Shropshire rose growers hoping business will bloom after floods
Flooding woe has devastated many a Shropshire business, but a rose grower near Shrewsbury is hoping to blossom after a testing winter.
Staff at Black Birches Garden Centre in Hadnall, were lamenting the weather long before the February storms due to ongoing wet weather delaying the harvesting and lifting of more than 30,000 rose plants.
According to managing director Jon Jinks it created a logistical nightmare and gave sales figures a hit.
“Normally, our rose plants are lifted out of the ground around late October/November. However, with the fields so wet, it was not practical to do so mechanically without damaging them," he said.
“To ensure top quality we have to wait until late autumn to lift the plants - once the bushes have gone into a dormant phase. Despite a number of sharp frosts helping to dry out the ground, more rain followed and we were back to square one.
“This has meant that much of our potting operation did not start until January/February this year and we have been working flat out seven days a week to get the plants moved and potted, even going out with wheelbarrows and forks to do so.
"We are delighted to say that the high quality of our plants has not been affected thanks to the continued efforts of our staff, who have potted 23,000 of them so far.
"However, it has meant that in the first couple of months of this year our sales figures have been affected.”
Meanwhile, Shrewsbury's Salopian Brewery today announced it was creating a special beer to raise money for those affected by the Shropshire floods.
It tweeted: "Today we are brewing a best bitter called the Seas of Shropshire - from each pint sold we will donate to the Community Foundation for Shropshire & Staffordshire. Every pound donated to the appeal will go to help and support individuals, families & communities affected."
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