FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
a) What is Unique Roses?
We are a family-run, part-time nursery operating from our front yard in Kelowna during the summer months. Established in 2022, we have since had the pleasure of serving hundreds of loyal customers across both the Okanagan and the Lower Mainland.We intentionally keep our operation small, as we continue to balance this venture alongside our full-time professions. For this reason, the nursery is open by appointment only, and we may not be available every day. Being located in a residential neighborhood, parking is limited, so we prefer to welcome guests one at a time, allowing us to provide a more personalized and attentive experience.
My passion lies in growing unique and interesting rose varieties—both classic favorites and those that are relatively rare in Canada. We offer a diverse selection, in limited quantities, ranging from groundcover roses to once-blooming, house-eating ramblers at different points throughout the growing season. Nearly all the roses we carry have been personally grown and tested by me.With few exceptions—primarily collector varieties (indicated clearly on the plant page)—we do not typically offer roses that cannot survive Okanagan winters when planted in the ground.
b) How did Unique Roses start?
In 2010, I moved from Vancouver to Kelowna. During my time in the Lower Mainland from 2000, I had the opportunity to connect with knowledgeable rosarians such as Brad from Select Roses in Langley, Jason from Fraser Valley Rose Farm, Robin from Brentwood Nursery and Rachel from Platine Roses in Ontario. I am grateful to all of them for their advice and help over the years. Through these interactions, I was exposed to a wide range of rose varieties and developed an appreciation for the diversity available there and across Canada.
Naturally, I expected to find a similar selection in Kelowna, when I moved. However, I was disappointed to discover that most local nurseries carried nearly identical, limited varieties. In addition, local expertise in roses was not as readily available. This was surprising, given that the Okanagan is an excellent region for growing roses (as is evident while cruising around older houses). It became clear that many of the roses stocked in typical nurseries were not well-suited to the local climate and have generated a bad reputation for growing roses in the Okanagan (‘roses always die’, ‘too much hassle’ etc.)
This realization inspired us to start a small business dedicated to introducing a broader range of climate-appropriate rose varieties to Kelowna. Our goal is to foster a stronger local rose culture by offering carefully selected plants and sharing gardening practices tailored specifically to the Okanagan region.
c) How is Unique Roses different?
What sets Unique Roses apart from other nurseries in the Okanagan are the following:
1) In addition to carefully selected modern varieties, we specialize in unique roses—true to our name—including classes such as ramblers, polyanthas, antique roses, and damasks. These are not typically supplied by large growers like Weeks, Star or David Austin and are therefore rarely available in local nurseries.
2) Unlike big-box stores or larger nurseries, we do not purchase in bulk. Being a small nursery with a low purchase volume, we buy our roses at the highest price bracket. As a result, we seldom offer end-of-season sales, as our inventory is limited and thoughtfully curated. If unsold, we simply carry it forward to subsequent years.
3) Every rose is treated with the utmost care. If a plant does not meet my quality standards or appears to be struggling, we simply will not sell it and would take a loss.
4) Finally myself, Sanjoy, bring over 30 years of rose-growing experience across diverse climates: 7 years in India (Zone 11), 8 years in Vancouver (Zone 7/8), and the past 15 years in Kelowna (Zone 5/6). I am the owner, operator, and the driving force behind Unique Roses.
d) What is your return policy?
We aim to offer live, healthy plants with multiple growing points in a bush. If the plant is not healthy, we would not sell it. Period. As a part-time, passion project, we are serious in selectivity in the plants we carry and sell. That is why, we do not allow any returns of our plants once they have left our premises.
e) What is your pickup policy after purchase?
(New in 2026), We will hold your order for up to 15 days after purchase for pickup. After that, your order will be cancelled and money refunded. If there are special circumstances (like on a vacation), this rule does not apply.
f) Can I cancel my order after purchase?
Yes. You can cancel your order within 15 days before picking up the order. No questions asked.
g) Can I buy gift card from Unique Roses?
Yes. You can. Just click on the ‘Gift Card’ section and make your selections.
h) Why do you keep so few roses in stock?
That’s a great question. This nursery is primarily a one-person operation—run by me, Sanjoy with periodic help from my wife Deanna, my son Sid and my daughter Indira. I handle everything from responding to emails to potting and hand-watering each rose. As a result, the number of plants we offer is naturally limited due to time constraint. My focus is on growing and providing unique varieties that are no longer commonly found in local garden centers. Every rose variety we carry has been personally tested by me to ensure it performs well before being offered to customers.
i) Why do some varieties have such high prices?
The price of rose plants largely depends on the cost at which we obtain them from growers, as well as their uniqueness or rarity. We try to keep our prices competitive with other stores for common varieties. Higher-priced roses are often aimed at collectors rather than casual gardeners. Beyond the cost, these varieties—while beautiful—typically require more intensive care. They may need winter and early spring freeze protection, often lack strong disease resistance, and aren’t especially hardy. For these reasons, they’re generally not recommended for beginner or intermediate growers and are instead classified as ‘for collectors’. What can I say, some rosarians just love ‘trouble’, AKA ‘challenge’.
j) The variety I was hoping to get got ‘sold out’. Can I get it again next year?
Due to space and manpower constraints, we cannot carry every popular rose every year. Unlike big nurseries who practically carry the same rose varieties every year, we try to bring in different varieties which are unique to the Okanagan every year. Therefore, our advice is to buy any cultivar as you might like, when you see on the website. It may or may not be back next year.As an example, on our website, if you note the varieties available in April 2026 (i.e. these are last year’s roses; explained in video here) are completely different from this year’s roses to be available in May 2026.A very good idea is to subscribe to our newsletter, as we do send out notifications (maximum 2 emails during the growing season) when new varieties are released or a limited time sale is on.
k) Why are some roses smaller than other roses at the nursery for sale?
Roses are potted based on the size of the plants we receive. Please see video here. Putting plants in a bigger pot often leads to weaker root development. Therefore, initially, all our roses get started in either a 2 or 3 gallon pots for grafted roses and 1 to 2 gallon pots for own root roses. The initial size of a plant has no bearing on the health or vigor of the plant over time. For 3-4 year old plants, we go up to 5 gallon pot size as well.
l) Can I order a specific variety of rose currently not available anywhere from Unique Roses?
I can definitely try to source uncommon roses but usually such requests take 2 years or more to fulfill, if at all possible. If you are in a rush, I suggest looking at alternate but similar varieties.
m) I love this rose but don’t know the name. Can you identify it from a picture?
I wish I could, but it’s not really possible. No one can reliably identify a rose just by looking at the flower alone. There are a few distinctive varieties—like Double Delight or Bayse’s Purple—that are easy to recognize, but those are exceptions rather than the rule. On top of that, a rose’s appearance can change depending on the season, its color variations, the number of petals, and even its shape and size. Because of all these factors, any identification would be a guess at best, and I’m not confident enough to do that.
n) Is your nursery open the whole year?
Unfortunately, as this is a part-time endeavour over the summer months, and I teach at UBC for the rest of the year, I do officially shut down operations mid August to get started for the Fall semester. However, I am available year-round over phone or email for consultations.