Centifolia Rose and Jasmine Harvest in Provence & French Riviera 2025

The town of Grasse is home to lots of old perfumeries like Galimard, Fragonard, and Molinar and some famous 'noses' of the perfume industry. These companies are very protective of the quality of their products, so they still use only fresh, hand-picked flowers. The local 'stars' are the pink Centifolia rose and the jasmine. Both of them are widely used in Chanel perfumes, and the company is doing everything it can to maintain quality. It controls the condition of the fields and has been buying the flowers from one family, the Muls, for five generations. The roses are in bloom from May to mid-June and have a festival dedicated to them called Expo Rose. The flowers must be picked at dawn and placed into hessian bags. Some of the women who come here for the harvest are from families that have been doing it for generations. After roses, it's time for the jasmine. It bloom​s from August when the Fête du Jasmin is held and up to beginning October. The tender jasmine flowers are also hand-picked and carried in baskets. Lots of the farmers offer visits to the fields and sometimes even let you help with the picking.