“A vibrant start to the year” would perfectly speak more about the past week, as the flower industry in Kenya kicked off 2026 in spectacular fashion. From January 14 to 16, breeder United Selections hosted the first of their Open Days Week in Nakuru at their serene yet state-of-the-art facility near the iconic Lord Egerton Castle.
Growers, consolidators, logistics players, florists, and even floral social media influencers had the opportunity to walk among the flowers, pick the varieties they fancy for their floral businesses, admire the beauty of the flowers (indeed, there was plenty of that!), and even take pictures in the floral settings.
An Assortment of Established and New Varieties, Alongside Prospective Favorites
Rarely does one get a random opportunity to stroll the lengths of breeders’ greenhouses and the breadths of their facilities. But the three days of the Open Days Week provided just that. And keen to make the event count, United Selections did not disappoint.
The breeder brought forth their entire floral arsenal. Varieties that many people are already familiar with, and others that are still in the pipeline. But the focus was firmly on the future as new genetics were presented across all categories, which shows the breeder's ongoing investments in quality, productivity, disease resistance, and market relevance.
There were the obvious favorites like Rose Nova Vita, Rose Sawa, Rose Jumilia, Rose Rise & Shine, Rose High Key, Rose Madam Red, Rose Madam Pink, Rose Madam Cerise, Rose Premium Class, Rose Adalonia, Rose Confidential, and numerous others.
As well as their spray rose collection, featuring the Blossoms Series, including Spray Rose Golden Blossoms, Spray Rose Velvet Blossoms, Spray Rose Admirable Blossoms, Spray Rose Venus Blossoms, Spray Rose Spring Blossoms, Spray Rose Living Blossoms, Spray Rose Amor Blossoms, Spray Rose Unique Blossoms, Spray Rose Hot Blossoms, Spray Rose Smooth Blossoms, Spray Rose Snowy Blossoms, and Spray Rose Sweet Blossoms, among numerous others. Their familiar varieties were numerous.
But then again, there were new ones; some (codes) still unnamed yet, but their uniqueness, beauty, color, form, shape, and other qualities, nonetheless, remained outstanding; one just needed to be there to experience them. Several rose varieties attracted particularly strong interest from growers, including the new red variety under code US 1286B, the bi-color US 1653A, and spray rose US 6055B. Practically all these caught the visitors’ attention. Many were impressed with the promising new additions.
But that was not all, Alstroemeria breeder Könst Alstroemeria, also presented their varieties, including all-time favorites, Alstroemeria Debby and Alstroemeria Bianca, alongside other notables like the latest addition, Alstroemeria Sargasso, as well as Alstroemeria Prestige, Alstroemeria Mila, Alstroemeria Himalaya, Alstroemeria Libya, Alstroemeria Jaffa, Alstroemeria Motion, Alstroemeria Gypsy, and Alstroemeria Diamantina, and others.
Chrysanthemum breeder, Icon Selections, also had on show their numerous varieties, such as Chrysanthemum Nordic, a spray mum that generated great interest due to its perfect white color. Others included Chrysanthemum Superstar, Chrysanthemum Quin, Chrysanthemum Allstar, Chrysanthemum Lovely Jessica, Chrysanthemum Fonda (disbud), and others.
But significant interest was in Santinis (as well as sprays), and new additions like Chrysanthemum Paris, Chrysanthemum Elvina, and Chrysanthemum Samadhi, all caught the eyes of savvy growers and those in the floral design segment.
What Did the Growers Think of the Varieties?
Growers were particularly impressed by the selections available. Red Lands Roses, for instance, whose team was at the breeder on the last day of the event, identified some varieties, some of which the grower already has (on a trial basis) at their farm in Ruiru, a small town near Nairobi.
Valeen Cecilia, one of the grower’s Trials Officers, mentioned Spray Rose Misty Charm and Spray Rose Bright Blossoms as some of those they were keen on. But then again, they had numerous others on their sights.
Valeen:
“We also identified a red standard rose (still a code) and another pink spray rose (also still a code), which we feel would make perfect additions for our collection. Essentially, United Selections has quite a some really unique varieties, especially their spray roses. Perhaps, we’d explore some more in the coming days if need be.”
Also at the Open Days was the team from AAA Growers Ltd, one of the leading growers in Kenya, having worked with United Selections for at least 15 years now. Moses Ndegwa, the Supply Chain Manager, noted that United Selections has been coming up with more and more unique varieties, which makes the breeder one of those that one can expect to get the best varieties from.
Moses:
"We have already had so many of United Selections' varieties for years now, which shows the level of our working partnership and collaboration. We already have Rose Confidential (on roughly 5 hectares), Rose Upper Class, and Rose Juicy (on trial), amongst others. And at the show, we spotted several more, including Rose Nova Vita, and Spray Rose Misty Charm, whose unique color and opening we loved."
The grower, according to Moses, also took interest in Icon Selections' mum varieties like Chrysanthemum Quin, Chrysanthemum Everest, Chrysanthemum Softball, and Chrysanthemum Moonlit, alongside a few others, as well as Alstroemeria Bahia, Alstroemeria Dubai, Alstroemeria Purple Rain, and Alstroemeria Sargasso from Könst.
As the grower, according to Moses, expands their operations, they look forward to having varieties like Rose Nova Vita, Spray Rose Misty Charm, and others like Rose Madam Cerise, alongside several more as part of their assortment.
Peterson Muchiri, the Farm Manager at Rift Valley Roses, also expressed his satisfaction with the event, noting the wide range of roses on showcase. The grower, who has been in business since 2011, noted that they have been in an ideal working relationship with the breeder, especially when it comes to their roses. Rift Valley Roses grows varieties like Rose Red Torch, Rose Madam Red, and numerous others.
Impressed was also Emily Kamande, the Production Manager at Molo Greens. The varieties, she said, are perfect, have the ideal length, and are equally perfect quality-wise. The grower identified Chrysanthemum Blanco and Chrysanthemum Joelia as some of those they would want to try out.
The Importance of Inspiration and Knowledge Exchange
The Open Days also show the importance of inspiration and knowledge exchange, as renowned personalities and key people in the floral industry took part as well. Floweracademy's Lucas Jansen took part in a floral arrangement session, using varieties from Könst Alstroemeria.
Lucas noted:
"What stands out here in Nakuru is not just the strength of the genetics, but also the openness of the dialogue with growers. You see varieties being discussed from both a technical and market perspective, which is exactly what the industry needs to keep developing healthily.”
Notably, floral designer and creative consultant Alina Neacsa also joined the event, taking part in creating designs that highlighted the growing influence of Alstroemerias from Könst. Alina has had a longstanding working partnership with United Selections.
Alina noted:
"Being here at the breeding source gives a completely different understanding of flowers. You feel the story behind each variety, the people, the climate, the choices made. That connection is essential when we later translate flowers into emotion and design at the consumer level."
For all, this direct interaction with clients and partners is part of United Selections’ vision of 'Breeding a Colorful Future Together' (just like their maxim says), where feedback from the market plays a key role in guiding and refining breeding decisions.
