Something that makes us really happy is seeing more and more flower-related accounts popping up on Instagram, so we decided to share with you some of the stories behind our favorite ones. To begin, we give you @alexandrafarms, a boutique rose farm dedicated to showing the world the most beautiful garden roses from high in the Andes mountains of Colombia.
What do we love about floral Instagram accounts?
Their Instagram posts go from fluffy arrangement, to stunning brides with their unique bouquets, to huge, full garden roses that make you just want to reach out and touch them. An overdose of petals and a catalogue of exotic varieties make this account a must-follow for those who love flowers.
But, these are not your standard roses, that you can buy in normal flower shops or supermarkets. Those are pointier and their petals rotate around a single center, like a spiral. Garden roses open up like broad champagne glasses and their petals swirl around four different centers. They are pure ruffled elegance and those grown by Alexandra Farms are extra special.
We spoke to Jose Azout, president of Alexandra Farms and a leader with more than 30 years in the industry, who named his lovely farm after his daughter. Joey, as he likes to be called, explained to us that while standard roses are usually grown to be cut for bouquets and arrangements, garden roses were always flowers for… well.. your garden.
You see, at this farm they have perfected their roses to give them the health and resistance of commercial cut varieties, so you can have that lush natural beauty anywhere in the world at any time of the year.
Colombia’s flower industry: the top rose suppliers in the planet
Colombia is one of the top rose suppliers in the planet, with thousands of high-quality blooms bought for daily use. The market -Joey says- taught him that their product was not like that, not for Valentine’s or Christmas but just for weddings and events, especially in the summer. They are the only supplier dedicated to this small but challenging niche, and today they represent 4% of the national rose export value, not because they sell large volumes, but because their roses are a complete luxury.
Growing garden roses to be cut and shipped abroad is not an easy task, Joey says. They are more delicate than normal flowers so they need very special care and they have learned how to do it from years of experience. The roses vary in tone, even cut from the same bush on the same day, and their full glory will come after four days in the water. Capricious flowers, yes, and yet brides choose them as their companions on their most special day. Check out @alexandrafarms on Instagram and you’ll see why.
