Alexandra Farms is proud to announce a special addition to their prized Princess Garden Roses Collection with a classically splendid new variety: Rose Princess Holly’s Hope®. This special garden rose has been years in the making at Alexandra Farms and is named after one of their closest friends and close collaborators – the renowned floral designer and educator Holly Heider Chapple.
A New Rose Has Been Born in Honor of Renowned Floral Designer Holly Heider Chapple
Originating in Japan, an imposing peach-colored bloom named 'Princess Holly’s Hope' was selected by the skilled and very renowned floral designer Holly Heider Chapple as her signature garden rose during a visit to Alexandra Farms in early 2020. Transitioning from a soft peachy-toned center to creamy outer petals, this sizable ruffle-cup bloom is classified as 'very full' in terms of petal count, as it has over 80 petals. Princess Holly’s Hope opens fully and holds incredibly well, enduring strength and resilience, words that remind us of our dear friend.
Princess Holly’s Hope is available now through floral wholesalers with limited availability, and the production of this charming new addition to their rose family is expected to increase throughout 2024. Here are a few facts you should know about it:
- When it comes to its color, you can expect to receive a dreamy bunch of peach roses with secondary colors in cream and pink
- Princess Holly's Hope bloom shape exhibits ruffled spirals and has a large head size with a bloom opening of approximately 90%
- It can take up to three days to fully open and has an astounding 85 petals that make it incredibly gorgeous. Lastly, it boasts a vase life of eight days.
As a Rose Blooms, a Partnership Grows
As a recognized American floral designer, published author, and educator based in Virginia, Holly says that when she first immersed herself in the floral industry, garden roses were her 'first love', noting she was quickly enamored with David Austin Wedding Roses’ Juliet (Ausjameson) and Patience (Auspastor). After encountering our varieties in 2009, she spent years designing and teaching with Alexandra Farms’ garden roses at conferences and Chapel Designers gatherings. Her design style was romantic and nostalgic yet modern - a perfect match with garden roses. Holly attributes much of the acclaim she received in the early years to the use of Alexandra Farms garden roses in her design work.
Holly shares:
"Rose Juliet and Rose Patience made me fall in love with garden roses and established my brand and changed the trajectory of my company because we started focusing on these luxury flowers."
Her expertise and appreciation for garden roses eventually cemented a partnership with Alexandra Farms when she met the company's president, Jose (Joey) R. Azout, at the American Institute of Floral Designers’ 2018 Symposium.
Holly and her core team first visited Alexandra Farms in February 2020. Holly approached several test varieties in our greenhouse before selecting three large blooms as her favorites. As the group poured over and discussed the varieties with the Alexandra Farms team that afternoon, it became clear that Holly was enamored with one rose in particular. This was Holly’s first encounter with the garden rose that would ultimately become her namesake.
What she particularly loves about Princess Holly’s Hope is how the variety opens, mimicking a large and striking star. For the designer, this rose's nuance in shape and variations in shades are thrilling. Additionally, she shares how she's a lover of the ‘in-betweens’ and rarely looks for a single-tone flower. Princess Holly’s Hope will be a jewel in the industry.
Joey agrees that this garden rose stands out from others because of her originality.
He shares:
"She’s not a traditionally shaped variety, considering Holly’s classical design. The fact that she was inclined to select this flower shows Holly’s true versatility and ability to envision something beautiful in a more modern style."
Honoring the Past and Looking to the Bright Future
Princess Holly’s Hope is not only a unique and rare honor for the educator and leader it was named after but also for her husband Evan, who ultimately coined the name 'Holly’s Hope' and who continues to inspire her work to this day. In 2022, Evan passed away after nearly two years of battling cancer, leaving their family and businesses to live on and thrive in Holly’s hands. Evan contributed to the growth of successful floral businesses, a family, and an infinite amount of love that is evident throughout Holly’s work and life.
Holly says:
"It’s always been a shared world, and everything I do still has a part of Evan in it."
Princess Holly’s Hope encapsulates the past and a bright look toward the future for both Alexandra Farms and Holly. The trip that Holly and Evan took together gave them the unknowing chance to carve out and represent their togetherness in a way that’s true to their work and partnership: with a garden rose.
To learn more about it head to Alexandra Farms' website.
Photos courtesy of Alexandra Farms.
