{"id":784,"date":"2025-03-24T18:06:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T18:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/?p=784"},"modified":"2025-03-24T19:48:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T19:48:00","slug":"beyond-the-blooms-day-one-with-our-partner-alexandra-farms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/beyond-the-blooms-day-one-with-our-partner-alexandra-farms\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Blooms: Day One with our Partner, Alexandra Farms"},"content":{"rendered":"
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March 16, 2025 \u2013 San Ignacio Farm, Colombia<\/em><\/p>\n

Perched 2,801 meters above sea level in the Andes, just outside Bogot\u00e1, the\u00a0San Ignacio Farm\u00a0at Alexandra Farms is a floral oasis\u2014and the perfect altitude for cultivating world-renowned garden roses.<\/strong> On the first day of our journey to Colombia,\u00a0Choice Farms<\/strong> was welcomed with open arms to a place where precision meets passion, and where sustainability and community are at the heart of every bloom.<\/p>\n

\"Garden<\/p>\n

From the moment we arrived, the energy on the farm was vibrant and inspiring. We learned that\u00a0more than half of the farm\u2019s workers are women<\/strong>, and of those,\u00a0over half are heads of household<\/strong>\u2014a powerful reflection of Alexandra Farms\u2019 commitment to creating opportunity and empowerment through floriculture. Their pride, skill, and warmth were evident in every interaction.<\/p>\n

Inside the Greenhouses: Trial Varieties and Garden Rose Magic<\/strong><\/p>\n

The day began with a walk-through greenhouses overflowing with color and texture. We had the rare chance to step inside the\u00a0new varieties trial greenhouse<\/strong>, where we each selected a stem of our favorite variety to cut and share with the group. The experience sparked great conversation about color, form, and fragrance\u2014and made it clear just how hard it is to pick a favorite when the options are this breathtaking.<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/p>\n

Every bloom seemed to carry its own story. While some caught our attention for their subtle ruffles or delicate scent, others impressed with bold structure or unexpected shades. The greenhouse felt like a living library of beauty, each stem a chapter in the evolution of garden roses.<\/p>\n

Breeding in Action: Creating the Roses of Tomorrow<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the most fascinating parts of the day was a hands-on\u00a0breeding exercise<\/strong>\u00a0led by Dean Rule, the CEO of ConectiflorAndino which is the Ecuadorian branch of E.G. Hill Co.\u2019s Rose Breeding program. We learned how new rose varieties are developed. We were shown how to hand-paint pollen onto the center of a rose<\/strong>\u2014a small but powerful gesture that begins a months-long process of innovation, patience, and care. This intimate look into the start of a rose\u2019s life gave us a whole new appreciation for the expertise required to bring new varieties to market.<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pushing Floral Boundaries Through Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Innovation was on full display throughout the day. From promising\u00a0miniature garden spray roses from Japan<\/strong>\u00a0to other trial varieties identified by leading designers as missing from today\u2019s global floral supply\u2014Alexandra Farms is not just growing roses, but actively shaping the future of luxury blooms.<\/p>\n

\"Mini<\/p>\n

These new varieties are being thoughtfully developed to meet evolving trends and fill market gaps with beauty, resilience, and distinctive charm.<\/p>\n

A Closed-Loop Commitment to Sustainability<\/strong><\/p>\n

The farm\u2019s approach to sustainability was equally impressive. Flowers that aren\u2019t sold are composted using\u00a0trichoderma bacteria<\/strong>, creating a nutrient-rich sweetener that\u2019s returned to the flower beds. This closed-loop system allows the farm to fertilize naturally\u2014without chemicals<\/strong>\u2014and reinforces their commitment to environmentally conscious farming practices. Every step is intentional. Every bloom, a product of care and respect for the land.<\/p>\n

\"Composting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflections from the Field<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most memorable moments was getting to cut a stem of our favorite variety and share it with the group. We could have spent hours in those greenhouses admiring the blooms\u2014every corner revealed something breathtaking. But what made the day truly special was the camaraderie. It was inspiring to connect with other guests and hear how each of us plays a role in bringing these garden roses to life for the end consumer.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Behind-the-scenes reflection from the Choice Farms team<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Two<\/strong><\/p>\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day One was a powerful reminder of why we do what we do\u2014to bring florists, designers, and consumers access to the most exceptional blooms<\/strong>\u00a0available. As we continue our journey through Colombia, we\u2019ll be sharing more from inside the greenhouses, design sessions, and fragrance workshops that make Alexandra Farms a global leader in garden rose cultivation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"March 16, 2025 \u2013 San Ignacio Farm, Colombia Perched 2,801 meters above sea level in the Andes, just outside Bogot\u00e1, the\u00a0San Ignacio Farm\u00a0at Alexandra Farms is a floral oasis\u2014and the perfect altitude for cultivating world-renowned garden roses. On the first day of our journey to Colombia,\u00a0Choice Farms was welcomed with open arms to a place","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=784"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":811,"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions\/811"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/popwebserver03.com\/devteam\/choicefarms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}