As always, the week leading up to Mother’s Day was full of surprises. Over the past three years, during the first week of May, we’ve experienced a lightening and hail storm that destroyed our fields, record spring heat waves, and this year, unseasonably cool and chilly weather. The only thing predictable about May is how unpredictable the weather can be!
Our roses are a product of nature, and it takes that special combination of nourished soil, healthy plants and dependable climate to produce the quality of roses you’ve come to love and expect from Grace Rose Farm. We reduced the number of Mother's Day bouquets available this year in an effort to ensure each and every client received their order on time. But as we faced unseasonably cool weather, the difficult decision was made to delay some of the Mother’s Day orders. The buds that we had hoped would bloom remained tightly furled, and we would never want to send a bouquet that fails to meet our high standards. In true Grace Rose Farm fashion, we tried to make up for it with free gifts and outstanding customer service, and we are SO appreciative of all the incredible customers that were understanding and supportive. 98% of you received your roses on time and in great condition that 2% that had to wait or had a shipping delay from our carrier weighs heavy on us as a business.
In this time of big box stores and imported flowers, it can be hard to understand the very real limitations of growing heirloom garden roses outdoors. We are susceptible to everything Mother Nature throws our way. But we think that is the beauty of what we do! With each unique bloom we grow, we come to a deeper appreciation of the magic and mystery of nature. We hope as customers you can appreciate that magic too.
Lastly, I want to give a HUGE shout out to our incredible team. Many of us, Ryan and I included, put in a 70+ hour week leading up to Mother’s Day. From the amazing ladies in the barn making bouquets, to our always dependable guys in the field, to our outstanding customer service team, we are so, so appreciative of their hard work. We could never do this without them. I hope each and everyone of you who ordered from us felt the love and care that our team packed into every single order.
