photo by Marcy Black Simpson
Grace Rose Farm is the rose destination, whether you’re a florist looking for that just-so hue of rose for a high-end wedding, a customer who wants to find a one-of-a-kind bouquet to ship to their mom, one of Poulson’s 250,000 newsletter subscribers looking for tips on growing their own roses, or among the nearly 200,000 followers who swoon over her images on Instagram. In GARDEN ROSES: The Complete Guide to Growing & Arranging Spectacular Blooms (Available now, $30, Artisan), Poulson shares her incredible breadth of wisdom in a comprehensive guide to everything rosy. As Poulson writes, “Whether you harvest blooms for a simple arrangement or plan a rose-centered tablescape for a summer dinner party, there are many ways to transport the rose garden to your daily moments, celebrations, and everything in between.”
This highly giftable volume filled with stunning color photographs of exclusive Grace Rose Farm bouquets, GARDEN ROSES includes detailed information on the best varieties in every possible hue—ones that can thrive in the home garden and bring gardeners magnificent blooms year after year. She also offers instructions for planting, year-round care, and harvesting, whether you’re growing roses in the ground, in raised beds, or in containers, and in every climate zone; plus styling and arranging tips, including bouquets in simple pitchers and urns as well as more elaborate tablescapes and floral arches. Poulson not only provides a beautiful encyclopedia of roses, but also offers readers the tips and tools needed to achieve their own dream rose garden. GARDEN ROSES demystifies rose anatomy, bloom forms, and even the different types of rose fragrances. For anyone from the rose novice to master gardener, Poulson provides expert advice on watering, fertilizing, pest control, when and how to prune your roses for optimal blooms, and the best varieties for various climates.
Rose lovers without a green thumb will find inspiration for modern rose arrangements and color stories, as well. For example, the Thomas à Beckett rose is a fluttery and delicate take on the classic red rose. The vividly striped Marc Chagall fades into a soothing pastel pink as it matures in a vase. Climbing roses are wild, whimsical, and charmingly unfussy in a garden. Poulson’s eye for mixing textures of woven petals and hues in organically shaped bouquets invites the reader to see roses in an entirely fresh light.
Gracielinda (Gracie) Poulson founded Grace Rose Farm in 2016 with her husband out of their first home in California. The couple planted 500 rose bushes to honor Gracie’s late grandmother, sharing content of the process across social media along the way. Shortly after, requests began pouring in from florists and flower lovers across the country, and Grace Rose Farm soon evolved into the largest online retailer in the United States for cut garden roses, with over four million shipped annually. While Garden Roses marks Gracie’s official foray into the literary world, over the years she has built a devoted base of rose-loving customers and fans, inspiring and empowering novice gardeners and green thumbs alike to begin their own floral-filled journey. With education at the cornerstone of her business, Gracie looks forward to sharing her wealth of knowledge and expertise with her community and beyond with her very first book. Follow along @GRACEROSEFARM, join the Facebook group Growing Roses with Grace Rose Farm to learn how to grow roses with thousands of rose gardeners, and explore the exquisite variety of roses and products available on the Grace Rose Farm website.
A HANDFUL OF GRACE ROSE FARM EXPERT TIPS FROM GARDEN ROSES:
• The best roses for every section of your garden. Place fragrant varieties near seating areas for a pleasant scent. Opt for smaller, prolific-blooming roses like shrub roses on slopes or as ground cover for optimal visual impact from a distance. Choose thornless varieties like Clouds of Glory for pathways, especially in child-friendly gardens.
• Roses to plant together to make stunning and modern color palettes, including elegant blushes and creams, spring sherbets, summer pastels, and earthy neutrals to ensure your rose garden, and bouquets, will look harmonious.
• How to ensure your cut stems last for as long as possible at home, such as keeping a freshly cut rose in fresh water for an hour before trimming to your desired length for a vase, keeping them out of direct sunlight, and Gracie’s special flower food recipe using household ingredients.
• The fundamentals of arranging roses in a vase with the “push and pull” system. As you add stems to your vessel, you will want the heights to vary from one bloom to the next. Pull stems out a bit or push them deeper into your vessel to create a dimensional look that mimics how flowers grow in nature.
• To successfully plant roses in containers for a charming patio display, choose compact, disease-resistant varieties like floribundas or David Austin shrub roses. Select a pot with a minimum of 15 gallons, using a well-draining mix of compost, potting soil, and peat moss. Fertilize in spring and after each flush of blooms with organic fertilizer.
