A Rose Story - Preface

Preface

… and on the seventh day, relaxing in the ozone filtered sunlight, feet in the crystal blue ocean, Jesus’ nikes by his side, He set mankind a challenge by creating a few rosebushes. Thousands of years we have worshipped the flowers, only to be disappointed. The spur of the moment.

‘My love is like a red, red rose’: temptation in optima forma, but prickly when touched and wilting after a few days. A loveless one night stand.

Expensive and falling apart shortly after Valentine’s, rather than making a lasting impression. “Thanks for the flowers, Fred, do you want to come in for a night cap?” Later, Fred banging at the door after having been kicked out.

“Hi Fred, it’s Wilma again, I just came walking in after spending the week at my mum’s. Fred, your roses, they’re still fantastic! Why don’t you come and have a look? I’ll change into something more suitable in the meantime.” The ultimate dream.

Come true.

The time has come to show the Creator that, although it has taken a while, His humble creations have met His challenge.

The cutflower rose is a Renaissance invention, completed in the transition period of the unique old boys’ world of rose breeding into ruthless price competition, infringements of rights, fraud and bankruptcy of old family businesses. Creativity struggling with money. Some weird old breeder goes under in this struggle, but leaves a secret rose seedling, a code, the embodiment of ultimate beauty, the Holy Rose Grail. Strangely, there is little fiction in the story. The rose is the proof.

TRUE. come true.

No Guts, No Glory. No Rose, No Story.

TRUE. today

In a few hours the first flowers of Da Vinci Rose from Excellence will be delivered with Roses and Blooms in Manhattan. Everybody involved is really anxious to learn if they are TRUE.

They were packed at the Bogota farm last Friday under the supervision of Hans of FlorControl, quality experts on behalf of the TRUE. label. Transport and distribution have been organized by Janny of Flower Import Services in New Jersey. For this, Janny works with AllPlants who, in turn, makes use of Flower Transfer in Miami. Flower Transfer flies the flowers into JFK, New York, from which they are picked up by Delaware Wholesale. Delaware trucks them (refrigerated), with their other flowers in the consignment, into their warehouses in Sewell, NJ, from which Janny picks them up for delivery to Roses And Blooms.

Much too complicated, as far as I am concerned, although a much shorter supply chain than customary for Latin flowers. Something to be worked on once we see that Excellence's quality is TRUE. But if you read 'the TRUE. story' in this blog, the history of my quest, you will understand my doubts with today's route. One thing I have learned: true revolution doesn't happen overnight. Neither does TRUE. revolution.

TRUE. today

A week ago Gerco of Van der Deijl Roses called again: two more TRUE. boxes with flowers had arrived in Noordwijk. "Probably bad again and a waste of time and gas to pick them up," I thought, but agreed to collect them later that day.

It would be a nice opportunity to show my visiting Canadian friend Burke and his family what I was doing. After visiting my parents, Burke, his wife Irene and I found the boxes in the impressive cold rooms in the new Van der Deijl premises. Arriving home in time to entertain the next guests, Wilma and her husband Nico, I quickly unpacked the flowers and put them in water. They looked pretty good, but killer botrytis spores were present without doubt.

Burke kept on taking pictures, convinced that he was witness of the turnaround in Qualisa's quality struggle that would set me off to New York to prepare the florists for the TRUE. invasion. I was more reserved, ready for more disappointment. The next days, much to Burke's thrill, the flowers opened nicely, looking good. I emailed Walter to find out if this was a turnaround or just an exception.

Peter van der Deijl's reply came just after Burke had returned to Toronto. Qualisa had decided to stop the production of Da Vinci Rose. They were unable to produce the TRUE. quality needed. He still believed in the marketing concept and was willing to invest in it if I would change to using existing commercial varieties. We had had this discussion before and I had challenged him to send me flowers of varieties that could be guaranteed to open and last. He had sent some. They all failed.

Now, patience again. Wait for Excellence's TRUE. roses.