FAQ

Garden Roses - Mail Order and Pick up FAQ

At Palatine Fruit & Roses, our commitment to quality means it takes three years to produce each of our roses. We make every effort to anticipate demand, but sometimes we have surprises. The world of social media can rapidly shift the desirability of a rose within mere weeks, a timeframe that exceeds our ability to respond. Moreover, for rare roses, our access to budwood is limited, resulting in lower quantities available. As a result, certain cultivars can sell out within minutes of opening the shopping cart. We appreciate your understanding as we strive to provide you with the most exceptional and hard to find roses, even in the face of these challenges.

At Palatine Fruit & Roses, our inventory is a reflection of nature’s cycle. If a rose is in production, our inventory is refreshed annually, and orders are accepted starting in December. However, for roses not in production, availability depends on future production. Please be aware that 70-80% of our inventory remains consistent, while the rest may vary.

With the increasing popularity of our roses, we are excited to announce that in December 2023, we will quietly open our shopping cart for pre-orders of both bare root and potted roses. These orders will be shipped from our nursery or available for pickup at our garden center in Spring 2024.

To ensure that as many of our valued customers as possible can enjoy these exclusive roses, we have a policy of limiting certain varieties to one per household. By doing this, we aim to distribute these unique roses more equitably and give more people the opportunity to experience their beauty.

Our website operates in dual currencies, accepting payments in both Canadian and American dollars. However, due to technological constraints, we are unable to offer a Credit Card saving feature. As a result, you will need to re-enter your Credit Card information during the checkout process, even if you’ve previously updated it on our site. Please rest assured that, for your security, no Credit Card information, except for your Billing Address, has ever been or will be stored in our system.

We accept payments via Visa and Mastercard. Regrettably, we are unable to process email money transfers from American customers. Since our sales are conducted online and internationally, it’s advisable to contact your Credit Card provider in advance. Inform them of your intention to make an international online purchase. This proactive step will help minimize the likelihood of your Credit Card transaction being declined.

We keep a small portion of our roses aside to ensure that our local walk-in customers at the garden center have a diverse selection to choose from. After all the bare root roses have been shipped or picked-up, we update our website to show the availability of these roses in our garden center.

When placing your pick-up order, please choose a preferred pick-up date. If you’re uncertain about the best week for you, you can make an estimated selection, and if your plans change, don’t hesitate to inform us as soon as you know.

To bring roses into the USA, you’ll need a phytosanitary certificate, which we can obtain for you. To do so, we require the following details:

  1. The exact quantity and names of each rose cultivar in your order.
  2. Specify whether the roses are potted or bare root (please note that only a few states accept soil on potted roses, such as NY).
  3. Provide the desired pick-up date. Keep in mind that it takes three days for us to process the certificate, as we must complete paperwork and have an inspector visit our site for approval.
  4. Share your name, address, and the final destination of the roses.
  5. Include your phone number and/or email for communication.
  6. Also, there is a $25.00 fee to cover the certification process.

We bill in the currency of the destination. Roses shipped to the US are charged in US funds, while those shipped within Canada are in Canadian funds. Pickup orders, regardless of location, are billed in Canadian funds with Ontario taxes applied.

At Palatine Fruit and Rose, we have a three-rose minimum for all rose mail orders, except when purchasing roses with a one-rose-per-household limit. In this case, you can buy 1 or 2 of these special roses without reaching the 3-rose minimum.

For orders that fall below the 3-rose minimum, an additional $5.00 handling fee is applied to compensate for the processing of smaller orders. Orders with three or more roses do not incur any extra charges.

Previously, we maintained a policy requiring a minimum purchase of 3 roses. However, effective January 10, 2024, we’ve eliminated this minimum requirement. For orders comprising fewer than 3 roses, a $5.00 handling fee is applied to account for the processing costs associated with smaller orders.

As of December 14, 2021, our policy is not to modify orders. This decision is driven by the following reasons:

  1. Credit card fees are incurred on the full order amount, and a similar percentage is charged for each refund when changes are made.
  2. Manual calculations for changes are time-consuming, prone to errors, and create complications in the order processing and shipping stages.

While we have accommodated changes in the past, this policy will be enforced going forward. For orders requiring combination, a $7.50 administration fee will be applied to each order.

For all bare root orders, we gladly accept cancellations up to 10 days prior to the scheduled shipping/pick-up date, as long as the roses have not been pulled from inventory. However, please be aware that no cancellations for bare-root roses will be accommodated after March 15th or if your order has been pulled. Additionally, there is a 10% cancellation fee applicable to all cancelled orders. To initiate a cancellation, please reach out to us via email at sales@palatineroses.com or by phone.

We currently provide shipping to all of continental North America. For orders to Hawaii and Puerto Rico, we recommend using FedEx 3-Day shipping to minimize delays during importation and ensure the well-being of live plants. Please note that we do not have the necessary certifications to ship outside of North America at this time.

We do not accept pre-orders before the start of online ordering. This approach ensures that all customers have an equal opportunity to purchase their desired rose cultivar, regardless of their planting schedule, which may vary due to local climate conditions.

The deadline for spring shipments and bare root rose pickups is March 15th.

We make diligent efforts to maintain accurate inventory levels. However, due to availability and demand, certain roses may sell out quickly. It’s important to note that no new inventory is added from early December to the following December unless we receive cancellations.

We currently do not offer a waiting list.

While our website doesn’t have the functionality for gift certificates, we’re here to assist you. Please feel free to reach out to us by phone or email at sales@palatineroses.com, and we’ll be happy to help you with gift certificates.

We exclusively offer grafted roses, with most of them grafted on Rosa Multiflora. For some Historic Roses, they may be grafted on Rosa Laxa. You can find the specific root stock for each rose under ‘Rose Info,’ which is accessible by clicking on the rose of your choice.

Cut Roses FAQ

In line with our ecological commitment, our cut roses are grown in outdoor fields. These cut roses are available from mid-June, with the season ending in the first week of September. We have learned through experience that the cool, wet nights of autumn can affect the consistency of our blooms. Moreover, it’s essential for the roses to naturally slow down, preparing them for the Canadian winter ahead.

Currently, we do not offer shipping for cut roses.

You can purchase our cut roses at our garden center and fruit market in Niagara-on-the-Lake. For larger volumes, you’ll find them at the Ontario Flower Grower Auction in Mississauga under grower number 434. Additionally, membership is required to make purchases through The Local Flower Collective in Toronto.

We warmly welcome all customers. Please be aware that our focus is exclusively on selling cut roses, and we do not provide any other floral services.

All pre-orders are welcome. Please know that we cannot confirm orders.

We gladly accept all pre-orders, but please be aware that we cannot confirm orders until approximately 5 days prior to the desired pick-up date. Rose bloom availability can be affected by various factors like weather conditions (heat, rain, hail), which are beyond our control.

Our policy is first come, first served. To secure a specific rose you desire, we recommend placing your order promptly to ensure availability.

All cultivars are listed on our website, but please note that a few are available in very limited quantities.

We can create custom-cut rose plants for large-volume orders, provided we have the propagation rights from the hybridizer and the necessary resources, including land and understocks.

Fruit FAQ

We prioritize organic methods whenever feasible. Over the past two decades, we’ve diligently enhanced our soil health through practices like high calcium applications, limited use of commercial fertilizers, incorporation of manure and green manure, cover cropping, and the application of organically-approved foliar sprays such as Growers and Vitanal. Soil health is at the core of our approach.

For pest control, we utilize pheromones where applicable and employ organic solutions like Neem Oil, essential oils, and other approved sprays. While we strive for organic solutions, there are certain challenges, such as black knot in plums, and some insects for which we are currently without viable organic options. In these specific cases, we resort to commercial non-organic sprays.

Furthermore, we’re actively working on establishing new orchards based on permaculture principles, aiming to expand this sustainable concept in our operations.

When in season, you can find our fruit at our fruit market and various markets and stands across Ontario, including:

  • Brookfront Farm Store – 2053 Bridge St., New Dundee; 1-519-696-2637; www.brookfrontfarms.com

  • Sideroad Farm Store – Amy and Patrick Kitchen –  805092 Sideroad 25, RR3, Markdale, ON, N0C1H0; 705.446.5503; www.sideroadfarm.com

  • Eat Local Muskoka – Colin Sober-Williams –  705.380.6936; www.eatlocalmuskoka.ca

  • TLC Animal Husbandry Inc – Michael & Phyllis Freiesleben –   mpfruit2008@hotmail.com or 1- 519-327-8060 – pre-orders only

  • Fruition in Guelph – Jackie Keenan – fruitionguelph@gmail.com – pre-orders only

  • Ontario Fruit Lovers – Laurie LeMay –  Locations King City, Newmarket, Moondance Organics (Angus) and Barrie – 1.705.331.4594 or ontariofruitlovers@gmail.com

  • Michael Smidt in Durham with locations at the Village Market in Thornhill at the Toronto Farmers Market. All pick ups at the farm must be pre-ordered. 

In late fall, we offer our signature apple cider, crafted from a diverse blend of apples. This selection includes fresh-eating varieties like Liberty and Florina, along with columnar apples and a generous twenty percent of red-fleshed apples. This unique combination results in a rich, complex flavor and a vibrant, beautiful color. Notably, the Red Love Calypso apples, with their red flesh, contribute to high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants in our cider. Our cider is quickly pasteurized and boasts convenient storage capabilities

General FAQ

We provide tours of our rose nursery field in years when it’s located on our home farm. Please understand that we’re unable to offer tours of the cut rose field and our orchards.

We warmly welcome bus tours, provided they are scheduled in advance. This allows us to ensure we have an adequate staff presence to assist with purchases and make additional items readily available in our garden centre. Depending on the lead time and the specific tour focus, we can also offer small demonstrations on various topics such as the rose nursery, grafting, cut roses, and selecting tender fruits.

During the growing season, we provide a carefully curated range of workshops with limited space available. Secure your spot by registering early; please note that registration only opens one month before the actual event. Have a specific experience in mind? Feel free to share your ideas with us at sales@palatineroses.com.