It has been one of best harvests she's seen at her flower farm in central New South Wales, but it is also the last before she retires."But it's been enjoyable, because I can live in the present moment — I don't have to keep an eye on the next season.
Import restrictions were eased more than two decades ago and today up to 90 per cent of flowers sold during peak periods may come from overseas.Five million roses are purchased for Valentine's Day each year in Australia and the demand far outstrips domestic production capacity, which sits at 400,000 stems, according to the Australian Flower Traders Association."Not all roses have a perfume, but imported ones never, ever do," she said.
"I think there are lots of customers who might not know enough about where their flowers come from but are interested in the environmental aspects of purchases they make," Ms Regan said.Green and gold rubber bands are often used to identify Australian-grown blooms, but it's unclear how many bouquets they will be on in coming years as growers such as Ms Carter continue to leave the industry."You wouldn't know that they were there unless you seek them out.