Rosebie Morton started her business out of frustration. She couldn't understand why the cut flowers being sold by florists didn't have the scent she remembered so fondly from her childhood. That's how she started small with a few rose bushes in a corner of her mother-in-law's garden. When she took her first scented roses to the Covent Garden flower market in London, they immediately sold out.
Growing Her First Scented Roses
Rosebie lives with her partner on a farm near Winchester in Hampshire. In 1992, having exchanged sheep for children, Rosebie was looking for a challenge that would accommodate a young family and perhaps take advantage of the infrastructure and resources available on a working farm.
It didn’t take long for her thoughts to settle upon growing, gardens being a poignant memory of Rosebie’s childhood and an enduring influence. An army family, they moved constantly and wherever they went, however daunting the task, Rosebie’s mother, Elspeth, created a garden. Roses and English flowers and herbs flourished in improbable locations, miniature landscapes shaped and tended, filled with scented reminders of home.
Forgotten English Varieties With Natural Charm
Inspired by Elspeth’s ability to create something from very little Rosebie began to grow roses herself researching forgotten English varieties overlooked in favor of the new generic rose with its impressive shelf life and crisp perfection. She felt that roses should be celebrated for their natural charm and for their scent and individuality, that like snowflakes, every rose is different, each small blemish being part of its beauty.
With that in mind, and from the first few rose bushes nurtured in the family’s walled garden, Rosebie and Matthew went on to set up the Real Flower Company along with Tim and Maggie Hobbs from Kenyan grower Tambuzi in 1998 – real flowers with scent and infinite subtle hues, something worth growing and worth giving.
Rosebie:
"To bring you wonderful, scented flowers year-round, we work with our sister farm, Tambuzi in Kenya run by Tim and Maggie Hobbs who share our values and vision to grow beautiful flowers whilst also caring for the planet, environment, and community. (see more here). Our Sweet Peas are grown on our farm in Chichester, a few miles away, where the climate is just right for them to thrive."
The Real Flower Company
Rosebie’s aim is to bring the joy of scent into people’s lives. The average readily available bouquet is scentless and bland – a long way from what nature intended. Rosebie aims to bring back the magic of an English country garden with its myriad of colors and scent in the sustainable flowers that The Real Flower Company grows.
Few modern cut roses feature any trace of scent. This is because most commercially grown flowers have had their scent gene genetically removed to increase their durability and longevity. In contrast, The Real Flower Company is passionate about restoring the growing of exquisitely scented roses and flowers just as nature intended. These stunning varieties have their scent gene firmly intact. Over the years, and much trial and error, Rosebie Morton has searched for, curated, and now grows the world’s finest selection of scented cut roses that as well as being beautiful, boast an exquisite variety of scents.
When asked Rosebie says:
“We aim to bring the aesthetic into people’s lives through the beauty of what we grow. The average readily available bouquet, scentless and bland, is a long way from what nature intended. Recall the magic of your grandmother’s garden with its myriad colors and scents and let us restore your faith in how flowers should be. Whether you are buying plants or joining a tour we want to make your day a happy one, to enchant you with our flowers and give you an uplifting and memorable experience.”
For more information, visit The Real Flower Company.
Images by @therealflowerco.
