A New Digital Home for the World of Alexandra Farms
Our redesigned website brings together our flowers, stories, knowledge, and community in a more intuitive and inspiring place.
There is always more to discover in the world of garden roses.
A color you have never noticed before. A fragrance that brings back a memory. A variety whose petals open in a way that feels completely unexpected. For more than 20 years, this sense of discovery has guided us as our flowers have traveled from our farm, high in the Colombian Andes, into the hands of designers, florists, wholesalers, retailers, and flower lovers around the world.
And as our collections have grown, so has the community surrounding them.
We wanted our digital home to grow alongside it, to become a place that brings more of Alexandra Farms together.
Today, we are delighted to welcome you to the newly redesigned Alexandra Farms website.
Discover Our Flowers in a New Way
At the heart of our new website is a completely redesigned variety catalog, created to make discovering the right flower feel easier, more intuitive, and much more inspiring.
For the first time, visitors can explore our collections in one place and refine their search according to the characteristics that matter most to them. Varieties can be discovered by collection, product type, color, bloom form, bloom size, fragrance, exclusivity, and awards.
Perhaps you are searching for a wonderfully fragrant garden rose in a soft, romantic palette. Maybe you need a large, textural bloom to become the focal point of a design. Or perhaps you simply want to wander through the collection until an unfamiliar variety captures your attention.
However you choose to explore, our new search engine will make it easier and more intuitive for you to find what you are looking for.
A Clearer Journey From Our Farm to Your Hands
Falling in love with a flower is easy. Knowing how to find it can sometimes feel a little more complicated.
That is why one of the most important additions to our new website is a more detailed “How to Buy” experience. Because every visitor comes to Alexandra Farms with different needs, the page offers guidance for florists and designers, event planners, retailers, wholesalers, importers, DIY couples, and individual flower lovers. Each path provides clearer information about how our flowers travel through the floral supply chain and how to request or source a specific variety.
Our hope is simple: that when you find a flower you love, you will also find a clearer way to bring it into your work, your celebration, or your home.
More Knowledge, Thoughtfully Gathered
Growing an extraordinary flower is only the beginning. Knowing how to care for it is part of experiencing everything it has to offer.
The right preparation, hydration, temperature, and environment can completely transform the way a flower opens and performs. Our redesigned website expands our educational resources with more accessible care-and-handling information for different audiences and flower types.
Visitors can find practical guidance for our garden roses, dahlias, and Diversified products, helping each stem reveal its fullest expression, from the moment it arrives to the moment it opens.
Our new Guides & Downloads section also brings educational materials and useful resources into one centralized destination, making them easier to find, save, share, and return to whenever you need them.
Because the more we understand a flower, the more deeply we can appreciate it.
Put Your Garden Rose Knowledge to the Test
For those who know their garden roses, or think they do, we have also added something a little more playful.
The Variety Quiz invites visitors to identify garden rose varieties from photographs captured at our farm. With ten flowers, four possible answers for each, and a leaderboard for the highest scores, the quiz is a chance to look a little more closely. Study the color. Notice the petal count. Consider the bloom shape and the smallest details that make each variety distinctive. Some may feel instantly familiar. Others might surprise even the most devoted garden rose lovers.
Do you think you can recognize them all?
More Than Flowers
The new Alexandra Farms homepage was designed to create a stronger connection between our flowers and the stories growing around them.
Visitors can now move more naturally between our latest news, featured varieties, designer perspectives, educational resources, and the story of our farm. Testimonials from floral designers, meaningful moments from our journey, and a closer look at the people and processes behind every stem all come together in one place.
Because Alexandra Farms has never been only about beautiful flowers.
It is about the hands that care for them. The patience required to grow them. The designers who give them new meaning. The people who choose them for life’s most memorable moments. And the community that continues to find new ways of seeing, arranging, and celebrating them.
Our new website was created not only to show you our flowers, but to invite curiosity.
To discover a variety you have never worked with before.
To learn something new about a flower you already love.
To better understand the journey behind every stem.
And, perhaps, to find a little inspiration along the way.
Welcome to Our New Digital Home
Every flower at Alexandra Farms is grown and cared for by hand, one stem at a time, by a team that cares deeply about every bloom that leaves our farm.
Our new website was created with that same spirit of care, thoughtfulness, and curiosity. It is a place to explore our collections, deepen your knowledge, discover stories from the farm, test your garden rose expertise, and find the flowers that speak to you.
We hope you will take your time wandering through it. Follow your curiosity, discover something unexpected, and perhaps find your next favorite flower.
Welcome to the new Alexandra Farms website. From our farm to your hands.
Fatima Gardens Earns Red Ribbon at SAF’s 2026 Outstanding Varieties Competition
Our beautiful new Dutch garden rose, Fatima Gardens, received a Red Ribbon in the Cut Garden Rose category at this year’s Society of American Florists’ (SAF) Outstanding Varieties Competition.
The competition took place during SAF’s 141st Annual Convention in Amelia Island, Florida, where growers and breeders from around the world gathered to showcase their most remarkable flowers.
Each year, a panel of expert judges evaluates the entries based on color and commercial appeal, stem and foliage, bloom shape, bloom size, and overall quality and presentation. Receiving a ribbon is always a special honor, not only because of what it represents within the floral industry, but because it recognizes the care that goes into growing every stem.
Fatima Gardens
It is easy to understand why Fatima Gardens caught the judges’ attention. This variety opens into a large, deep cup filled with abundant petals. A soft, buttery-yellow glow begins at her heart and gently fades into creamy ivory along the outer petals, with the lightest touch of blush adding warmth and softness.
Bred in the Netherlands, Fatima Gardens is both beautiful and resilient. Her romantic shape and luminous color make her a lovely choice for weddings and events, especially for designers looking for a garden rose that feels timeless, soft, and a little unexpected.
Fatima Gardens joined our Deluxe Garden Roses collection in 2026, which makes this recognition feel even more meaningful. In such a short time, she has already captured the attention of floral designers, rose lovers, and now the judges at SAF.
We are incredibly proud to see Fatima Gardens receive this recognition and grateful to everyone at our farm in Colombia who helped make this moment possible.
A Garden Rose in Her Honor: The Dedication of Princess Hitomi
There are some people in our industry whose presence stays with you long after you’ve met them. Not just because of what they create, but because of their style and the way they teach and inspire others along the way. Hitomi Gilliam is one of those people.
In March 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming Gilliam to Alexandra Farms. Her visit to the farm was filled with meaningful conversations and a deep appreciation for the beauty that connects us all. And the purpose behind her long-awaited visit was just as meaningful: the dedication and celebration of a garden rose variety named after the renowned designer/educator herself.
“We’re very grateful for everything Hitomi has given to this industry,” said Jose R. Azout, president of Alexandra Farms. “It’s an honor to celebrate that through this rose.”
A Garden Rose That Reflects Her Spirit
Naming a garden rose variety is not something we take lightly. Before we introduced Princess Hitomi in 2019, the then-unnamed variety was already a standout among our selections for the year. The bloom’s soft blush tones unfold into a delicate, layered rosette, creating a presence that feels both gentle and expressive. She brings elegance without excess. Quiet beauty without force. A sense of intention in every detail. There’s a refinement to her shape, a softness in her movement – all qualities that remind us of Gilliam’s approach to floral design. It seemed only natural to give this special garden rose a special name.
“I am so honored. It’s something I still can’t quite believe,” said Gilliam. “A rose so beautiful, with such incredible quality, and to be connected to it in this way is truly special.”
And there’s an unintentional connection between Princess Hitomi’s second name, Beautiful History, and the designer’s life story. Gilliam was born in Japan and has lived in Canada since a young age, working in various roles in the floral industry for most of her life. She talks about how her design style is informed by her history, specifically by the Japanese language’s traditional tategaki (“vertical writing”) style. “Everyone has a designer inside of them, with their own signature shaped by their heritage and story,” said Gilliam.
Gilliam has been a long-time garden rose enthusiast, educating countless designers over the years and sharing her knowledge about how to design with and care for our garden roses. Her work has touched many around the world – not only through her designs but also through her willingness to teach, share, and give back to the floral industry. Our industry thrives on connection, and that willingness and drive make a difference. Princess Hitomi garden rose is a tribute to that impact and to Gilliam’s floral journey.
It was an honor to finally dedicate this beautiful variety while Gilliam was with us, surrounded by our garden roses, the greenhouses, and friends from across the industry. The ceremony was simple and heartfelt, like the garden rose itself, and like the best moments tend to be. We are grateful for the time we shared and deeply honored to have Princess Hitomi in our collection. This naming is a way for her influence to live on through our farm as something that will grow, be shared, and become part of new memories for years to come.
A Conversation about Princess Hitomi
Watch a conversation between Alexandra Farms President Jose R. Azout and Hitomi Gilliam filmed after the dedication in March 2026.
Photo Report: Alexandra Farms Displays Garden Roses at IFTF 2025
It was a week to remember! Our time at IFTF 2025 earlier this month was filled with beauty, friendship and the shared passion that connects our industry.
This year, Alexandra Farms bloomed brighter than ever with our largest exhibit yet, featuring 75 exquisite garden rose varieties and our growing range of diversified products.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who visited our booth, and to our collaborator Alina Neacsa and her wonderful team. They transformed our space into a dreamlike indoor garden, capturing the spirit of Alexandra Farms with elegance and artistry.
It is a joy to be part of this industry and to see our collection continue to grow and change. The colors, textures and varieties we offer to the world reflect our dedication to spreading beauty, one stem at a time.
Proflora 2025: Celebrating Colombian Floriculture with Friends and Partners
Alexandra Farms showcased our garden roses and diversified products in the 31st edition of Proflora in Bogotá, as buyers, designers growers, breeders and other industry groups gathered together. More than 7,000 visitors and 300 companies from 60 different countries attended the three-day event, held in early October 2025 at Corferias event center. The event is both a business gathering and an opportunity to celebrate the innovation and incredible diversity of Colombian-grown floral products.
We had more than 70 products on display, including garden roses, dahlias and tweedia, as we welcomed customers and friends – both old and new – to our booth. Our stand featured floral designs by Holly Heider Chapple, Gabrielle Wile of Wile Events, and Galina Serebriakova of Blum Florals.
Alexandra Farms 20th Anniversary Celebration
Amid the event, Alexandra Farms also celebrated our company’s 20th anniversary working to bring high-quality, high-performing garden roses to the world. Our booth incorporated the celebration’s motif with a 20th anniversary emblem and pictures of our employees and customers throughout the years. This was a beautiful opportunity to extend our gratitude to the many industry partners and employees who have helped our company succeed in the global market.
Outstanding Variety Competition Awards
Our new garden rose variety Vicky Gardens! won Second Place in the “Special Form Rose” category at the Outstanding Variety Competition, and our hellebores won First Place in the “New Products” category for growers.
Breakfast Event with Industry Friends, Partners
Alexandra Farms hosted a special breakfast event during Proflora with invited guests from across the industry, including breeders and wholesaler/importer customers.
Jose R. Azout, the president of Alexandra Farms, spoke about our company’s journey, which begin in 2005, and how the company has grown from a small plot of land into what we are today. He also expressed our gratitude to every member in the industry who has played a role in our company’s growth and success over the years. Vicky Martinez from Choice Flowers, Peter Sessler from Mayesh, Mario Vicente from Fresca Farms, Mike Mitchell from Delaware Valley Floral Group, Pieter Fillius from Parfum Flower Company, David Austin from David Austin Roses, Steve Smits from David Austin Roses, and Holly Chapple shared kind and touching words about their experience working with Alexandra Farms.
The event concluded with a powerful video documenting the first 20 years of our company and our hopes for the next 20 years.
Looking to the Future
Wherever the future takes us, we are proud of the products we grow and the people we work with. We look forward to celebrating Colombian floriculture with our industry partners at Proflora and other events for years to come.
Alexandra Farms’ Hellebores Take First Place, New Garden Rose Variety Places Second at Proflora’s Outstanding Variety Competition
Alexandra Farms was recently awarded two honors at Proflora 2025’s Outstanding Variety Competition. This year, 11 jurors evaluated 436 varieties in 16 different subcategories, looking for product excellence.
Our Magnificent Bells hellebores won First Place in the ‘New Products’ category. This category reflects novelty in the floral industry, upcoming trends, and products with reliable performance. Alexandra Farms has been expanding our catalog of diversified products with high-performing secondary flowers and elegant fillers; our hellebores are a result of that effort.
Vicky Gardens!, part of our Deluxe Garden Rose Collection, was awarded Second Place in the ‘Special Shape Roses’ (‘Rosa Forma Especial’) category. This Dutch variety has been commercially available from Alexandra Farms since early 2025.
About the Outstanding Variety Competition
Proflora, hosted biannually in alliance with Asocolflores, is one of the largest floral trade shows in the world. According to Proflora, the Outstanding Variety Competition is “a prestigious event designed to recognize and showcase the most innovative cut flower varieties. It awards the most outstanding flowers shown by the companies exhibiting at the show. It celebrates creativity and progress in the floriculture industry, offering participants valuable exposure to a global audience.”
20 Years at Alexandra Farms: From Humble Roots to a World in Full Bloom
Alexandra Farms started as an experiment: to grow cut flowers that combined the practicality of standard varieties — a long vase life and the ability to withstand global transportation — with the romance of traditional garden roses. What began as an unconventional idea in 2005 has blossomed into a story of passion, perseverance, and beauty.
A Dream That Took Root
We found a two-hectare farm near Bogotá and turned it into a laboratory of sorts. A small team of 15 people built a modest wooden and plastic greenhouse, where we learned through trial and error how to create the ideal environment for the continuous flowering of garden roses.
Our inspiration came from David Austin’s pioneering work in breeding cut garden roses, characterized by their seemingly endless number of petals, wide-open blooms, and memorable fragrances. The license to grow David Austin’s varieties was initially granted to another farm in Colombia, but we were undeterred. Alexandra Farms President José R. Azout and his partners traveled across Europe to collaborate with leading breeders such as Rosen Tantau in Germany and Meilland in France. These partnerships helped shape our early collections, and some varieties from those early trials still grow at the farm today.
By 2006, we were testing mini calla lilies, hydrangeas, and 10 varieties of garden roses. Bogotá’s unique high-altitude climate presented challenges, but each misstep taught us more about the flowers we loved. We soon realized that garden roses were ideal for weddings and events; this discovery helped define our niche in the cut flower market. Our first export, in 2007, went to Delaware Valley in the U.S., a partnership that continues to this day.
Growth and Evolution
From those early days, the farm has grown in every way: more people, more land, and more garden roses. We expanded into Tocancipá, establishing our San Ignacio farm and administrative offices, and added El Jardín in nearby Gachancipá to increase production. These two farms became the heart of Alexandra Farms.
In 2012, we acquired the license to grow David Austin’s fresh-cut English garden rose varieties after another Colombian farm ceased production. By then, our expertise had deepened, and we began growing nearly their entire catalog. The creation of this partnership was a defining moment in our history.
Over the years, we’ve tested more than 3,000 varieties of garden roses, refining a commercial catalog of more than 65 exceptional varieties that we export worldwide. We also cultivate dahlias and filler flowers such as tweedia and hellebores, offering floral designers an even richer creative palette.
Despite the challenges of climate change, shifting wedding cultures, and global supply disruptions, we continue to adapt. Our commitment to sustainability extends throughout every stage of production: from responsible farming and resource conservation to fostering a joyful workplace where every team member feels valued.
With Deep Gratitude
Two decades of growth have been made possible only through the passion and collaboration of many people. To the breeders who trust us, our farm team whose curiosity and dedication drive excellence, our wholesale and retail partners who bring our flowers to the world, our industry partners who help educate and advocate, and the floral designers who recognize the magic of our garden roses: thank you. Your love for flowers and your belief in our mission have helped elevate Colombia’s floral legacy and bring beauty to the world.
Looking Ahead: The Next 20 Years
Alexandra Farms has always been a place of learning: for our team members, our partners, and our customers. Each garden rose is nurtured by hand and supported by technology that enhances efficiency. As agricultural innovations advance, we remain dedicated to discovering new sustainable practices that honor both people and the planet.
Markets will evolve, and so will we. The leading importers may change, and new trends will emerge, and with these changes come new opportunities. But our mission will remain steadfast: to help floral designers create extraordinary work and bring joy, beauty and romance to the world.
Garden roses are, and always will be, the heart of our business. As we look toward the next twenty years, we’ll continue to honor our traditions while embracing innovation — taking one more leap of faith, again and again.
About Alexandra Farms
Alexandra Farms is a family-owned boutique grower of romantic, nostalgic garden roses nestled high in the Andes mountains of Colombia. Since 2005, we’ve been dedicated to cultivating flowers with exceptional beauty, fragrance and performance. Our garden rose-loving employees care for more than 85 varieties by hand on 50 acres of fertile land, producing more than 42,000 stems each day. Certified by Florverde Sustainable Flowers, One Carbon World, and BASC, we’re proud to grow our award-winning blooms with a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. Available year-round through floral wholesalers worldwide, Alexandra Farms garden roses bring romance and artistry to floral design everywhere.
Women on the Farm: Growth and Opportunity in an Evolving Industry at Alexandra Farms
For more than 60 years, the flower industry in Bogotá, Colombia, has empowered women to be independent, self-sufficient leaders in their communities and their homes. Before the 1960s, it was nearly unheard of that women could work anywhere other than at home, taking care of children and family, until agriculturalists realized the prime growing opportunities of the savannah’s temperate climate. This development would forever change the lives of the local women and their communities.
“When flower farms came around, women suddenly became the owners of their destiny,” says Alexandra Farms President Jose Azout. His company, which sits atop the fertile soil surrounded by the Andes Mountains in Bogotá, is the largest garden rose grower in the world and proudly embraces the inclusion of women in all facets of the business.
Before the production and exportation of fresh-cut flowers in Bogotá, the savanna was already rich agriculturally in crops like potatoes and grasses for grazing dairy cattle. Men held the role of moneymaker, managing these farms and ultimately leaving women at home to tend to the children and household themselves.
“Men would leave work on Fridays with their paycheck and go to the bar, drink all afternoon and evening, leave the bottles on the tables, go home and sleep. And the wives had no options,” Azout explains, noting men didn’t always treat their wives kindly when they returned home.
Economically, the small towns throughout the savanna in Bogotá were made up of a handful of what were considered necessities, clearly focused toward male-dominated communities. According to Azout, nothing more than bars with pool tables, brothels, a bank, a police station, a central plaza, and a mayor’s office made up the typical layout in every small farming town, a mirrored image throughout Bogotá.
Then came the introduction of flower farms, which didn’t resonate with men culturally. “They weren’t as interested in getting involved in the floral industry; it wasn’t ‘masculine’ enough, and they were already employed,” Azout says. This was beneficial for women who were unemployed, impoverished, and unable to pursue any kind of ownership previously. And it benefited the flower farms that needed a workforce for a quickly evolving industry.
Introducing women into the workforce was a turning point socially and economically. Cookie-cutter, simplistic towns flourished with new businesses shaped by women: shops catering to women, beauty, children, and cuisine began peppering the towns, Azout says. “When flower farms came around and women started getting a paycheck, the women were empowered and became owners of their destiny.”
Today, at Alexandra Farms, 55 percent of the 400+ employees are women, and approximately half of those women are heads of household, many with children to support. While most of them work on the farms as general staff, 18 women hold executive positions, highlighting the importance of providing opportunities on every level of the business.
Unlike generations before them, women in the past few decades not only have the freedom to hold jobs and make a living, but they also have a chance to grow in their careers. At Alexandra Farms, staff members are encouraged to pursue further education to perform their duties, fully funded by the company. “We’ve financed two or three executives to help them learn English and a few agronomists and supervisors to learn more about their fields,” Azout says.
And outside of their careers and roles at the farm? Azout says it’s just as important to ensure his workers have support in every aspect of their well-being and their families. That’s why the company also employs an in-house psychologist and social worker, provides frequent opportunities to meet with doctors and dentists at the farm, subsidizes 50% of lunches to support healthy eating, and provides educational training for personal growth and family counseling, among other benefits.
But the company’s assistance doesn’t stop at the workplace.
Alexandra Farms Human Resources Director Emilsen Cubillos says her department will meet with employees at their homes periodically to guide housekeeping, cleanliness, and general home maintenance. The company provides numerous avenues for employees to reach out for help, but community outreach is another opportunity for employees to ask for help or request resources.
The proactive company action and open communication with employees have proven to make life simpler for the women on the farm and create a pay-it-forward effect on the others around them. “We’ve helped our employees deal with anger management, relationships, and family matters,” Azout says. “We certainly helped the community because by helping them, we’ve helped others. It’s a multiplying effect.”
Being a valued part of a fast-moving industry provides comfort and stability to women who depend on the support of their employers to provide for their families, and the benefits are just extra incentives to being a part of the team.
“Our motivation is the welfare of our people and to benefit our people,” Azout says, “along with profitability, of course. It makes business sense to have happy and healthy employees. If we decide to plant another hectare and we find it to be only marginally profitable, it doesn’t matter – we’re employing more people and bringing wealth into the world.”
As the years roll by in Colombia’s evolving fresh floral industry, farms have made great strides in affecting global change economically, environmentally, and socially. The foundation and growth of this one industry alone have changed the blueprint for women and their entire communities throughout Bogotá and Medellín (the second-largest flower-producing area in Colombia), and they have changed the dynamic forever.
Alexandra Farms takes great care to ensure the women on the farms are respected, appreciated, and equipped to grow in their personal and professional pursuits. The women working on the farms are dedicated and passionate about being a part of the company and place their appreciation into the garden roses that fuel creativity and joy across the globe.
It’s the opportunity female ancestors dreamed of: the freedom to shape the world and create a life made just for her.
Two Alexandra Farms Garden Rose Varieties Earn Ribbons at SAF’s 2025 Outstanding Varieties Competition
We are pleased to announce that Alexandra Farms won two awards in the Cut Garden Rose category at this year’s Society of American Florists’ (SAF) Outstanding Varieties Competition! The competition was part of the 140th annual SAF convention, held this week in Phoenix.
Each year, a team of judges evaluates hundreds of floral entries on the following criteria: color and commercial appeal, stem and foliage, bloom shape, bloom size, and overall quality and presentation. Recognition in the competition carries weight with buyers and a sense of reward for everyone at our farm in Colombia. We’re honored to be awarded ribbons in this year’s competition!
Garden Romance was awarded a Blue Ribbon. Voluptuous and seductive, this cabbage-shaped bloom is composed of bountiful, delicately folded scarlet petals. With the power of her mesmerizing color and style, this Germany-bred variety emotes the feelings of a fairytale garden rendezvous.
Phoebe (AUSCP17960), from our David Austin Wedding Roses collection, was awarded a Red Ribbon. Phoebe is a vision of quiet beauty. As she blossoms, she confidently reveals a radiant rosette of richly colored flamingo-pink petals. A warm coral hue glows at her center before the color gently transitions from apricot orange to a soft, natural pink. Petite but strong, Phoebe delivers a captivating performance. Her light fragrance is fruity and floral, infused with soft violet notes and a touch of red apple.
Garden Rose Grower Welcomes ‘Friends of the Farm’ to Bogotá
The winners of the 2024 Garden Rose Design Contest visited Alexandra Farms in March, where they immersed themselves in Colombian culture through farm tours, discussions, presentations, and design opportunities. Other guests from around the world joined in the visit, and the guests went home with a great appreciation for their industry and one another.
The group met early for breakfast and greetings on the first day, preparing for a full day of tours and presentations at the San Ignacio farm location. Visitors were guided through the dahlia greenhouse, a presentation about composting, another about diversification, and a tour of the garden rose greenhouses.
Marcy Almoney, who took first place in the Everyday Design category of the 2024 Garden Rose Design Contest, was looking forward to touring and learning about farm processes ahead of her first trip to the farm. “Prior to visiting, I was really daydreaming about walking through the greenhouses and seeing all the gorgeous garden roses,” she said. “I absolutely love the product and couldn’t wait to see the processes in action.”
Sustainability is a top priority at Alexandra Farms, encompassing all aspects of breeding, growing, and production processes. Because of this, presentations often highlight these aspects to showcase the true importance and dedication of these processes on the farms. From greenhouses to pesticides, the carbon footprint is minimal at all touchpoints in production.
“I was genuinely surprised at how many layers of sustainability are woven into the growing practices,” Marcy said of her experience on the farm. “The composting systems that include greenhouse and post-harvest level, the actual flower selection process, the breeding, understanding growing rights and practices – there is so much involved in growing and production.”
Urban Petals CEO Anna Stouffer was intrigued by the sustainability processes on the farm. “I found the recycling process intriguing, not necessarily because it was ‘recycling’ but because it spoke to the high quality that Alexandra Farms holds its product to,” she said. “Seeing the compost area was interesting, but also helpful, knowing how fresh the roses actually are.”
To conclude the morning of touring and sustainability education, visitors viewed garden rose varieties that are being trialed and discussed the testing process that leads to production. Viewing the trial greenhouse and unreleased varieties is consistently one of the highlights for farm visitors.
“The most exciting part of the trip was walking the test fields and greenhouses,” Marcy said. “It felt like we were being let into a secret garden, and the blooms were absolutely captivating.”
Dafni Gonzalez of Sunburst Farms discovered a few new favorite varieties, including some lavender spray roses featured in the new varieties presentation. “I learned a lot, and now I know all the time and effort it requires to get those beauties,” she said.
After lunch and a presentation by Dean Rule, General Manager of Conectiflor, S.A., about the benefits of growing flowers in the Andes Mountains, it was time to continue the discussion surrounding new varieties and the testing and breeding process.
The tours and process presentations highlight the precision and dedication poured into each level of production, from breeding to harvest and beyond. “It also helps to talk to the customer and kind of educate them, because sometimes they don’t have an idea of all that it takes to get the product,” Dafne said. “At the same time, it shows we know what we’re doing, that we know what we sell, and that differentiates us from the rest.”
For Marcy, the new varieties tour was like a dream come true. “I felt like I was walking through fields from a movie,” she said. “Rows upon rows of unreleased roses, each one whispering its potential. The roses had presence, performance, and personality.”
Anna was in awe of the post-harvest process. “It was so fascinating to see the roses go from the field, and within 30 minutes they were graded, packaged, and shipped,” she said. “The whole operation was careful, done by people, not machines, and the systems in place were down pat. The building was buzzing with activity but not chaos. It was just beautiful and fascinating to witness.”
The day ended with a group dinner, where everyone shared their thoughts on the day, and new friendships were forged.
The second day of the visit began with a tour of the El Jardin farm, followed by a presentation on dahlias, a rose grafting exercise, a tour of the post-harvest area, and a fragrance workshop. After lunch, visitors were treated to a traditional dance performance by the Alexandra Farms team, as is customary to present to guests on these trips.
The remainder of the day was spent creating floral designs with a full selection of fresh-cut garden roses from the farm, as well as interacting with one another to share design ideas and discuss the education received over the past two days.
“Visiting Alexandra Farms gave me an entirely new appreciation for what it takes to bring a single rose to the market,” Marcy said. “Even more impressive was how collaborative the process is. Breeders, growers, farm staff, and floral designers all have a role in deciding which roses move forward. Joey really took the time to listen to our input and opinions. It was empowering to know that our creative voices may have helped shape the future of some of the varieties.”
On the final day of the visit, guests embarked on a full-day sightseeing tour of Bogotá, with stops in La Candelaria and the Jardín Botánico de Bogotá.
The day was spent building friendships as visitors shared their passion for the industry and discussed their shared experiences on the trip. “I was surrounded by incredible, professional, passionate, creative, and kind people,” Dafne said. “I learned a lot from all of them, and I’m very thankful for that.”
Pieter Filius, sales manager at Parfum Flower Company, was a guest on the trip and was particularly impressed with the diverse group of industry professionals who attended the tour. “One of the most remarkable aspects of this trip was the wonderfully eclectic group of people who came together, breeders, growers, farmers, marketers, floral designers, wholesalers, and, of course, us at Parfum Flower Company,” he said.
“Interacting with rose breeders, educators, rose growers, exporters, importers and designers, and having conversations with each one during our group discussion time was probably one of the most transformative parts of the trip,” Anna said. “I have an entirely new appreciation and perspective on the industry and how each segment supports the others.”
Alexandra Farms aims to offer an educational and enjoyable experience for all visitors, inspiring the passion that our industry shares for floriculture and the intricate roles we all play.
“My trip to Bogotá and Alexandra Farms was nothing short of transformational. It wasn’t just a farm visit, it was a dive into the heart of floriculture and the celebrations of craftsmanship on every level,” Marcy said. “I love flowers. Alexandra Farms and everyone there share my passion and love of flowers. It was an absolute honor to be a part of this tour.”
Our beautiful new Dutch garden rose, 
