Fragrant roses in Cardrona
A former dairy farmer has ambitious plans for the romantic, old-fashioned Damask rose.
And how to distil pure rose oil
iThe Damask rose harvest has to be handpicked very early in the morning before the sun strikes the petals and while the dew is still on the ground.
t’s one of the world’s most ancient roses and for centuries, has symbolised beauty and love.
But for Wanaka’s Desiree Whitaker, the fragrant Damask rose is also a symbol of a fresh start and a new challenge. She has more than 2000 of the shrubs growing beside her boutique business, the Cardrona Distillery, and is harbouring ambitious dreams for their future. For it is no exaggeration to say the Damask rose helped change the course of Desiree’s life.
Six years ago, she was a dairy farmer and, newly divorced, was doing a lot of soul searching about what she might do with her future.
“I was brainstorming ideas and started researching how to make proper perfume out of Damask roses,” explains Desiree. “Since the base is alcohol, I began looking at how to make that; and the alcohol took over.”
Eventually selling her dairy farm, Desiree established the Cardrona Distillery where she now crafts artisan spirits and liqueurs with the help of her parents Alvin and Judy Reid, and her new husband, Ash.
There has been a lot of hard work and planning to bring this family business to where it is today.
“It took two and a half years just learning the science of distillation and weighing up whether it would be feasible,” says Desiree. “Then we had to find a site, get consent and build.”
Through it all, Desiree never forgot the Damask roses that set her on this new path in the first place. And she remained curious to know if it would be possible to produce a quality rose perfume.
“The highest class of perfume is made from petals. And I was interested in doing things traditionally and making something properly. I guess I’m a bit of a purist.”
That’s why, at the end of 2011, Tasman Bay Roses ended up getting its biggest ever order for Rosa x
damascena ‘Kazanlik’. Growing thousands of this old-fashioned variety was a challenge as the plants prefer a specific multiflora rootstock and so the large consignment was delivered over three seasons.
“We took the first delivery before I had the site, so I planted them in Mum and Dad’s garden, and then transplanted them later. They’re very thorny bushes so that was difficult work,” recalls Desiree.
The first rows of roses were put in the winter before the schist walls of the distillery went up, and to Desiree, it felt a fitting way to mark the beginning of this new chapter in her life.
When the bushes were young and tender, they were in danger of being completely stripped by the rabbits. “That was the biggest challenge; they even seem to like eating the thorns, which is interesting,” says Desiree.
Fortunately, spraying with an egg-based repellent called Liquid Shotgun, plus fertilising with blood and bone, helped deter the pests while the roses were getting established.
Desiree admits to never being much of a gardener – in the past the main thing she’s grown is pasture – but Wanaka local Shirley Jones helped her care for her rose plantation. Sadly, Shirley is now in poor health so Desiree’s mum Judy has taken over, calling on friends for advice when it’s needed.
Pruning such a large number of rose bushes is time-
consuming but otherwise they’re relatively low-maintenance with dripline irrigation keeping them moist and the freezing Cardrona winters seeing off the bugs.
“I’ve been surprised at how easy it’s been to grow them in such a harsh climate,” says Desiree.
The Damask rose most likely originated in Central Asia and for centuries has been grown in Syria (it takes its name from the city of Damascus) where the weather can be very hot and dry over summer, and cold in winter.
The rose is believed to have been taken to Europe during the Crusades and, prized for its fragrance, became a key part of the perfume industry there. In Bulgaria, vast acres of the roses are now grown for the extraction of oil.
Meanwhile, in Cardrona, the deep pink flowers bloom in early summer and it’s a wonderful sight, says Desiree. “The fragrance is glorious too. They’re considered to be the very best perfumery rose in the world. While there are varieties with higher yields, the trained noses (creators of the top perfumes) prize this one the most highly – which is why we chose it.”
Desiree’s ultimate dream is to produce pure rose oil using the traditional steam distillation technique, then add it to a base of Cardrona alcohol to create a top quality perfume.
The big challenge, she knows, is going to be growing and picking enough of the fragrant petals. “You need at least a tonne for a litre of rose oil. I don’t even know what a tonne of petals looks like!”
The harvest has to be handpicked very early in the morning before the sun strikes the petals and while the dew is still on the ground. That has meant frozen hands for Desiree’s parents and friends, and has been very slow-going. “It takes three hours for eight people to collect just 14 kilos,” says Desiree.
The gin still was commandeered for a go at making the rose oil, as the process for making both is very similar.
For home gardeners who want to give this rose a go, make space. “This is a big spreading shrub and will grow to 1.5m to 2m high if you let it.”
“With gin you have the alcohol boiling and it strips the oil out of the botanicals.” Desiree explains. “For petals, we boil water. What you get most of is rosewater, but right at the top there is a fine layer of oil.”
While they haven’t yet succeeded in producing a large enough quantity to separate the oil, Desiree and her family have enjoyed using the rosewater for things like skincare and making cocktails.
“It’s very much a hobby at the moment; a project for the love of it,” she explains. “We’re not harvesting enough to produce the volumes we need, so we’re nowhere near commercial. Maybe in the future, but it’s a long way off.”
Ben Pratt of Tasman Bay Roses is among those curious to see how she gets on. He and his family have been growing the ‘Kazanlik rose for many years, but have only ever supplied a few to people buying the flower for its history or fragrance.
For home gardeners who want to give this rose a go, it’s important to have plenty of space. “This is a big spreading shrub and will grow to 1.5m to 2m high if you let it,” says Ben.
While it only blooms once in early summer, the advantage is it’s disease-resistant and vigorous. “It’s been around for centuries, so is a survivor.”
So long as you keep the soil moist and feed in October with rose fertiliser, this is a rose that shouldn’t need too much extra fuss.
“Just remember you don’t prune the old-fashioned shrubs like the modern roses,” advises Ben. “You give them a light trim, and every now and then might do some detail work to shape them.”
For Desiree, life has changed dramatically since she hit on the idea of the distillery. She and Ash now have two young children – two-year-old son Ritchie and daughter Reid, six months – and the first Cardrona whisky slowly maturing in its barrel.
The days are so full that sometimes, it can be hard to find time to stop and smell the roses – no matter how highly prized their fragrance might be.
Still, she has no regrets about making the shift from dairy farming. “I love what I’m doing now. It’s been amazing.”