PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Many people developed a taste for gardening during the pandemic, but the recent interest in beautifying backyards has been a thorn in the side of Oregon nurseries and plant wholesalers. You can’t keep up with the demand, especially for the hugely popular David Austin roses.
Cornell Farm in southwest Portland is one of only 30 garden centers in the United States to deliver the coveted flowers this year.
“This year all of the pre-orders, I think almost all of them, have been picked up,” said Deby Barnhart, co-owner of Cornell Farm. “We still have a few roses here and we’ll see, I’m sure they’ll go very quickly because we’re always sold out.”
Can I start my garden already?
Cornell Farm, located in southwest Portland, is one of only 30 garden suppliers in the US to receive a shipment of the coveted David Austin roses in 2021. (KOIN photo by Amanda Arden)
Barnhart said when the pandemic broke out in 2020, so many people decided to work on home improvement projects – including their landscaping and gardens. She said plants, trees and shrubs were starting to sell like crazy.
The demand for roses by David Austin was so high that the breeder had to limit the supply it made available to wholesalers like Cornell Farm in 2021. Barnhart said her reputation as a good breeder entitled her to receive a batch of roses.
Barnhart said David Austin’s roses took the US by storm. They are famous for their flower shape, scent, and the fact that they bloom several times a year. The roses are grown in Shropshire, England and grown in the USA
Cornell Farm, located in southwest Portland, is one of only 30 garden suppliers in the US to receive a shipment of the coveted David Austin roses in 2021. (KOIN photo by Amanda Arden)
March and early April are the best times to plant roses. Therefore, Barnhart expects their offer to be sold out soon. On Sunday March 28th, they still had dozens of David Austin roses of various colors.
KOIN 6 News contacted the Portland Rose Festival to see if the David Austin rose shortage was affecting their events at all. Rich Jarvis, a public relations representative, said the festival has a collector’s rose for sale in Portland Nursery every year. As of Wednesday, all of these roses were already sold out.
The Rose Festival is still capping its events in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jarvis said if the full events took place they might have felt the effects of the shortage, but for now it has no effect on them.
Barnhart said the lack of wholesale supply wasn’t limited to roses. She said many tree and shrub growers are struggling to keep up with demand. Plants like shrubs and trees take years to reach a certain size before they can be sold. Many were planted years ago when growers had no idea that there was suddenly an interest in landscaping.
Cornell Farm Café was busy with people looking for plants in kindergarten on March 23, 2021. (KOIN photo by Amanda Arden)
“Some growers withheld certain plants so they could have something to grow this year. And that is exactly what you see now. But large trees and many larger shrubs will be in short supply, ”said Barnhart.
She said she recommends people buy their plants early in the season, especially if they are looking for larger plants.
Although the recent craze for landscaping and gardening has brought some new challenges for their business, Barnhart hopes people will remain addicted.
“It’s just an embellishment of your home, your sanctuary, the creation of a place where you are happy,” she said.
KOIN 6 News contacted other Oregon nurseries listed as David Austin rose suppliers and the closest location with some of the remaining roses is Al’s Garden Center in Sherwood. Al’s Garden Center in Woodburn also has a small supply.
