Two countries, three farm visits and one unforgettable week filled with roses.
Last week, members of the Parfum Flower Company team travelled to Colombia and Ecuador for a busy few days filled with roses, farm visits, familiar faces and, of course, some wonderful local food.
Pieter, our Sales Manager, and Marty began their journey on Saturday, arriving in Bogotá on Sunday. Colin joined them on Monday afternoon, while Willem-Jan from Fresh From Source, who lives in Colombia, met the team bright and early for both Colombian farm visits.
Two Days with Alexandra Farms
The team spent Monday and Tuesday visiting two of Alexandra Farms’ locations in Colombia, accompanied by Willem-Jan from Fresh From Source.
This was Marty’s first visit to Alexandra Farms, giving him the opportunity to walk through the greenhouses, see the remarkable collection of garden roses and meet the people who care for them every day.
On Monday, the team visited the smaller farm, San Ignacio and enjoyed a fantastic lunch with Maria Paula from the Alexandra Farms sales team. We've shared a strong relationship with Maria Paula for many years, so it was wonderful to spend time together in Colombia. Tuesday brought another farm visit to the second larger farm, El Jardin and a lovely meal prepared using local ingredients. It was the perfect way to finish two days filled with beautiful roses, valuable conversations and plenty of inspiration.
Thank you to Maria Paula and the entire Alexandra Farms team for making us feel so welcome.
Onwards to Quito and Expo Flor Ecuador 2026
Early on Wednesday morning, Pieter, Marty and Colin flew from Bogotá to Quito for the next part of their journey. Their first stop in Ecuador was Expo Flor Ecuador 2026. The international flower show brought growers, breeders, suppliers and flower professionals together in Quito for three very busy days.
Shows like Expo Flor give us the chance to catch up with people from across the industry, discover new varieties and have the face-to-face conversations that simply cannot be replaced by emails or online meetings.
During the show, the team caught up with Joey from Alexandra Farms as he had not been on the farm during their visit. The day finished with the team enjoyed a fantastic evening meal with the Rosaprima team.
An Early Start for Rosaprima
First thing Thursday morning, the team was collected for a visit to one of Rosaprima’s eight farms.
The 67-hectare farm was an incredible sight. The sheer scale was impressive, but so was the care and attention behind the roses growing there.
This was Marty’s first visit to Rosaprima, making it another special part of the trip. Walking through the farm gave the team an opportunity to see the roses at their source, learn more about the growing process and spend time with the people behind the flowers. It was certainly worth the early start.
And please can we have a moment for this breath taking variety, still a trial but she's already stolen our hearts!
One Final Evening Together
On Thursday evening, Pieter, Marty and Colin attended the party held after Expo Flor Ecuador. Following several days of early mornings, farm visits, flights and meetings, it was lovely to relax and enjoy an evening with friends and colleagues from across the international flower industry.
On Friday, their paths separated. Pieter and Marty began their journey home, while Colin flew to Chile to visit the peony farms. Follow My Peony to see more from Colin’s trip and discover what he found growing in Chile.
More Than a Business Trip
Trips like this are about far more than seeing beautiful flowers, although there were certainly plenty of those.
Visiting rose farms in Colombia and Ecuador allows us to spend meaningful time with growers, understand more about their production and see the work that goes into every stem. Expo Flor also gave the team an opportunity to reconnect with friends, meet new people and see what is happening across the wider flower industry.
A huge thank you to everyone who welcomed the team, shared their time and fed them so wonderfully along the way. Colombia and Ecuador, you were unforgettable. The team returned home tired, inspired and with their heads full of roses.
