Find the matching colours, and you’re an electrician. The same goes for rose breeders. In my opinion, breeding roses is the easiest thing there is. One of the most difficult things, however, is turning a seedling into a commercial variety. It's a process that involves many years of testing, selection and a great deal of patience.
It is certainly my favourite greenhouse in the garden, or at least the one I visit the most: our pilot greenhouse. A few years ago, we decided to dedicate one greenhouse to all our testing, rather than test new varieties all over the farm. This makes it easier to show people around, and it limits the number of pilots we can run, because once it's full, it's full. As a result, I often find myself wandering around there, out of curiosity. On the other hand, it is sometimes fun not to visit for a whole week; a fresh perspective makes you look at varieties completely differently.
It's sort of second nature to an entrepreneur to always be seeking improvements, to stay ahead of the competition. And if bred properly, new varieties can be a way of doing so. But planting a variety that later turns out to be inadequate is a costly matter.
