Yearly, as Valentine’s Day approaches, love is whispered in a thousand methods—from handwritten notes to candlelit dinners and grand romantic gestures. However nothing whispers love fairly like purple roses. Their velvety petals, intoxicating perfume, and timeless magnificence have made them the common image of romance. But, behind each bouquet exchanged on at the present time lies a narrative of devotion, precision, and keenness. A narrative rooted in Kenyan flower farms, the place among the world’s most beautiful roses start their journey.
Do you know, that flowers are Kenya’s second-largest export earner after tourism? In September 2024 alone, Kenya exported lower flowers value Ksh 6.3 billion (roughly $48.6 million), repeatedly securing its place as one of many world’s largest exporters of lower flowers.
On the coronary heart of this flourishing trade is Simbi Roses—a vibrant farm in Thika, the place roses aren’t simply grown however meticulously crafted into residing masterpieces of colour and perfume.
One Thursday morning, we (my photographer and I) got down to discover the farm and witness firsthand how roses are grown. The drive to Simbi Roses is a real feast for the senses. As we veered off the Thika Superhighway, the surroundings reworked into rolling fields, shimmering dams, and crisp, invigorating air that instinctively made me roll down the home windows.
Strolling by means of limitless rows of blooms on the farm, respiration of their delicate perfume, and assembly the visionary behind all of it fills me with anticipation. When my crew and I arrive on the foremost farmhouse, we discover Mrs. Grace Nyachae, the founder and patron of Simbi Roses Ltd. Wearing a classy blue denim gown, styled with a wide-brimmed hat and sneakers, she embodies each grace and practicality.
“I hope the drive wasn’t too lengthy—was it?,” she says.
On the desk sits a recent pot of tea and selfmade banana bread. “I baked it myself this morning,” she provides with a smile. We share this straightforward but pleasant breakfast collectively.
Grace’s love for flowers bloomed early. “I’ve all the time liked flowers,” she says. “However I by no means imagined I’d be a flower grower in the future.”
Almost three a long time in the past, she shared her dream along with her late husband, former Cupboard Minister Simeon Nyachae. “My husband wasn’t desirous about flowers in any respect,” she chuckles. “He didn’t take care of them one bit. However he believed in me. He noticed my ardour and inspired and supported me 100%. That form of assist? It means the whole lot.”
Again then, the land was a espresso farm, however espresso by no means stirred her soul the way in which flowers did.
“I grew up round espresso farming, and I keep in mind the onerous labour that got here with it,” she says. “It wasn’t one thing I used to be enthusiastic about.”
So, she dared to reimagine the land’s future. Little by little, they uprooted the espresso timber and planted roses.
5 years in the past, she made the daring determination to take away the final traces of espresso timber, dedicating the farm to principally flowers and a small portion to avocado and macadamia. “It wasn’t simple, however whenever you’re keen about one thing, you make it work,” she says.
As we speak, Simbi Roses spans 27 hectares and produces as much as 40 million stems yearly, cultivating greater than 24 beautiful rose varieties, together with Nightingale, Charlize, Double Date, Moon Stroll, Clarion, Athena, and Furiosa. Every rose is cultivated with care and precision.
“That is the place the magic begins,” Grace says as we depart her workplace and stroll in the direction of one of many 32 greenhouses. Inside, rows upon rows of delicate roses sway gently. Every of those tiny buds will slowly unfurl into the roses that can quickly grace tables as single stems or bouquets the world over.
“That is the place the magic begins,” she says with a smile. “Each rose begins as a tiny chopping, nurtured with care till it’s sturdy sufficient to bloom. We don’t simply develop flowers right here—we domesticate magnificence, love, ardour and pleasure for individuals hundreds of miles away.”
As we stroll previous rows of the ethereal white magnificence of Athena, she pauses beside a mattress of younger vegetation, their stems reaching eagerly towards the sunshine. “We plant the cuttings in raised beds like these, the place they get the suitable vitamins and hydration. Every thing needs to be good—the soil, the water, the temperature. It’s delicate work.”
She bends down, gently brushing a leaf between her fingers. “Water is life for these flowers,” she says, “I’m positive you noticed the large dam as you drove in. We use drip irrigation to ensure each plant will get simply the correct quantity. An excessive amount of, and so they drown. Too little, and so they battle.”
We transfer deeper into the greenhouse, the place taller roses at completely different phases of bloom. “It takes about three to 4 months for the primary flowers to be prepared for harvest,” she says, expertly plucking a stem. “We harvest them early within the morning or late within the night once they’re freshest. The second we lower them; they go straight into water,”
Rising roses isn’t nearly planting and watering. It’s a refined trade that includes licensing and royalties. “Folks don’t all the time understand that we pay royalties for these flowers,” she explains. “Breeders—who personal and develop these varieties—give us the authority to develop them, and we pay per plant. A single hectare holds about 70,000 rose vegetation, and each certainly one of them carries a value. The breeders perceive this commerce. They information us on which varieties work greatest, that are resilient, and what the market needs. It’s a partnership.”
She leads us to the grading corridor, the place staff transfer swiftly, sorting, grading, and bundling the roses into neat bunches. Solely the very best blooms make it to export, destined for international flower auctions the place they are going to be bought inside 24 hours of leaving the farm.
“Stem size, color, freshness—all of it issues,” she says.
She then leads us in the direction of the packhouse, the place staff are fastidiously sorting and bundling roses. With Valentine’s Day across the nook, Simbi Roses is at its busiest. Pink roses are in excessive demand. Nearly all of their exports head to Europe, particularly the Netherlands, the place they’re bought on the earth’s largest flower public sale.
“The largest season for us, in fact, is Valentine’s Day. Pink roses fly off to Europe in staggering numbers.”
Grace leads us to a chilly storage room the place freshly lower roses relaxation. “Earlier than they depart, they undergo pre-cooling to maintain them recent. From right here, they’re packed and placed on refrigerated vehicles, heading straight to Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport. In lower than 24 hours, they’re in Europe, prepared for the flower auctions.”
Think about that,” she says “Our stunning roses from right here, in Thika, find yourself brightening somebody’s house or hearts in Amsterdam, or Paris, or London. It’s stunning, isn’t it?”
And as she walks by means of the rows of roses, touching the petals with the tenderness of somebody who has nurtured them like kids, you can’t assist however imagine it. That is greater than farming—it’s poetry in bloom. She pauses, selecting a fragile pink rose between her fingers.
“This one is Jumilia—my absolute favorite,” she says with a smile. “There’s simply one thing about it. The smooth pink edges, the way in which it opens so gracefully. I by no means get bored with seeing it bloom. If you wish to make me blissful, ship me these.”
Her voice softens as she seems to be on the many staff packing the flowers. “This farm isn’t nearly flowers—it’s about individuals. We make use of over 400 staff right here. Which means greater than 400 households, greater than 400 lives that we contact. That’s what I’m most pleased with—not simply the farm’s progress, however the individuals behind it. That is my contribution to the world and the economic system.”
We step out into the daylight and stroll towards one other greenhouse. Inside, she gently touches the budding roses, displaying us their journey from tiny sprouts to full bloom. “We’ve to be affected person,” she says, “some flowers take months earlier than they’re prepared for harvest. And when individuals purchase flowers, they need to deal with them with care. I all the time cringe once I see roses being held the wrong way up within the streets of Nairobi, after which tossed right into a bucket of soiled water. That’s not the way you deal with one thing so delicate.”
However the journey hasn’t all the time been simple. “Kenya is an agricultural powerhouse, but there are such a lot of challenges on this trade. Flowers are our second greatest foreign exchange earner, and I actually want the federal government would do extra to assist horticulture. The world loves our flowers—we must be investing on this sector much more.”
As we step exterior, the limitless greenhouses stretch earlier than us—every sheltering blooms destined to brighten hearts all over the world. Kenya’s flowers are greater than exports; they’re messengers of affection, timeless symbols of affection, and quiet architects of the world’s most cherished moments.
Simply as we put together to go away, she surprises us with vibrant, aromatic bouquets—energetic and promise. Cradling the fragile roses, I’m struck by a lingering thought: this farm is greater than a enterprise. It’s a mirrored image of her spirit—resilient, nurturing, and filled with grace. And if ever there have been a extra becoming identify, it could certainly be Grace Roses Nyachae.
(https://www.simbiroses.com/ )
The submit From Kenya to the World: How Kenyan Roses Grace And Define Valentine’s Day Worldwide appeared first on Capital Lifestyle.
