Alexandra Farms Announces Garden Rose Design Winners
By Jill Brooke
Alexandra Farms, one of the world’s largest grower of fresh-cut garden roses, just announced the winners of their seventh annual Garden Rose Design Contest. Entries were accepted in two categories: Wedding Work and Everyday Design, and hundreds of entries were submitted by designers from around the world.
The criteria of course was to utilize their plump, sensual dreamy roses in designs.
Prizes and Judges
The first-place winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to Alexandra Farms. Second-place winners will receive 500 stems of garden roses and $500. The third-place and Readers’ Choice winners will receive 250 stems of garden roses and $250. Judges were Jose R. Azout, president of Alexandra Farms; Holly Heider Chapple, educator and owner of Holly Chapple Flowers and Hope Flower Farm and the founder of Chapel Designers; and the team at David Austin Roses. Designs were evaluated on several criteria, including how the garden roses were used, photo quality, and overall design aesthetic and composition. Judging was conducted anonymously, independently and confidentially. The Readers’ Choice Award winners were chosen through a public online vote.
In each category, the first-place winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to Alexandra Farms. How cool is that. Second place and Readers’ Choice winners will receive 1,000 stems of garden roses; third place winners will receive 500 stems of garden roses.
However, the team announced that this will their final Garden Rose Design Contest. But they will still be producing fabulous flowers for the world to enjoy.
The Winners
Wedding Work category
1st place & Reader’s Choice: Anna Stouffer, Urban Petals, Greer, South Carolina, USA
Alexandra Farms varieties: Golden Mustard, Sahara Sensation Spr, Sahara Sensation, Caramel Antike
Photographer: Kendra Martin Photography
2nd place: Belinda Bennett, The Rose Thief, Hatfield, Massachusetts, USA
Alexandra Farms varieties: Juliet (Ausjameson)
Photographer: Rebecca Castonguay
3rd place: Nancy Zimmerman, Fancy Florals by Nancy, Fairbury, Illinois, USA
Alexandra Farms varieties: Capability (Ausapply), Constance (Austruss), Darcey (Auschariot), Millicent (AUSCP17431), Lavender Bouquet, Precious Moments, Tsumugi
Photographer: Rebekah Albaugh
Everyday Design category
1st place: Marcy Almoney, Fosters Flower Shop, York, Pennsylvania, USA
Alexandra Farms varieties: Eugenie (Ausimage), Leonora (Auswagsy)
Photographer: Marcy Almoney
2nd place: Janelle Gerestein, Flowers by Janie, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Alexandra Farms varieties: Pink O’Hara, Constance (Austruss), Beatrice (Auslevity), Precious Moments, Mayra’s Rose, Edith (Auspluto), Darcey (Auschariot), Millicent (AUSCP17431), Mariatheresia, Princess Hitomi, Princess Maya
Photographer: Tara Whittaker
3rd place: Cole Buys, Cole Buys Design, Cullman, Alabama, USA
Alexandra Farms varieties: Patience (Auspastor)
Photographer: Cole Buys
Readers’ Choice: Jenny Cheung, Lillies & Lattes, Los Angeles, California, USA
Alexandra Farms varieties: White O’Hara, Pink O’Hara, Juliet (Ausjameson), Princess Fairy Kiss Pink Spr
Photographer: Jenny Cheung
Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD and a contributor to Florists Review magazine. She also won the 2023 AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers.) Merit Award for showing how flowers impact history, news and culture