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Seasonal cut flowerRosa hybrids

Roses: when they're in season in Australia

Roses are available all year in Australia, from local growers. Outside those months most stems are imported, usually from Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador.Being confirmed

Right now
In season in September
Season
all year
Vase life
5 to 7 days
Velvety red hybrid tea rose, Kardinal, in full bloom on the bush
Photo: Laitche, CC BY 3.0, source

At market, month by month

Being confirmed
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Drafted from Australian grower, wholesaler and market sources, and being checked with our founding florist. Seasons shift a couple of weeks with the weather.

Roses are at Australian markets every month of the year. Glasshouse growers keep a steady supply of long-stemmed roses, and field-grown garden roses, including David Austin types, run from about October to May with the best flushes in late spring and autumn. A large share of roses sold here are imported, mainly from Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador, and demand spikes around Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Locally grown stems usually last longer and have more scent.

Where to buy roses

Sold by the stem or bunch. Prices jump in the week before Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Local garden roses are dearer than imported standards. Being confirmed

How to choose good roses

Press gently where the petals meet the stem. The head should feel firm, not spongy. Florists often leave the rough outer guard petals on to protect the bloom, so a scruffy outer layer is fine, but the leaves should be fresh green, not yellow or black-spotted. Ask where they were grown. A dozen long stems fills a tall vase, and six garden roses look generous in a jug. Prices rise sharply in the week or two before Valentine's Day, when demand for red roses far outstrips supply. Buying the week after, or choosing pink, white or garden roses, is usually much better value.

Founding florist

Tulipanna

Bondi NSW · est. 1992

A Bondi Road florist since 1992, with seasonal bouquets, arrangements, roses and potted orchids, and a weekly note on what's at market.

Shop roses →(02) 9387 3991

Grown here or imported?

Roses are not native to Australia, but they're grown here commercially.

Where they're grown

Most Australian cut roses come from climate-controlled glasshouses, many of them hydroponic, where growers can pick every day of the year. There is a cluster around Melbourne, including family farms at Silvan in the Dandenong Ranges that have grown roses for generations, and others on the fringes of the other capitals. Being confirmed Field-grown garden roses come from smaller flower farms in cooler districts, cut from about October to May. Local growers told ABC News that cheap imports make it hard to compete, and roses are one of the crops hit hardest. Asking for Australian-grown stems is the simplest way to support them, and they usually have more scent.

Out of season, florists bring in imported stems, mostly from Kenya, Colombia, Ecuador. Ask your florist which you're buying: local stems are usually fresher and have travelled less.Being confirmed

Months at market

Colours, varieties and care

Colours

  • red
  • pink
  • white
  • yellow
  • orange
  • peach
  • lavender
  • bi-colour

Varieties to ask for

  • David Austin garden roses
  • Hybrid tea
  • Spray roses
  • Red Naomi
  • Avalanche

Vase life

5 to 7 days Being confirmed

Making them last

  1. Buy firm buds just starting to open, and avoid soft petals or brown spots at the base
  2. Remove leaves below the waterline and any damaged outer guard petals
  3. Recut 2cm off the stems on an angle under water if you can
  4. Use clean water with flower food and a very clean vase
  5. Change the water and recut every two days

Using them at home

Because roses are around all year, pair them with whatever else is at its peak. In spring, garden roses sit well with sweet peas, ranunculus and, from October, peonies. In summer try hydrangeas or lisianthus, and in autumn dahlias. Eucalyptus works in any month. Long-stemmed roses suit a tall, narrow vase that holds them upright, while short garden roses look best cut low in a bowl or jug. Garden roses open quickly into a full, cupped bloom and drop their petals sooner than tight glasshouse roses. Tight red roses dry well hung upside down in a dark, dry spot.

Meaning and birth month

Traditionally the flower of love, with meaning varying by colour.

Roses are a traditional birth flower for June.

Where to see them growing

Questions people ask

When are roses in season in Australia?

Roses are available all year because glasshouse growers and imports keep supply steady. Field-grown garden roses run from about October to May, with the best flowering in late spring and again in autumn.

Are most roses in Australia imported?

A large share are. An importer quoted by ABC News said as many as nine in ten roses sold here may come from Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador. Asking your florist for Australian-grown roses usually means better scent and vase life.

How do I make roses last longer?

Recut the stems on an angle, strip leaves below the waterline, use flower food in a very clean vase and change the water every two days. Expect five to seven days, sometimes up to two weeks.

Why is June the rose birth month?

Roses are June's birth flower on traditional Western lists, from the Northern Hemisphere summer. In Australia June is winter, when most roses on sale are glasshouse-grown or imported.

When should I prune roses in Australia?

Most gardeners prune in winter, usually July, while the plants are dormant. In cold areas such as Canberra or the tablelands, wait until late July or August so frost doesn't burn the new growth. In subtropical Brisbane, June or early July is fine. Cut back by about a third to a half, just above an outward-facing bud.

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