The flower sheds in the suburbs of Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, are often bustling with flower farmers harvesting roses in the early morning.“Cut flowers have to be kept fresh to get the best market price,” a farmer explained.“Cut flowers go through five stages from buds to bloom. The best time to harvest flowers is stage 2 when the buds are ready to bloom. By the time they reach consumers, they will be at stage 4 or 5 and blossoming fully.”