Segment: Bonnie visits Brad
Episode: Spring 2019, Ep14
Presenter: Bonnie-Marie Hibbs
TX Date: 21st December 2019

Bonnie visits Brad Alden-Brown, owner of the Rankins Enterprise, established in 1990.

• Brad started as an apprentice here and has been part of the journey ever since. After working here for 16 years, he purchased the nursery in 2012.
• Brad is always looking for new varieties, which he receives from the French Delbard growers and from Canadian Brad Jalbert. The Rankins nursery hosts about 300 different types of roses.
• The property is on approximately 110 acres; potted stock is grown on about 5 acres while in-ground roses and Pyrus take over about 40 acres. There are about 10 thousand roses in the ground at any one time and 30 to 40 thousand on pots, depending on the season.
• The 3 important factors that Brad looks for in a rose are its health, colour and fragrancy.
• Some of his favourite varieties to grow are the “Sister Emmanuel” & “PS I love you”, both from the Delbard house.
• Roses are not hard to look after. Brad recommends making sure you prune them when they finish flowering in summer, then fertilise them and keep them well watered so they will stay healthy throughout the warmest months of the year.