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durhamregion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ JANUARY 4, 2006 ♦ PAGE 7 A Clarington Community Sj : - ; >.- 5 *■ i v ■ ! T 11 T ! I A ' i *■ ' â f Ï 8%' 0 : • VT *mi:NG at Tvf- t : : j I ; 1 © iT j r.nOTHu(v> i ; " ?r ®C - L : IS Tv.fi S .V niv £ to ; : •N %/* Everything's coming up roses at Mostert Greenhouses Facility is a one-plant factory BY JULIE CASHIN-OSTER Special to The Statesman BOWMANVILLE -, Nothing brightens brightens up a dull grey day more than a rose. How sweet it is to receive a fresh cut rose - on any day of the year and for no particular reason. Ill's not as difficult as you might, think tri get one during the winter in Bow- manville. Mostert Greenhouses, located at 1489 Lambs Rd., grows 20. varieties - and have been doing it for 40 years. {Started in 1961 and still owned by their father, Martin Mostert, Mostert Green- . houses is now run by Richard Mostert- and his sister Loretta. ", "Originally my father started with , tomatoes," said Mr. Mostert. "Due to the economic times farmers grew food items ' flowers weren't a hot item, they were a luxury.". By 1979, with the times a-changing, Mostert Greenhouses started growing cut roses, gradually switching from tomatoes. In 1982, they started growing only roses and today they grow only cut roses. The roses the Mostert's grow come from Holland. It takes eight weeks to produce a plant so they are ordered two months before needed. The. large greenhouse greenhouse is divided into beds - which the Mostert's call "houses" (each has its own roof peak), it costs $14,000-$ 16,000 to replace one of these "houses" or beds. They replace one of these a year which is about 3,000 roses. Rodents of the four-legged variety can be a problem in the greenhouse so measures measures have been taken. "We adopted two cats from the shelter in town - our biological pest control," said Loretta. "We did have chickens once - they ate the weeds, but we were finding nests," added Mr. Mostert. When it comes to other pests - aphids and mildew - the Mosterts are licensed to use pesticides and have an Integrated Pest Management System in place. They only" spray when needed. Sweetheart Goldengate is one of the varieties of roses grown at Mostert Greenhouses. "The pesticides are contained in the greenhouse -- they are concentrated so we use less, they don't smell and are organic," he said. You may think Valentine's Day would be a favourite occasion - but the Mostert's prefer Mother's Day - better production. "Our Valentine production is only 10 -15 per cent of our total production," said Mr. Mostert. His sister adds, "We can't keep up with the supply and demand. We take a small amount of orders - once we are booked up that's it." Some odd requests include a black rose, which Mr. Mostert said, is a dead red rose and once a man bought a bunch of roses. to stick in his lawn. During the summer they sell "secondhand roses" -- roses with bent stems and are open too far. As part of the Ontario Farmers' Growers Growers Co-Op, the Mosterts take their roses to an auction in Mississauga - currently once a week and twice in the summer, and sell to buyers in the GTA. ; • A.J. Groen.photos / Metroland Durham Region Media Group r - ' * • . . • - ' ' Richard Mostert and his sister Loretta operate Mostert Greenhouses for their father Martin. Their only product is roses which they grow in their greenhouses located on Lambs Road. Reaching Your Goals Freedom 55 Takes Careful Planning I Financial That's Why We're .ktifkHJi detached ■ Ft Here tO . room, brand iww TV, ale,'.; Individual life Insu ,unds Disability insurant kock/Tiuniofl wby «trance Business Insurance'! 112 ' pfMMt plum •Travel insurance snowmobiles 'RESPs • RRIFs, LIFs&Annt LUADRUS Qm*m hveetnwH lervlew Ltd, A Pleee if IN Mw A""' I Deria Hickson , Investment Representatlvea IND00 Nil eoo»m, Up- ,1 Newcastle 1 #n, twin c«rt*J«i. Mini V' *1. MMOO-Otxi. |»06)2«0. P7-5372