Around 20 journalists attended the press conference organised by Mercabarna-flor on 19 April to present the forecast for rose sales on St George’s Day. Both the Mercabarna Markets and Promotions manager, Joaquim Rosa, and the head of Mercabarna-flor, Jaume Esteve, said they expected sales to be very positive: “We hope to return to the magic figure of over six million roses sold, around 20% more than last year,” Mr Ros said.

The two managers put the good forecasts down to the fact that St George’s Day would be on a week day, unlike last year when it fell on a Saturday and in the middle of Easter.

During the press conference, they also listed the main varieties, origins and prices of the roses that would go on sale this St George’s Day.

The Barça-Madrid rose
As in previous years, Mercabarna-flor again presented its rose designs for St George’s Day, with the goal of giving florists ideas for original flower decorations.

On this occasion, drawing on the El Clásico fever of the Spanish football league, they presented roses customised in the colours of Barça and Real Madrid. All sorts of floristry accessories were used to decorate them, including coloured silicon and wire, various natural elements and a large helping of creativity.