your farm tours, what will you be up to? 

Gracie: We have some pretty lofty goals for 2019. We will completely renovate our property except the rose fields, including our barn, building a new home, new offices and several acres of gardens. The goal is to make Grace Rose Farm a destination and beautiful location for editorials and retreats. It’s going to be a 2 to 3 year process, but we’re up for it!

Over the course of the past three years, I’ve received hundreds of emails from people looking to start their own rose farms, so we’re going to be holding a masterclass for aspiring and experienced rose growers in May. It feels a bit weird to already be teaching others about what we do and how we do it, but I really want to see others have the same success we’ve had, and there are many valuable things about growing roses on a large scale and running the business side that I can pass on. Most of the people attending already know how to grow roses, so we will focus heavily on the business side of farming. That’s where my 20 years of marketing have really helped our business develop into what it has!

We will be introducing an organic, luxury rose skincare line in 2019. I am a big skincare nut and have always dreamed of using my rose petals to create essential oils, serums, exfoliators and moisturizers. We don’t know of another American grown source of organic roses that are used in skincare, so we’re hopeful this new venture will be well received!

Our nursery will continue in 2019. We’re going to offer custom grafting for customers looking for roses but who don’t want to wait six months for plants. They will be able to order roses, we’ll take cuttings and graft their roses and then send their roses after several inches of new growth appear. We will still offer full size plants for those who don’t want the responsibility of newly grafted roses. We have over 250 varieties of rare and antique roses growing in our hoop houses. Those roses will be sprinkled about in the gardens we are designing so our property will be home to a beautiful, extensive collection of rare roses.

Grace Rose Farm Interview on Floret Blog

We also have received requests from people throughout our area to consult with them on rose garden design, so we’re offering full scale garden planning. So far we’re working with clients who want us to help them plan, source and install their roses or simply want help in pruning and winter care. We see this as a great direction for our business, and it really helps to keep me inspired to see others take joy in roses the way I do!

Finally, our biggest change, and you’re the first to know this, will be expanding into online retail sales of cut roses!

This has been a work in progress for our farm. Last year we set up an e-commerce site for florists to source our roses so we could learn how to integrate an online shop with our processes and procedures. We also worked on perfecting our packaging techniques, cold storage, shipping logistics and identified the rose varieties that would carry us into this new retail market.

I think a lot of people will ask why we are making this change because it sounds like a ton of work. Simply, the general public doesn’t know what real roses are. People deserve to have flowers that are healthy and sustainably grown. I feel it’s my obligation to educate American consumers on what a real rose is – a fragrant, high petaled beauty that fully opens to reveal itself and is as individual as our fingerprints.

The “what” of this new business took us some time to develop. I didn’t want to just sell my garden roses in the same way we sell them to florists (in bunches of 12). I needed to conceive a product that would be unique to us. We are excited to announce we have designed six garden rose bouquets in colors ranging from pastels to brights and in sizes from one dozen to three dozen. Our roses will be accompanied by locally sourced seasonal fresh greens, packaged and wrapped beautifully and tied off with velvet ribbon. Recipients of our bouquets will feel like they are receiving bridal bouquet quality and will have the pleasure of watching their roses open over the course of a week, something up until now, people have never been able to see unless they have roses in their own garden. Our bouquets are grown and sourced in the USA and even our boxes have been custom designed locally.

Gracie Poulson Grace Rose Farm Interview on Floret BlogIt’s hard to believe we started in our backyard three years ago and are now heading into a market dominated by FTD, Teleflora and 1-800-flowers, but I so believe our garden roses and the exquisite product we’re crafting for people are worthy of a national presence. People don’t know what they’re missing and it’s my mission to educate them! The past three years of growing, processing and shipping thousands of roses each week has educated us in ways we could never have guessed had we just tried to jump into retail immediately. We feel very confident as we move into this exciting new space and can’t wait to grow more roses!

As for our floral design clients? We will continue to serve floral designers both locally and nationally and are planting more of their favorite roses. We will continue to have our booth in the Los Angeles Flower Market and will be open Monday through Saturday 5am to 9am.

Our handcrafted, luxury garden rose bouquets will be available at gracerosefarm.com starting in April and we will be taking orders for Mother’s Day. People can order our bouquets as a one time shipment/gift or subscribe for weekly, bi-weekly or monthly deliveries. Our handcrafted skincare items will be available for people to add to their orders so they can have the scent of our roses long after their bouquet. We will send you the very first of our rose bouquets in April!

Erin: Wow–what an exciting year ahead. I’m looking forward to seeing your roses this spring and following your progress on Instagram.  Thank you for being open and sharing so much beauty with the world. I’m cheering for you and can’t wait for the day when I get to walk through your fields of roses. 

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, I’m giving away a deluxe set of Grace Rose Farm’s rose-infused skincare products. For a chance to win, simply post a comment below. In your comment, please share a memory of getting or gifting roses (or other flowers). The deadline for entries is Friday, February 22nd.  

UPDATE:

The giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Katie Stemp!

Please note: If your comment doesn’t show up right away, sit tight, we have a spam filter that requires we approve comments before they are published.

Learn more about Grace Rose Farm here: Website
Instagram: @gracerosefarm
Facebook: @gracerosefarm

181 Comments

  1. Megan Wilson on

    Thanks for introducing Grace and some beautiful, new-to-me varieties. I was inspired and ordered rose plants today, so thank you for the tips!

    Reply
  2. Heather Serry on

    My mom gifted me my first ever rose bush when I moved into my first home. It was a cheery little yellow house and the rose plant was hot pink! Such a splash and contrast of color and it brought me a lot of joy. When I got married and moved, I dug it up and took it with me. It continues to thrive and provide me with lovely flowers in the summer!

    Reply
  3. Bethany on

    My husband has bought me roses bushes for Valentine’s Day instead of foreign grown bouqets ever since we got married. Like Grace in her early days, my little house is also full of potted roses as we anticipate moving on our own place in the next year or two.

    Reply
  4. Robyn Ward on

    What an inspiring interview! I too am rooting for Gracie. It will be exciting to see her change and open up the world of unique, sustainably grown roses. The first thought of roses immediately brings me to my maternal grandmother. She has a few real beauties in her rose garden and when I lived close, she would gift a lovely bouquet to me for my birthday.

    Reply
  5. Desiree on

    Great interview, and what incredible roses!

    My favorite rose gift was a dozen red roses hand-delivered to me by my husband on our anniversary — after he sang to me from beneath my studio window.

    Reply
  6. Kathi Hensley on

    Your roses are beautiful and I love reading your story. What a business you have built for yourself! Before my mom passed, she loved roses. They were her favorite flower. I remember my step dad taking me to a local nursery when I was little to pick out a rose bush for her for Mother’s Day. We planted it together and spent many years enjoying it.

    Reply
  7. Amy Nelson on

    Wow! So much flower-power talent in this interview. Such an inspiration for us in the infant stages of our own “flower stories.” There is a beautiful rose garden at Manito Park (Spokane, WA) just a stone’s throw from my front step. I take my kiddos there and sent them on scavenger hunts to find the: prettiest, most fragrant, wackiest named roses. It buys me a few minutes to peruse all the flower glory, undisturbed. If we go at sunset, during the summer it quickly becomes my favorite part of the day. Thanks for all work you do to bring beauty into this world :)

    Reply
  8. Turna May on

    Roses have always been my absolute favorite flower…a passion I inherited from my mother, who is an avid gardener! She amazes me at how she’s able to successfully root roses and have new rose bushes blooming all over her garden! I have always enjoyed giving David Austin roses to her on past holidays. Will have to try Grace Rose Farm for my next gift of roses to my precious mother, who will soon turn 77…she works harder in her garden now more than ever!

    Reply
  9. Georgia Monroe on

    My grandmother just gave me a cutting of my great, great, grandparents rose bush this past christmas as a gift. She does not know the exact variety. I am so honored and excited to be growing this rose as a heritage for my family. I hope to research more in 2019 about adding roses to our farm in the next few years!

    Reply
  10. Julie Hardcastle on

    Growing roses or any flower in my Zone 4 climate has been a struggle. So for many years I have gifted myself with a multitude of tulip bulbs. It is a thrill every Spring to gather armfuls of stems to grace the homes of my neighbors and myself. For me the best part of flower growing is giving bouquets away.

    Reply
  11. Janet Kemper on

    Rose scented skincare are my favorite!
    I have dreams of a beautiful rose garden at my own home…just starting out though. Thanks for a wonderful read.

    Reply
  12. Alicia on

    Last year my husband and I saw a performance by Bill Murray and at the end he went around the theater tossing out red roses that came from a large bouquet someone had set on the stage. I caught one of the roses and was happy to drive around with it on my dashboard for a couple of weeks. It was a fun memory. But I have to say that when I saw the person set them up on that stage I felt like such a flower snob because I didn’t have any nice thoughts about those flowers. I’d much rather have seen a locally sourced bunch of blooms but it was winter so I guess it wouldn’t have been the same if it were a bundled bunch of greenery. Imagine him tossing out huckleberry stems, dried ferns, and redwood branches!

    Reply
  13. Hannah on

    So fun reading about the exponential growth of an organic flower farmer!!! Sooo wonderful!
    This summer my husband bought me a weekly subscription to our local flower farm (Kokoro flowers!) and during weeks away from town, it was my joy to give the buckets to friends to try their hand at arranging! It was the BEST. looking forward to this summer and sharing flowers with BRIDES!!

    Reply
  14. Jennifer on

    This is so inspiring! I haven’t always loved roses, but the more I learn the more I am amazed by them. Rose-scented products are my favorite floral. Thank you for this interview.

    Reply
  15. Meody on

    I love David Austen roses and often use Christmas money from my Grandma to buy them. I only have three right now, but someday I’d love a backyard full of them.

    Reply
  16. Stephanie on

    This is so exciting! I absolutely adore garden roses. I lived in a Southern California when I was little and I remember the roses we had in our front yard, and getting roses now, and creating bouquets with them are my favorite :)

    Reply
  17. Kristine Daniels on

    I just love the passion that you and Gracie have for your flowers and business! Last year I bought my first roses; seven of them. I have a small cut flower garden with a roadside stand and it felt so decadent to tuck some roses into the stand bouquets. This year I have 150 more roses coming and already have a list of David Austen’s I want. I want to show people that roses aren’t staunchy or just for formal occasions. Their beauty and fragrance should be enjoyed . . .just because.

    Reply
  18. Elise on

    Sounds amazing! My grandmother in Washington grows beautiful roses all around her yard and getting roses makes me think of her!

    Reply
  19. Nicole on

    My first roses were given to me by my parents when I graduated from High School. Since then they’ve continued to send them to me with other happy achievements like purchasing my first home.

    Reply
  20. Steffany on

    My mother tried to grow roses in our backyard when I was a child and was unsuccessful. Our neighbor, only 100 feet from my mother’s garden, grew beautiful roses which she allowed me to cut. My poor mom! She had her soil tested and turns out it wasn’t her, it was the soil! My mother is an avid and wonderful gardener but she still holds onto those summers where roses were not going to be part of her garden.

    Reply
  21. Ruthie Sizemore on

    I remember the beautiful rambling roses we had growing all through our green metal fence in our side yard at my childhood home in Boston. They were a beautiful pale pink! I’m not sure what type they were. Maybe English roses? Anyway, they were beautiful.

    Reply
  22. Kelly on

    My favorite memory of getting roses was when my mom planted a rose bush for me outside of my bedroom window!

    Reply
  23. Jill on

    My husband got me the most beautiful, custom designed bouquet with roses and several other flowers a few years ago for Valentine’s Day, and since then I’ve not been a fan of the grocery store bouquets. I didn’t know such gorgeous flowers even existed!

    Reply
  24. Michelle Lippincott on

    My first red rose was gifted to me by my boyfriend (now husband) when I was 16. It was from a gas station and was packaged in a plastic tube with a cheesy pink ribbon wrapped around it. I dried it and kept it hanging in my room for years. We have now been married for 13 years and just purchased land and are working towards our own flower farm. Thank you so much for sharing you knowledge.

    Reply
  25. Jeannie on

    I sent roses to my grandmother on her first wedding anniversary after my grandad had passed away. I know if he had been there he would have done the same and I couldn’t handle the idea of her feeling forgotten on such a special day.

    Reply
  26. Wenqi on

    My parents grow garden roses in the backyard and I recall admiring them in the summers and how they changed color even from day to day. And then my mom started making rose jam from the petals and it was the most wonderful smelling thing ever and she would bake them into flaky pastries that smelled and tastes amazing.

    Reply
  27. Stephanie Cornell on

    This was a joy to read. Recieving roses from my Dad (even the Teleflora ones ?) was and is special. I love learning about all the varieties of roses and experiencing them in our local city rose garden.

    Reply
  28. Cessie on

    I love growing flowers in the yard- from roses to camillias, and everything in between…I love being able to bring them in the house, and to gift them to neighbors or friends that stop by. :)

    Reply
  29. Julianne Dufour on

    Last fall, my severely injured mother moved into a new house near me and I was able to give her posies of garden roses from my new plants and the smell and beauty made her cry with happiness. There’s something about their beauty and fragrance that is just moving.

    Reply
  30. Kasse on

    The very first home we lived in had a 10 foot hedge of antique garden roses. That chapter in my life and my childrens childhood is marked by the smell of roses. The giving and receiving of roses to each other, family, and friends made those summer days and nights a continual feast for the senses.

    Reply
  31. Katie Stemp on

    The first flower I ever received was the gift of a Sterling rose plant from my dad who moved away when I was a baby. It has the most beautiful silver-lavender petals and a gorgeous fragrance. My mom planted it in our garden (bless her!) and I looked forward to enjoying the roses every spring of my childhood. It’s been blooming for 35 years now and I get a call and a picture from her each year when it starts blooming again! Thank you for sharing that new plants can be started from existing ones! I’m going to learn more about that and try to grow some for my own home this year! My family with our three little kids are finally settled in our forever home and I would love to have a few of those Sterling roses growing in our yard. Thank you both for being such an inspiration and source of happiness in my social media feed. I wish you continued success, growth and joy in your businesses and families this year!

    Reply
  32. Terri Canaga on

    Beautiful story and what a testimony to dedication.
    Roses have been a part of my life from the day of my birth as I am a Valentine baby! My dad has faithfully given me at least one rose each of my 57 birthdays (so far) :) My most special memory of a gift of roses was on my 13th birthday. Being a shy and awkward jr. higher and receiving 13 red roses from my dad at our Valentine’s day “sock hop”… while terribly embarrassing to be single out, was also something I will never forget! I always have at least one rose plant in my yard or property and dream of ways to increase that. While my dream is a smaller, less grandiose scale than Grace has accomplished, reading her story has given me a renewed vision… I might just try it out! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  33. Sarah Richardson on

    As a child I never truly fit in with the other kids in my neighborhood. While they were out playing I was with my mother in the vegetable garden or sitting under a tree with a book.
    One summer day though some of the neighborhood children approached me and asked if I wanted to join them. I was delighted! Only, their friendship came with a catch. I was promised a spot among threir group if I passed a test of courage. In our neighborhood there also lived an elderly lady named Mrs. Wilson. She was blind, and somewhat of a recluse. We never saw her coming or going from her old rickety home. She was shrouded in mystery and the neighborhood children feared her, thinking her house haunted.
    It was common knowledge that Mrs. Wilson grew roses in her bwckyard, the whole neighborhood could smell them on the breeze in the spring time.
    For my test, I was told to sneak into her backyard and steal a single rose from her garden. It was a frightening endeavor for a child, but I longed for friendship more than anything, so I agreed. I quietly crawled through a hole in her fence and crept into the garden. I was terrified! But I was also shocked at what I found. Her garden was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Roses in every color and size adorned her yard, hundreds and hundreds of them. The fragrances ranged from sweet to spicy, so thick you could almost taste it. The sounds of the happy honey bees was so overpowering I couldn’t even hear my own thundering heartbeat. With wobbly knees I walked through the roses, looking for the perfect one to take. As I was searching a voice called out to me.
    Mrs. Wilson appeared out of thin air, as if she had sprung out of the rosebushes. Completely petrified, I stopped, hoping that because of her blindness maybe she wouldn’t catch me. No such luck! She said. “I know you’re there, I can hear you.” The shame of being caught was too much, and I started to cry. I tearfully told her my story and apologized for trying to steal her roses. Instead of being angry she laughed until her sides hurt. She pulled out a pair of pruners from her apron pocket, and even without sight, began to expertly snip a few buds. She handed them to me with a warm smile. “I can’t take these.” I told her, still filling that bottomless guilt in my heart. She simply smiled and said, “Take them, as a gift from me.” I was at a loss for words, her kindness unmatched. “Next time you need roses, just knock on my door, I’d love to have the company.”
    So promising to come visit her again soon, I left with a lighter heart and a handful of yellow and peach colored blooms. True to my promise I went to visit Mrs. Wilson the next day, and the day after, and the day after that. As the summer went by I spent every single day in the garden with Mrs. Wilson. We drank iced tea on her porch, talked about life, and truly got to know one another. I learned so much from her, about gardening, roses, and life. It was truly amazing the way she grew and cared for here roses. She never let her blindness slow her down. As the years went by I grew up, yet I still always made time to visit Mrs. Wilson.
    Sadly, she became ill a few years ago and was staying at the hospital. I went over to her house every day and cut her a bouquet to put in her room. She said the smell reminded her of home.
    One day I came to visit her and deliver the roses. I think she must have known her time was short, because she took my hand and thanked me for all my years of friendship. She asked me if I would take care of her rose garden after she passed. She said, “I want you to have them because I know you’ll take great care of them. They’re my gift to you.” She had said those words to me before as a child, “my gift to you,” the first time we had met. What had started out as a childish thing, a desperate attempt to impress children into liking me, had turned into something beautiful. I had snuck into the garden for roses, and instead found true friendship along the way. Mrs. Wilson was my mentor, and my very best friend. To this day I am thankful for the gifts she gave me. I still tend her roses, and I can’t help but smile at the memories they bring.

    Reply
  34. Sarah jo on

    Gorgeousness and so interesting! In college, one February, I was at a pretty bad place. It was my birthday, dreary weather, no plans. My family was in turmoil and I was living by myself in a garage apartment of a strange family far from campus. A bunch of friends got together, snuck into my apartment and filled it to the ceiling with hundreds and hundreds of roses. It was truly mind blowing. I went from feeling like the loneliest girl in the whole world to the luckiest girl in the whole world. I have no idea how a bunch of broke college kids paid for them all but it was a moment that will stay with me forever.

    Reply
  35. Sandy on

    On our first date, Valentine’s Day 40 years ago, my husband brought me a single white rose. I accidentally left it in his car. He found it and delivered it to me a few days later, beautifully dried. I knew, in that moment, that he was a keeper❤️

    Reply
  36. Katie on

    I went to visit my friend in Vancouver Washington and she surprised me and took me to the most beautiful public rose garden. It smelled heavenly! We took lots of pictures

    Reply
  37. Emma Weidman on

    When my fiancé and I first started dating he was working on a vegetable/flower farm. One day I got this exquisite and very unique bouquet with peonies, verbena, tuberose, and wheat! And I just couldn’t believe he made it with the “second best” flowers that were left over at the end of the day! It was very surprising coming from a guy who only wears flannel, stained jeans, and worn down boots. Looking forward to picking out flowers for the big wedding day together!

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  38. Laura Price on

    I started growing roses in my small backyard when I moved into my house 25 years ago. I fell in love with David Austin roses and was as smitten by the fragrance as the beauty of the old fashioned English garden look. One whiff of a rose would take me back to being in my grandmother’s garden as a child. I found that when I made bouquets for friends they were amazed at the beautiful fragrance because all the store bought roses had no smell at all. I think even when I plant new roses now, fragrance is my most important criteria as it somehow touches those memory banks and can instantly take us back to another place and time

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  39. Laurie Garza on

    Roses have been a constant in my life since I was born. My mom and grandmother were avid gardeners, so I was exposed to the beauty of roses from the beginning. One of my earliest specific rose memories was when I was about 6 years old, is of one called Talisman, and another which was a true cabbage rose- pink with random darker pink petals appearing. Talisman was tall and lanky and bloomed a lot. The cabbage rose was a very small plant that only bloomed for a short time. Oh how I wish I had that rose still!

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  40. Brenda Horne on

    I can’t wait to order some of Grace’s roses!! I also dug up my roses and took them with me when I moved. Never would I leave them behind ? people are always blown away at the beauty of a many petaled garden rose.

    Reply
  41. Tammie Corrigan on

    My grandfather and father both have grown roses in their gardens. That inspired me to grow my own. My daughters love picking the blooms to bring in bouquets for me. Nothing beats the scent!

    Reply
  42. Heidi on

    I loved this!
    I’m actually being gifted a few dahlia tubers and a rose plant this weekend from a local flower garden! He’s letting me come visit and pick his brain and letting me leave with some things to plant in the garden I’m starting this year!
    Also one other gift of flowers, are the tulips that just started popping up! (More of a gift to myself from last fall) and I cant wait to see those charming beauties!!!
    I’m so excited and so thankful for the floret course because I’m so much more confident than i was getting into it! Xo

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  43. Christina Cover on

    Thank you for this sharing this interview! I am so excited to see what Grace Rose Farm is accomplishing! I’ve loved roses for as long as I can remember- grew up picking roses from my Grandparents’ rose garden and learned how to lovingly care for them. My Grandmother loved it when I would pick fresh flowers from her garden and put them in her house each week. I will be getting a couple of Gracie’s rose bushes in April and can’t wait! Thank you to you both for sharing the beauty of flowers.

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  44. Micah Thompson on

    I have always loved growing roses. When they are in full bloom my daughter and I like to clip them and takes vases to the local nursing home. The residents live to see the beautiful roses, but even more importantly love having visitors!

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  45. Julie on

    Very interesting interview and I’ll be sharing both Instagram accounts with my mom and friends.

    As for a memory … As a teenager, we lived for a time in an apartment complex that was pretty utilitarian and not landscaped that well (1980s central NY state). However, there were lovely wild roses along one edge of the property – perhaps leftover from a farm that might have predated the complex? They had a delicate scent, pale pink and white color, and pretty, open shape. My maternal grandmother’s birthday is in early, mid-June, and we made her a birthday cake, decorating it with lots of the roses on top. She loved it, and we had a pretty time of coffee and cake on the balcony. I didn’t know it yet, but she had leukemia, and would pass within a year or so of this memory. When I see wild roses like the ones at that apartment, I think of my grandma.

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  46. Maureen on

    When I was growing up, my dad tended the roses, but my mom would cut little nosegays and put them by our beds, to perfume our bedroom. Those memories will be with me forever.

    Reply
  47. Grace on

    My husband doesn’t bring me flowers very often, so when he does, it’s very special! :) He usually buys live plants rather than cut flowers, because he knows how much I like to grow them. He brought me a miniature rose one time after he had been out of town for work. It’s still going strong 5 years later!

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  48. Carla S. on

    What wonderful roses! My dad was known all around our little farming community for his flowers, and yes, we had a rose garden. He often rescued flowers from old homesteads, and my favorite was an old rose. I have a bit of it in a pot at my house because the scent of the flowers reminds me of home. My favorite memory is when my dad had to retire from a career he loved due to health reasons. I lived a couple states away and couldn’t get there for his retirement luncheon but I did send flowers. He was so surprised and touched that someone sent flowers to him.

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  49. Amber on

    We used to go to the rose garden in LA when I was a kid. I found two roses there that I loved (Lincoln and Peace) and begged my mom to get them for me. She didn’t think they would do well by the beach but eventually relented. They were still going strong when my patents sold the house over 15 yrs later. Those roses were my first real success in the garden.

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  50. Evelyn on

    Fascinating article and more insight into the world of farming and growing these beauties! I grew up in our family’s flower shop. The name of our store was Belfiori’s Rose Shoppe. Named after our family name which is “beautiful flower” in Italian. Almost 30 years later, I left the flower shop to start my own studio floral company and still get to provide beautiful flowers to my customers! Roses are sort of the glue that helped keep our family together for many years. My grandfather started selling roses on the corners in Detroit in the 60’s to provide for his 7 children and then my mother and aunt both opened their own stores as well. They also sold dozen roses on the corners to get their businesses going. As a millennial, it’s so fascinating to me that I have the opportunity to do the same thing my family has been doing for generations, but in my own unique way. What a gift!

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  51. Jewel on

    When my husband and I were first married, I was a dairy farmer. He’s an amazingly creative person, but giving gifts is not his strong suit. I was tickled pink when I came downstairs early Valentine’s morning getting ready to go milk the cows and found a dozen “cowlips” for me! My husband took a dozen white roses and hand drew black cow spots on them! It was the absolute, most perfect gift that described myself and his creativity at the same time. He even wrote me a poem – a twist off of Roses are Red – which is where he deemed them Cowlips. I’m not sure any bouquet will ever match that one in my book!

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  52. Grace on

    My wedding day fell on the same day as my friend’s birthday. She spent the entire day helping out, cooking and cleaning during my wedding… on her birthday! So in lieu of a bouquet toss, I individually sought her out when I had a free moment during my big day and gifted her my bouquet. She loved the bouquet so much I ended up being her florist for her wedding a few years later!

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  53. Chelsea Russell on

    My husband bought me a miniature rose bush for Valentine’s Day instead of cut flowers and I have the sweetest video of our son smelling the rose buds and commenting on how good they smelled. It’s a special reminder of the ones I love every time I walk by my rose bush. I’m excited about the possibility of growing some of the rose bushes Gracie mentioned as her favorites!

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  54. Alice on

    I love giving roses to my Mother-n-law. She loves them and shows them to all her friends. Most of them are widows like she is and they don’t often receive flowers anymore. It’s so fun to see her delight over them.

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  55. Julie on

    I planted my first barefoot rose last year in memory of my cousin who died in a flash flood. It shared his name, Just Joey, so it fit perfectly. It was an interesting process and I’m so interested in roses now. One day, I’d love to visit your farm. Best wishes for your new ventures.

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  56. Anne on

    I love roses—the look, the smell! I’m sure her rose farm is small piece of heaven!

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  57. Teresa Garrand on

    I sent my best friend a dozen roses when she was going through a rough time, that was over 31 years ago and she still mentions it! Which is a gift to me.

    Reply
  58. Ruth Gonzalez on

    I have been fascinated with roses for decades, and brought a Tillison’s Antique Rose catalog along with each move for years. Of course every single rose in the catalogue sounded enchanting. I worked at a florist during college, and remember cranking out red rose and baby’s breath arrangements for Valentine’s day…but I was the weirdo in the bunch who liked a wilder look. More recently I have ordered the roses for the garden center where I work. And still each rose is presented like a glamour shot…rhey are all so beautiful. I love the English roses and their more relaxed personality. Just reading this story makes me want to plow my back yard up and plant for the sheer pleasure of having plenty of roses to cut. As far as my favorite bouquet ever recieved…it is those bouquets pucked by children and presented with so much love.

    Both my stepdaughter and myself have been enamored with rose scented products for years, but organiclly grown? That truly makes my heart sing! So encouraged by this story and Floret by bringing us organic flowers and using organic growing practices that nurture our planet, our waterways, and humans and all the creatures. Thank you!

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  59. Sharon Orlando on

    As a master gardener, I applaud you for mentioning the most important thing to know about growing Roses: you must be proactive! In a world of junk food gardeners who want no maintenance, this is NOT the plant for you. Plants are like us. When their “immune system” is compromised, they are prone to attack by disease and insects. They need what we need. Food, water, sun and good air circulation!

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  60. Heather McCann on

    What a beautiful rose farm story! Her vision and passion are evident in the lush pictures. I can’t wait to see more pictures this year. My love of roses has been lifelong as well. I have a Valentine’s Day birthday and my mom always gave me a dozen pink roses even as a young child. I’m always interested to hear peoples stories about how special roses are to them. It seems the rose has a magical ability to tie memories to it for a lifetime.

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  61. Jennifer Nicolo on

    I love this. I actually don’t have any memories of getting roses as they’ve always been un-memorable, I guess. I hate that grocery store roses smell like chemicals. The best flowers I ever got were a subscription that sent single flower type bouquets from around the world with cultural and local information about the growers. I’ll never forget the bells of Ireland (from turkey!)

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  62. Anna on

    My husband and I got engaged on the day we started dating (February 18) a couple of years ago. Flowers have always been important to me, and some of my favorite flowers were the flowers in my mom’s wedding bouquet. When my husband proposed, he gave me my own little bouquet of the same flowers my mom had in her wedding bouquet. It was so sweet, so full of love, and demonstrated total understanding of my relationship with flowers.

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  63. Janet L on

    Inspiring! My husband surprised me with 3 bare root roses for Valentine’s Day. It’s my first time planting roses and I’m nervous to say the least! Between SC clay soil and our humidity, I know I’ll have my hands full. But if they are half as beautiful as the one’s pictured above, it will be worth it. Thanks so much for the wonderful and informative articles/interviews.

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  64. Elizabeth Fike on

    Great interview! I’m excited to say that I have ordered two rose bushes from you. I’m SO excited to receive them. Roses always bring back fond memories of my grandparents farm. They grew some lovely roses, and to my amazement, we were always allowed to pick as many as we wanted. I grew to love roses, and I’m finally able to grow my own. My grandparents have been gone for many years, but the scent of certain roses instantly transports me back to the days of my childhood. No matter how many rose bouquets I picked per day, my grandmother received each “gift” with enthusiastic delight. Just writing this makes me miss her.
    Keep up the wonderful work. You’re both such inspirations. Soon my garden will be blooming with Grace’s roses and Erin’s flower seeds. I can’t wait!

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  65. Annie Treleaven on

    I loved this article! I’ve always loved perfumed roses and now I need to buy the David Austin Evelyn! I planted 2 roses in memory of my parents after they passed away. I think of them every time I am in the garden or put the blooms in the house. Thank you Erin and thank you Grace. It’s summer here in Melbourne Australia and the roses are loving the sunshine and heat.

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  66. Marci Dunfee on

    When we lived in Colorado, I had a beautiful rose garden. It was a delight to the senses. I live on the “dry side” of Washington state now, and have a large area of my yard, where I plan to plant roses this spring.
    Thank you for this informative interview. I’m looking forward to perusing Grace Rose Farm’s Instagram feed, and online store.
    My husband gifts me with roses for special occasions; today, he gave me a beautiful arrangement of red roses and orchids, it’s stunjung.
    Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with all of us.

    Reply
  67. Natalie Beverage on

    My Grandma always had roses at her home. When I moved to College I rented their older home and tended the roses, they brought me so much joy. I named my business after my Grandma and I’s nickname – florecita. Even before growing flowers my Grandma and I have always loved flowers. I have gifted her roses & cut them now from our property when she visits. ❤️?

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  68. Stephanie on

    So inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing your story and doing what you do!
    My first memory with roses is when I was around 6 years old and my grandpa gave me a beautiful and scented bouquet of his garden roses for my birthday. I felt so special and was transported by the flowers ???

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  69. Chelsea on

    Oh I adore roses so much. Recently purchased a half acre property and am adding my own touches to the already beautifully established English cottage inspired gardens. I was gifted a gorgeous lavender petalled rose and fell in love and my friends and family tease me now because I just want everything to be covered in climbing roses. Building a new firewood shed? Perfect, I’ll grow climbing roses around it. New deck? A trellis with roses please ? Flowers bring so much joy and I also dream of the ways I can utilize the blooms more fully. I imagine this rose skin care would be divine xo Thanks for the opportunity ?

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  70. Naghmeh on

    I love you page and your beautiful flowers. I’m planning on planting some flowers in my patio. Hoping I can grow beautiful flowers like yours.

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  71. Deanna on

    Every spring when my climbing rose blooms I think of my grandmother and her amazing garden. She gave me the rose that she had propagated from her climbing rose. I miss her dearly and roses always remind me of her.

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  72. Ogust on

    ogustplukplezier from Belgium wants to sprinkle roses on someone’s path. We already grow three thousand peonies and not a single rose. Here we will quickly change after reading your article.

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  73. Kimball on

    I am looking forward to checking out Grace Rose Farm and ordering some roses, both bouquet and plants. I recently moved to a house which had roses and have enjoyed learning to care for them and harvesting some for inside. My stepmother loves roses, and I get them for her, or bouquets that include roses, on Mother’s Day

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  74. Christina on

    These interviews are so interesting! I will definitely look up her instagram. My favorite roses will always be the ones I had in my wedding bouquet. I have never tried growing my own but maybe some day.

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  75. Christine Eubanks on

    One of the first rose plants that I received was from my parents as a gift for my new home. The name of the rose was “Love”. It was a treasured gift that I enjoyed in so many ways by learning to nurture this beautiful plant, and enjoying it in bouquets in my home. I have since began a love affair with roses and have added many others to my garden. I have also carried on the tradition that my parents began by gifting rose bushes for many different occasions…new home, wedding, birth of a child, and death of a loved one. There’s just something very special and meaningful about a rose. I just love them!

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  76. Karen Zischke on

    Thanks for the inspiration! My first dozen red roses were for my 20th birthday. A boyfriend gave them to me , it was mid February in New Hampshire and the roses light up the dorm room.

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  77. Carolyn Hunter on

    Rather than buy my mom a big bouquet of roses, my dad planted a rose bush each year for her in our yard. 40 years later and many of the rose bushes are still growing! Many Sundays my dad would cut five giant, full bloom, roses, take the thorns off, and carefully wrap the stem in dampened paper towels. He would then present them to each of his daughters (there are four of us!) and my mom. It was usually while we were getting all pretty for church. He would always say, “My daughters are as beautiful as a rose!” I’ll never, ever forget that. I’ll never, ever forget those layers and layers of gorgeous, lush, velvet petals with an aroma like no rose I’ve ever experienced since then. I’ll never forget the kindness of my dad and how loved and beautiful he made us all feel from the time we were little girls, all the way through difficult teenage years and into our years of motherhood. No matter what, I’m as beautiful as those most beautiful roses I grew up receiving from my sweet dad!

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  78. Sabrina on

    Roses are definitely my first passion. I started my obsession for gardening with David Austin’s wonders and I’ve tried a few ancient varieties too. I’m growing around 50 plants in my garden and my favourite ones are Wollerton Old Hall and Crown Princess Margareta. I also grow Musk roses that I use to make a delicious syrup. Here’s the recipe: 700 g of Musk/ Rosa rugosa petals
    1 kg sugar
    1 l of water
    1 lemon
    Boil the water, remove the pot from the cooker and add sliced lemon and the petals. Leave them rest for 24 hours. Remove the lemon and press the petals over a pot to gather all the juice. Put the pot on the cooker with the sugar and let it go until it has melted and the syrup is dense. Pour it in a bottle and keep it in the fridge. Add the syrup to cold water and you’ll enjoy all the sweet flavour of roses. It’s perfect also over ice cream and in hot tea.
    It’s an ancient and traditional recipe from the outback of Genoa (Italy) where I live. I’m happy to share it with you.
    Let me know if you get to try it!! Hugs

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  79. Tina on

    Love,love,love old fashioned garden roses. My first rose garden didn’t go well, but I now have the beginning of a new rose garden. I only have about 30 right now, but have plans for many more. As a matter of fact, Distant Drums was already on my wish list. Keep up the good work. I’ll be following to see how you progress and wish you much success.

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  80. Joy Hilley on

    When my husband and I bought our first house—a 1920s cottage—it came with an overgrown antique climbing rose. My husband, who didn’t like roses at the time, drastically cut it back (probably hoping it wouldn’t survive). That hardy plant rewarded us with gorgeous, fragrant blooms. A testament to resilience and beauty!!

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  81. Gloria on

    How lovely! My favorite uncle grew roses when I was growing up, and my aunt always had roses on the table at Sunday dinners. It’s a lovely memory, all of us there together, always with roses on the table. I can picture it like it was yesterday.

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  82. Elaine Williamson on

    I imagine walking through the rose beds at Grace Rose Farm is heaven! My grandmother prized her rose garden, but I, as a grown woman, long after she was gone, came to despise roses as I worked in the grocery store floral industry year after year cranking out rose bouquets every Valentines day with scentless buds harvested by sweatshop labor. I’m excited the world is being refreshed with Real Roses through growers like Gracie and Erin!

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  83. Dodi on

    We have purchased many roses these last fews years. This last spring my roses took off and I was able to share their beauty with my kid’s teachers, friends, and family. They joy of brightening some days with the beauty of roses from my garden is something that I love sharing and hope I will pass down to my kids ❤️

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  84. Carol on

    One year my teenage son was working for a local pizza delivery store and on Valentines Day I was surprised to receive a pizza I did not order. When I opened the box I found fresh roses and a love note written on the lid of the box. 25 years later, I still have the box & dried roses ❤️.

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  85. Erin Loganbill on

    My favorite part, and I am so grateful to hear this: “Simply, the general public doesn’t know what real roses are. People deserve to have flowers that are healthy and sustainably grown. I feel it’s my obligation to educate American consumers on what a real rose is – a fragrant, high petaled beauty that fully opens to reveal itself and is as individual as our fingerprints.” Here in the Midwest cities of Lawrence, KS and Kansas City, my sister and I are just starting to believe that eyes are opening to the beauty of real flowers grown in the US and trying to spread the word. -Erin Loganbill + Kirsten Bosnak – aka Yellow House Flowers + Blue Morning Glory ?

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  86. Jenna on

    This was such a great article! I love all of Gracie’s social media posts and her roses! My favorite memory of roses being gifted was watching my father buy my mother yellow roses every year growing up. One year she confessed to me she secretly wanted red roses but would never tell him because he had started giving them to her 20 years ago. He had told her how yellow roses represented friendship, which he consideted one of the most important things in a relationship. This past year I was gifted a bouquet with yellow roses in it. When I recieved them I told the story of the importance of the yellow rose to my parents. My father happened to be in the room listening. He then laughed and went really? I’m pretty sure I got them because they were cheaper. I’ve never eyerolled harder in my life. Admittedly I did laugh.

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  87. Susann Reiher on

    Flowers in general, but roses in particular, have a way of touching each person in such a unique and individual way. Many years ago I was growing random roses in my backyard just because. One in particular was a favorite of mine, I think it was called a Peace Rose? I’m not positive. Cream on the outer part of the petal, light peach in the center. Anyway, one summer all my rose bushes grew beautifully. My mother was very ill at the time so each visit, I would clip random roses, place them in a vase and bring them to her. She would light up, her whole person. She would tuck her nose in the center and breathe in. That experience will never leave me. It was the one thing only I could do for her as I am the only gardener in the family. My roses were never again as beautiful as that summer. Not a coincidence I believe.

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  88. Susan on

    My kids gave me roses and I showed them how to have them last forever by pressing them between pages of books and letting them dry. Then we arranged the dried leaves into a heart and glued them down then framed them. I put them in my bedroom and the kids giggle with delight every time they see them ❤️ Grace rose farm is my fav Instagram and Gracie is just delightful for all she shares.

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  89. Madelyn on

    Oh my goodness, her flowers are gorgeous and her story is amazing!!! Makes me think of last mother’s day when my siblings and I just got a bouquet we thought looked nice from the supermarket, haha. I hope one day I can get some of these beautiful flowers for her

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  90. Holly Callan on

    Really inspiring to read all that you have accomplished in such a short time! My favorite memories of roses were from my grandmother’s garden in Carpinteria during the 1960’s. My mother would let me go and pick and then arrange as many as I liked when we spent vacations there. This grew into a lifelong love of roses! I now grow close to 100 in a small garden.

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  91. Lydia on

    Thank you for sharing another wonderful interview! I have always wanted to grow roses but havent seen them do well in my area. Maybe I’ll try one of these years!
    I think my favorite memory of receiving flowers is from my graduation. I hadn’t received flowers very many times before that and these were handed to me after the ceremony by some very special people in my life.
    As far as gifting flowers, I mostly send through florists. But one time I couldn’t get flowers so I sent a small teddy bear to an elderly man in the hospital ? not a flower story but I thought it was cute to share ?

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  92. Teresa Prewitt on

    I love this interview! I live so close to Grace Rose Farm and will definately be adding roses to my flower project for this coming growing season. Roses have always been my favorite flower and I will never forget how I felt when the most fragrant and beautiful rose bouquets arrived on my wedding day for my bridemaids and me!

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  93. Sharril Swindle on

    I had worked for a rose grower in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, they grew beautiful roses, even some of the heirloom..,we also had cannas, we had lavender, and herbs…because I worked at a grower, my husband assumed I would me tired of flowers from working with them, I love flowers of all kinds ,but heirloom ,the dusty colored Rose’s ,oh my! At our new home ,we planted so may flowers but I had ,David Austin’s growing over my archway..they were blush pink and so beautiful..I had fox gloves etc..I created a beautiful english style garden in the little space I had to grow, front of house had Peonies,,Hydrangea, and Japanese maple, from the ground up a trellis growing up at a curve was a blanket of Montanii clematis with the lovely soft smell of cinnamon wafting from it and all the flowers gave such beautiful scent..problem was ,none and was enough to cut and bring in for my tables. ..so hubby never brought me flowers thinking I had my fill of flowers , so I would get myself the 2nds for a small price to have flowers ,still didnt get it…one time out of blue , I had been feeling ill, he brought me a beautiful bouquet of Rose’s,,peony and hydrangea, with some greens , it was so pretty and smelled softly, there was a lavender rose ,cant remember the name but it smelled amazing.. hubby came through in a big way. Lifted my spirits…I have never had a cutting garden ,not sure what I can do in Florida..I am going to look into I already grow herbs..sadly the house where I had the wonderful garden ,had been sold when we moved to Florida to care for my Father who had Alzheimer’s…He has passed and we now have a little bit of land.. so I want to get started again..Florida will be a learning curve ,but I am going to push through…I have seen some Rose’s growing in various place .. sadly he rarely buys flowers still, So I will have to grow my own!! He is romantic in other ways.. sincerely, Sharril Seinfle

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  94. Heather on

    I have an old fashioned, multi-petaled, flat faced rose that my Great Aunt gifted me over 30 years ago. I love it. It smells wonderful and is very hardy, but the best part is that I think of her every time I see it out by the greenhouse.

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  95. Kayla on

    For as long as I can remember, working in a floral shop seemed like a dream. It wasn’t really attainable, my not so awesome boyfriend at the time told me nobody would hire me because of my tattoos. People said “you have to go to college for that.” When I was 17, I broke up with that boyfriend and spent both paychecks from two separate jobs on a one way ticket to British Columbia. I found an add on craigslist, emailed the shop my resume and walked there immediately after, wanting to have a human experience. She had not even seen my email yet. We talked for awhile, and May was truly the sweetest soul. On my walk home, things seemed too good to be true. The next day she was showing me the ropes and there is no denying that I was worried I’d never catch on. She was so patient with me. I probably ruined way too many flowers, it seemed problematic that I didn’t know how to pronounce flowers, let alone remember the price of them. I backed into a $100 crystal vase and spent a whole day cleaning up the little bits that seemed to find there way in every nook and cranny, to my huge surprise she didn’t give up on me. Whilst processing roses one day she asked “What’s your favourite flower?” I’d never really thought about it until then. “Roses.” I said. She told me hers were sunflowers. Then she turned to me with so much joy on her face, a rose in each hand and said “No two roses are ever the same, look closely.” From that day on, I was entirely amazed with the rose. Each one that was processed and arranged was handled with so much love. In that one moment, I stopped in amazement and entirely changed my perspective. Everything slowed down and for the first time ever, I was completely captivated by a single rose. You could say, she was a living example of what it’s like to stop and smell the roses. Out of everything she shared with me, falling in love with a rose was the most special of all. It changed my life forever.

    I am now 26 with two beautiful children! They love flowers and love to help us out in the vegetable garden & garden beds. My partners becoming a better plant parent than me and loves flowers so much, we nurture them for us too! If it wasn’t for that moment with May, who knows if we would have this precious gift in our lives that bring us all together. Cannot even imagine a life without it!

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  96. Rebecca on

    What a wonderful story! My favorite gift of roses was a mother’s day grift from my mom, my first David Austin rose. I hated leaving that rose behind when I moved

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  97. Julie on

    I have loved following Grace Rose Farm’s (and their cute kitties) journey on Instagram! So much work, but the beauty is worth it! One of my favorite flower memories is when my husband came home with planted daffodils for our first Valentine’s Day. I love all flowers cut and planted alike, but it was special because he knew how much I love watching my plants grow.

    Thanks Erin for this interview, I have loved seeing farmer and florist pro’s teaming up!

    Reply
  98. Jess on

    I planted my 1st rose (Pat Austin) 3 years ago to celebrate the birth of my 2nd son, and I loved watching it bloom outside his nursery window. We moved last summer, and of course the rose came with us. At 6 months pregnant with our 3rd son, I was out there digging flower beds and got to see the rose bloom in our new home. I’m excited to try “budding” to build up our gardens!

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  99. Tinell Skaug on

    Wow!!! I love that you fully shared your journey and I’m so excited for what lies ahead.
    My favorite memory of gifting a rose (and ultimately receiving one) is a sentimental one. My grandmother’s both passed before I was 6yrs old … And I always longed for that sentimental and comfortable relationship. I was blessed to gain a grandmother when I married my husband. Grandma Emily loved me like she’d known me my entire life and always made me feel welcome as if I was one of her biological grands When she and her husband moved from their home of 50+ years, she expressed how much she would miss her Livin Easy Rose (not fancy by any means… But her favorite). I purchased one and potted it for her to have on the balcony of their assisted living home. When she passed a few years later, it was gifted back to me by her daughter in law. I think of her often when I’m in my roses and am so grateful to have been gifted a bonus grandma for a short while.

    Reply
  100. Tammy Makoul on

    The interview was so amazing, thank you! My husbands grandmother from England loved roses. Every time I would visit her, I would take her a dozen. I would choose the color that moved me that day. She enjoyed them so much and it brought a sure smile to her face everything! I also love giving my garden roses away in small bouquets to people I love. ??

    Reply
  101. Susan Bellone on

    I love roses and when my husband and I were dating before we got married~ the florist truck was always showing up with a beautiful bouquet of roses on Valentine’s Day~ One time a beautiful arrangement of pink sweetheart arrived at my door and I was loading my car with snow gear to head up to Lake Tahoe. So I put the vase in my ski boot in my trunk. It made the trip beautifully and I enjoyed them on Valentine’s Day and my birthday on the 18th.

    Reply
  102. Minnie Becker on

    What s great interview. You both are doing amazing work for the future of the flower business. I fell in love with roses over 20 years ago when a teacher I worked with gave me 2 rose bushes for my birthday. I learned a lot through Eleanor(who was 71 years young.) I continue to learn through sites like both of yours. In fact I found grace rose farm through Erin’s site. I was excited when I ordered my first Dahlias from Erin, and am just as excited to get some Rose bushes from Grace.

    Reply
  103. Cassandra on

    I have followed Grace Rose Farm closely on Instagram, such a inspiration! I am an avid rose lover, and planning on adding several varieties this year to my own farm. My love for roses stems all the way from my childhood, when my father bought me a book about roses. The whole book smelled of rose, I can still smell it! My great grandmother was also a lover of roses. I would often visit her, and always find her in the garden, tending to her rose treasures. Beautiful memories ❤️

    Reply
  104. Elizabeth on

    You both are so inspiring! I can’t wait to get my fingers in the soil this spring and see what direction our farm goes. Last year for Mother’s Day my hubby bought me a pale pink minature potted rose. I love it when he buys me live plants. My very favorite rose is Eden Climber!

    Reply
  105. Tiffany on

    Used to love spending time in my stepmother’s cutting garden learning about her roses and looking at all the pictures in her catalogs. Can’t wait to have my own cutting garden. So much inspiration here.

    Reply
  106. Pamela on

    Gracie’s comment about being proactive with rose care is so true…. I use a special “concoction” of organic minerals and alphalfa pellets I’ve perfected over the years from reading numerous articles about caring for roses, and last year I was diligent with my feeding and watering routine for my David Austin roses: voila! Absolutely no blackspot and beautiful, full, sweetly-scented continuous blooms throughout the summer into late fall!

    Reply
  107. Kelly Tsutsui on

    Thank you for sharing this beautiful farm and wonderful information! The home we purchased last year had a beautiful rose garden that the family dug up and took with them when they sold it to us. I wanted to replace it with new roses bushes but couldn’t find any organically grown and this helped me so much! Can’t wait to order these beautiful roses!

    Reply
  108. Melissa McNeilly on

    I am blessed to have been given a cutting from my Great grandmother’s pink rose bush.
    I never was able to meet her yet have a connection to her through her rose bush.
    I also can share cuttings with my children and grandchildren. It’s a gift that keeps giving and connecting to someone we never had the pleasure of knowing.
    The scent is heavenly like the old English roses.
    A family heirloom plant is a special gift that just can’t be bought, only given.

    Reply
  109. Christine Cole on

    Loved the interview! A good friend gave me a birthday bouquet of all white flowers one year. It was so unexpected and lovely. It’s a favorite flower memory.

    Reply
  110. Karouna Thompson on

    I look forward to visiting Grace Rose Farm someday. I remember very fondly havesting beautiful apricot roses from a huge old rose bush on the side of the road as a child. The roses from that old abandoned rose bush were so beautiful and so very fragrant. They still live very vividly in my memory.

    Reply
  111. Aimee Enriquez on

    My daddy used to bring me a rose on Valentine’s Day. My wedding bouquet, gifted by my parents, is a close second.

    Reply
  112. Liz Penney on

    Reaaly enjoyed reading about Grace Rose Farm! What an incredible business. Antique roses are amazing and it’s exciting they are making a comeback. As for getting flowers, every bouquet from family is treasured by me.

    Reply
  113. Shirley Goodwin on

    I am a 3rd season wedding florist in Virginia. I hope to order from Grace Rose Farm this year. The first time I recieved roses was from my high school boyfriend on Valentine’s Day, they were so beautiful to me then. I’ve loved roses my whole life but I’m just getting to know true garden roses. Thank you Erin and Grace Rose Farm for your informative posts and your beautiful photos.

    Reply
  114. Michelle McIntosh on

    Such an incredible awe inspiring romance of roses! Congratulations Grace and May all your future endeavors mirror your beautiful roses.

    Reply
  115. Princesnowfarm on

    I am an avid Grace Rose Farm follower. I wish that I could grow roses like that here in coastal Massachusetts! They are gorgeous!! I’ve grown flowers since I was 12, and there is nothing more rewarding than planting, coddling and harvesting . It is such s treat to hand a homegrown bouquet to someone and watch their eyes light up!

    Reply
  116. Gretchen on

    Thanks for the great article/ interview and inspiration. We have 6 acres and want to incorporate some unique roses around – nothing like the scale Grace has but appreciate the knowledge & inspiration!

    Reply
  117. April Scott on

    I have followed Gracie for a few years on Instagram and have been inspired by her and her roses since day one. I grow roses as a hobby and was gifted bare roots last spring by Gracie when she so kindly offered her followers free roses before her move. I wish her continued success in her passion to being the beauty of her amazing roses to the general population. Everyone deserves this kind of beauty in their lives ❤️
    April S

    Reply
  118. Loni snyder on

    So lovely. I’ve enjoyed following Grace’s Instagram. I’ve been intimidated by the process of growing rose’s but her story makes me want to try! I didn’t know grace was the only provider of organic roses for skincare. Phenomenal ;)

    Reply
  119. Carolyn on

    One of my favorite gifts all time was a potted rose that my daughter conspired to help buy me for Mother’s Day. It was the first secret she ever managed to keep and my first rose bush.

    Reply
  120. Leigh on

    When I was in my early 20s I dated a man who brought me roses every time he came to pick me up (which was several times a week!). I was poor then and my apartment sparsely furnished, but having all those roses in my home was so luxurious and made me feel so well loved.

    Reply
  121. Erica Watts on

    I have grown up in the garden with my mom. Roses have always been our favorite flower to garden. So being gifted a rose bush by my mom for my first house with my husband was something that was so special to me.

    Reply
  122. Lindsay on

    Such gorgeous roses! I go insane for a landscape with climbing roses, and of course I would never say no to a rose bouquet. My favorite memory of being gifted roses was when my husband proposed to me! He handed me one when I came home from work, when I went to put my things away there several dozen more waiting for me <3

    Reply
  123. Cedar on

    What a fun interview! I can’t wait to check out their Instagram account and lust after all that rose beauty! I was lucky enough to grow up with a mother that gardens, including English style roses, and love love love their fragrance and romantic lush petals of beauty. A simple handful of roses is everything!

    Reply
  124. Alli on

    Now following Grace Rose Farm on Insta! I haven’t given or received many roses in my life, but I remember the first time a boy sent me roses in high school – they were delivered to my house and awaiting me when I got home from school. What a homecoming that was!

    Reply
  125. Mary Sundquist on

    My father grew roses every year on a small space really a yard. He loved giving them to anyone but especially for me to take to work. I’m a nurse and he wanted to brighten my patients lives. The beautiful aroma brought so much peace to people.

    Reply
  126. Shayla on

    What a great interview, I love ordering from grave rose farm for wedding florals and I am excited to have a few of their plants coming this spring! A memory of roses for me is pretty recent it’s one of the flowers my daughter remembers the name of so the joy in her face anytime I give her some is amazing.

    Reply
  127. Maegan on

    I planted 50 David Austin’s my first growing season, and they are finally starting to turn into something! I didn’t have a relationship with roses prior to growing my own. The scent of Carding Mill is simply otherworldly.

    Reply
  128. Ashley Adkins on

    My grandmother was a famous rose gardener in our small town. In fact, the farm that she and my grandfather owned is named “Rosemount Farm.” I remember helping her tend the roses in the hot hot Virginia summer heat and then being allowed to arrange a small bouquet for my room. Does that count? It felt very special and very adult at the time and I still have fond memories of arranging roses and watching them open and become extravagant.

    Reply
  129. Sarah on

    The most memorable bouquet of flowers were for my first birthday away from home. I travelled across the country for university and did not know anyone. My Dad sent me a big, beautiful bouquet and it made me feel loved and special.

    Reply
  130. Naomi C on

    I love putting together my own arrangement of flowers (instead of buying premade ones) and gifting them to friends for birthdays. I feel like it adds something special and they always look different from something off the shelf. I get so much joy from making the arrangement and seeing their joy in receiving it.

    Reply
  131. Leca Moose on

    Thank you for this interview! Her roses are exquisite!!!
    My memory of being gifted with roses is not one bought for me but one that some generous home gardener has given to me on so many occasions.
    I live in the Marina District in San Francisco and walk ten minutes to my exercise class at the Bar Method on Fillmore. On my route, there is a home that has a small lovely old rose garden in front. When weather is warmer the fragrance of an old variety of rose fills the air and is so strong I can smell it before I am near the bush. Just the thought of that fragrant memory fills me with wonder and joy. I can’t wait for warmer weather so I can enjoy it again.
    I’m thankful to the gardener who planted that lovely fragrant rose years ago and to the one who tends it today. They have given a gift to me and so many others in our neighborhood.

    Reply
  132. Sue on

    I love roses! My first bouquet of long stem roses thrilled my 17 year old heart! My 61 year old heart still feels a thrill over beautiful roses!

    Reply
  133. Sandy Rader on

    When my son was little he would “help” me in the garden. My 1st English Rose was Abraham Darby. Around Easter when my boy was about 3 the television was advertising, “the story of Abraham”. He looked up quite excited and said, “Abraham! Abraham Darby, Momma?!” It all starts in the garden, doesn’t it?!

    Reply
  134. Janine B on

    Her roses are stunning and her story inspiring! I received 2 dozen roses that lasted for weeks and brought life and beauty to my home. I’d love to grow my own!

    Reply
  135. Ashlyn H. on

    Hello! I’m a new follower on your Instagram and I love getting to see your passion for what you do! I got a tattoo last year of a rose that had a special meaning to me and my family. I was wanting a tattoo that was meaningful and in honor of my parents, but something more personal than their names or anniversary date. I asked them what their favorite flower was. My father responded by telling me his favorite flowers are roses because he loves to give them to my mother. I then decided to get a rose to honor their love for each other.

    Reply
  136. Jennifer Waite on

    My favorite memory of recurring roses was in college. My boyfriend, now husband of25 years this year, always gave me roses. He moved to Sweden for two years. When he returned, I told my mom that I knew he would be me a rose for our first date. He did! We’ve been together ever since.

    Reply
  137. Carla on

    This news is so exciting! As a florist, I look forward to ordering more unique roses! And of course send them as gifts as well. Can’t wait!

    I got into floristry because my mother used to send me to school as a child with billowy garden roses as gifts for my teachers. We wrapped the stems in wet paper towels and tin foil. I remember thinking that wrapping didn’t do them justice, ha ha! Little did I know how big of an impression that would make on me. I now have a small bouquet of garden roses tattooed on my arm to remind me of that lovely memory. And of course, it’s now my life’s work.

    Best of luck to you! ??

    Reply
  138. Molly on

    Last year I was invited to a wedding where the focal point of the brides bouquet was an anemone. I am sure I had seen one before but I never really took the time to look at it to figure out what it was. It was that night when I caught the bouquet that convinced me that I needed to grow anemone’s. So I ordered some corms last fall and planted them and have had the most beautiful anemone’s growing in my little 4×4 raised bed garden in the back yard. Since my friends wedding was the reason I started growing the Anemone’s I waited until I had a nice little bouquet and took them to her at work. It made me so happy that I could grow something that reminded her of one of the best days of her life, and I also felt really accomplished because growing flowers is such an amazing experience. I don’t think I will ever get tired of growing beautiful things and sharing them with the world, now I just need some more room to grow! :)

    Reply
  139. Brittany S on

    This is great! This isn’t a memory yet, but my grandmother’s house was recently sold and she had a beautiful mauve colored rose bush there that is most likely 75+ years old. I’m planning to transplant it this spring into my yard so we can continue growing this beauty.

    Reply
  140. Sam Brooks on

    I’ll never forget one Valentine’s day many years ago, my dad bought my mom a vase of three dozen red roses. It was so massive, it took up our entire dining room table. My very sensible mother was mad that he had spent so much but she secretly loved it.

    Reply
  141. Maribeth Ristad on

    I grew up in a small farming community in N. California. My grandmother grew some of the most fragrant flowers and trees in her garden; Sweet peas, roses, and Daphne, it was like a slice of heaven on earth at my grandma’s house. And the smell of the orange trees in bloom is still intoxicating. My mother carried on the love of roses to her home and always had bouquets of roses throughout her house. And now I’m trying my green thumb at growing some of these ‘old fashion’ fragrant flowers in my own yard❤️

    Reply
  142. Christine on

    I loved this interview and I will be first in line when Grace’s roses are available for sale. What a dream!! My favorite flower experience ever was visiting your farm, Erin. Truly, that was such a gift.

    Reply
  143. Heather Frost on

    Wow! That a lot going on in one year! Wishing you the very best that all goes smoothly. I love the heavenly scent of “real” roses. They always remind me of my grandmother who was named Rosetta and kept heirloom roses at her home. I wish I could go back and get cuttings from her plants!

    Reply
  144. Elizabeth Larson on

    Oh what sheer heaven this sounds like!! I’m writing this on Valentines Day and one of my favorite parts of my husband and my love story is that he has always been so romantic and he still brings me roses quite often after 41 years of marriage! It would be a dream come true to visit your rose farm someday!!

    Reply
  145. Angie Jones on

    What a wonderful interview! Such gorgeous flowers! I’m a David Austin rose addict. As a teen I was introduced to the Graham Thomas rose in a magazine and I’ve been hooked ever since. A 20 acre rose farm sounds like heaven to me!

    Reply
  146. Joan Gross on

    I am a rose lover; the smell is very important to me. My husband is a terrible gift giver but a couple of Valentines Days ago he gave me a dozen roses. I quickly dried them and they’re still on display in my house! That was a big deal! ? He loves me, no doubt about it, but I wanted to cherish that special moment.
    I grow roses outside in our harsh NW Montana weather and take pride in them survivng here.

    Reply
  147. April on

    I’m planning my landscaping in my new yard now and I want roses but I’m scared! I inherited roses in our last home and killed them off one by one, with no idea how. So…trying to be brave and give them another try.

    Reply
  148. Jennifer Sunner on

    Can’t wait to add some of Gracie’s garden roses to my collection! Such a wonderful interview.

    Reply
  149. Tanner on

    Awesome post! My garden is currently confided to the balcony of my apartment in Ontario, Canada, but I’m inspired to get some roses on it this spring now. One of my favourite gifts I’ve received was my granny’s rose bush that she dug up for me before they sold their house. I think it needs some new friends :)

    Reply
  150. Cynthia B. on

    My Mom always had the most beautiful gardens at her home that she tended to with such loving care. Her gardens always included hundreds of roses! She just turned 90 and we had her 90th Birthday up at my farm. We filled the room with huge bouquets of roses, because that is the flower that we associate with her. All of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were able to attend and everyone loved the roses that reminded them of “Nana”!

    Reply
  151. Sarah Gemmill on

    How have I not heard of this farm before??? Just a quick glimpse at her Instagram, and I’m in love! Thank you for sharing!
    My favorite roses are from my grandma’s yard. The previous owner of the house was the founder of an heirloom rose garden, and her tiny yard in town was a beautiful reflection of that. There was a yellow rose hedge along one side of the lawn, and as they grew, they were too close to each other. We dug up every other one and transplanted them in my herb garden. They are an absolute delight when in bloom, and I’m inspired to start planting more heirloom roses

    Reply
  152. Rebekah on

    What incredibly gorgeous flowers! They remind me of the ones my mother always grew when I was little. Note I live in Arizona, have crappy soil and terrible weeds and dream of planting fragrant, old fashioned roses one day. Any recommendations of careless that can take 100+ degree heat?

    .
    My favorite flower gifting memory goes back 12 years while my husband and I were dating. He was stationed in Japan, but for 3 weeks in February he had flowers delivered to my workplace. He didn’t have much money, so they were simple little bouquets, but I felt so incredibly loved.
    Maybe this year for my birthday I’ll hunt that I’d love a rose plant instead of cut flowers!

    Reply
  153. Susan on

    This morning I woke early and went to Whole Foods because here in Colorado in February that’s the best selection of tea roses. They were for my daughter’s Valentine. They turned out lovely after I arranged them. She is spoiled after having received arrangements from me bought from Wilder Floral when she lived in SLO during her recent college years. So to see your beautiful roses took us both back to the central coast and all the gorgeous flowers available that we don’t ever see in Denver. I no longer have a yard and my lovely rose garden at my old home still calls to me. Seeing your beautiful roses makes me long to garden again…. maybe someday. I miss it and especially my roses. Blessings on your expansion plans and maybe someday while visiting SLO we can see your farm.

    Reply
  154. Katie on

    I remember being a kid and always asking my neighbor if I could cut her beautiful peach roses to make bouquets for my mom. Arranging them and giving them to my mom we’re some of my most cherished childhood memories!

    Reply
  155. Melody Richards on

    I am so inspired by all these interviews and Floret Farm. I am so excited to get my flower garden going this year. I actually never appreciated roses until I lived in LA in 2005. There was this sweet-smelling rose bush at the LA temple in Santa Monica. I made sure to smell it every time I walked by. Ever since, I have a new love and appreciation for roses and my husband just got me a Valentine’s bouquet last night with a variety of some of my favorite cut flowers, including a rose.

    Reply
  156. Rene’ on

    Thank you for the interview. I was not aware of Grace Rose Farms either but so glad I am now. I gifted a climbing rose to myself. That rose is a lot of work and sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it. Then it blooms and the scent and color (blush apricot) are heavenly. So it stays. Thank you for the giveaway.

    Reply
  157. Robin on

    Thank You,
    This is a beautiful and inspiring story! Wish I lived closer to have the opportunity to visit Grace Rose Farm, what an exciting and informative place to come and learn?My memory of gifting a Rose, was to my sweet neighbor, when she lost her Mom, I gifted her a beautiful Rose, named Grand Dame. In honor of her Mom. I wish you both succees in your business!

    Warm Regards,
    Robin

    Reply
  158. Verna Ruiz on

    On our daughters kindergarten graduation day my husband gave her a bouquet of roses. That started her love of roses. She now has a daughter named Rosalie, nicknamed Rosie. Today, on Rosie’s first Valentine’s day, her dad gave her a rose. Totally reminded me of her mom, my daughter, getting her first rose by her Dad all those years ago.

    Reply
  159. Marja on

    Your pictures are absolutely stunning! My first rose bouquet was from my husband (of 50 years!!!) before we were married. A beautiful dozen sweetheart (pink) roses. Each year on our anniversary he would add one more rose to the bouquet until I finally had to say “stop”. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  160. Leslie on

    Gracie is an inspiration! Her passion for roses and animals make her a joy to follow. I can’t wait to have some of her roses growing in my yard this year!

    Reply
  161. Jen Smyth on

    When I was in high school and dating a boy I commented that no one received flowers in boxes anymore, like in movies I’d seen. Not long after we parted ways, but years after that, he sent me a dozen long stemmed roses in a box for my graduation. I love flowers so much and am so excited to see all the ways people make their own and others flower dreams come true. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  162. Jennifer on

    Great article! I love to see small businesses thrive! Receiving flowers from my kids is the best and I love having fresh flowers in every room of my home.

    Reply
  163. Alicia Vacchiano on

    OMG! I LOVED this article and certainly love roses. You’ve inspired me to plant one garden rose plant this year. Which one? Well, I’ll have to do research on that but I must do this. Love love the scent and the beauty of garden roses. My best memory of getting roses was from my husband, now of 28 years and our first valentine. He sent me a HUGE 24 rose bouquet. I was speechless as I had never received such a gift.

    Reply
  164. Laura on

    Hello,
    Thanks for this interview, Erin – I’ve been following Grace Rose Farm on Instagram for quite awhile – it’s been fun to see their journey!
    I’ve grown lots of David Austin roses, but perhaps most meaningful was a yellow (dare I admit Knockout) rose given to me by a friend after our yellow lab, Norton, died. It meant to much to me!

    Reply
  165. Dayna webber on

    Hello,
    I absolutely loved reading about this amazing rose farm! Roses have always been my favorite flower and scent!
    Whenever I give the gift of flowers , I always try to make an arrangement where roses are the standout.
    Thank you for the wonderful article!
    Sincerely, Dayna

    Reply
  166. Mary Knopp on

    Such beautiful roses! I never knew there was such different varieties. I remember when I was a kid, my mom getting roses from my dad. It was so awesome and looked forward to getting some someday. Then when in high school my boyfriend, who is now my husband, sent me a single red rose in a heart shaped vase to my school on Valentine’s Day! I still have that vase after 37 years.

    Reply
  167. Crystal on

    Beautiful pictures! I also, like things that aren’t readily available. Thank you for sharing your roses. I once received a dozen pink roses for Valentine’s Day from my husband (then my fiancé). He was away at basic training/AIT and I was completely blown away by the surprise!

    Reply
  168. Eryn on

    The photos are so lovely and there’s so much helpful info here! Love this post and looking forward to more of Gracie’s IG posts as well. I haven’t grown roses before but I’m looking forward to starting now!

    Reply
  169. Lori M on

    Ahh, the allure of roses. I only have a few knockout roses that bloom all summer long and while pretty, they don’t compare to real roses or to the ones at our local botanical garden. My two boys know whenever we go to the garden, momma has to stop and smell that one particular rose. I’ve asked a few times what that specific rose is because the tag is missing but I always forget. But I know where it is and it smells divine! The way a rose should smell, the ones in the grocery store or in bouquets just don’t have the fragrance anymore after all the selective growing for this trait or that. Thanks for sharing Grace Rose Farms. I’m looking forward to learning more about them and their journey ahead.

    Reply
  170. Katy HuBert on

    What a wonderful interview with wonderful advice! I’ve actually just ordered my first rose bush from Grace Rose Farms and they are the ones who have inspired to to start my rose garden. I have always wanted a garden filled with big, fragrant, fluffy blooms! I have always wanted a flower farm and a story like hers encourages me to work towards that. Seems like such a big dream but starting with a few rose bushes puts me in the right direction.

    Reply
  171. Gina on

    My grandma would to take a rose cutting dip it in root tone and put in the ground with a Mason jar over top and next thing you knew she had a new plant ! I remember a lilac rose and I remember my amazement when the rose grew ❤

    Reply
  172. Karri Mc. on

    Being relatively new to Instagram, I wasn’t following Grace Rose Farm. After reading this interview, I’m in awe! What an amazing story. Admittedly I’m afraid of roses. I have one left by the previous owner & 1 I bought last year that’s in a big tub. Fingers crossed. My favorite roses were given as a gift for my birthday last year from my son. It was completely unexpected and so thoughtful. I dried them all.

    Reply
  173. Jackie on

    Love roses. I learned from my mom how to take care of rose bushes. Passed on some of my mom’s tips to my daughter last year.

    Reply
  174. Sarah P. on

    This is a wonderful interview-article! I think a rose was the first flower I was ever given by a boy when I was 15 years old… And we are about to majorly expand our rose plantings here, so on Monday or Tuesday of next week I’ll be receiving a treasure load of bare root roses and I am over the moon! Roses always have made my heart flutter!

    Reply
  175. Hannah on

    Oh I hadn’t heard of Grace’s before! My grandmother used to have beautiful rose gardens with specific varietals for each grandchild ( mine was the beautiful JFK). She passed away in December and I’m excited to have lots of roses in my insta feed to remind me of her!

    Reply
  176. Katheleen on

    Very interesting article and inspiring!

    Reply
  177. Beccy on

    Amazing! Thank you for sharing. Something else to keep in mind besides zone for growing roses is altitude. Many many roses will not grow at higher altitudes. Local nurseries should be able to help someone identify suitable roses.

    Reply
  178. Gail Farlow on

    Erin, well done to you for such a lovely interview.
    You and Gracie are both so inspiring.
    You sound like total workaholics!
    I sincerely wish you all the best.
    Kind regards
    Gail

    Reply

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