Daffodils have sprung!

 

THE season has come a little early so it’s all on at Clandon Daffodils in Gordonton.  Bunches of beautiful, bright daffodils will go on sale at their shop this Saturday.

Ian Riddell and business partner Graham Phillips have more than 1000 daffodil varieties, of which they might pick from 160 on their 21 acres and are one of the largest suppliers in the country.

Their blooms can be found at supermarkets, the Auckland and Hamilton markets, Gordonton’s the Farm Shop and, of course, at 745 Gordonton Rd.

“We pick every day, pretty much,” he says.  “We get the bulk of our flower income from three to four weeks of the year, so it’s crucial we have good teams on hand, able to pick when we need it.”

 

 

From this –

 

To this – (Actually, this was taken last September!)

Ian says he loves all aspects of working with daffodils – “…I like the growing and production – getting them off the paddock, into the barn, taking them to market and seeing them there.”

 

 

Ian’s tips for daffodil care:

• Fertilise in the autumn and carry out slug control.

• Once the flowers have finished, don’t cut the leaves back.

• If you have daffodil flowers in a vase, they will keep better if the house is not over warm. Consider popping the vase outside overnight.

“They don’t like heat. I like stoking my fire up at home, they hate that. That’s why they come out in mid-winter really, to tell you spring is on its way.”

Cheers to Clandon for brightening our winter!

Click here for a profile on Ian on Number 8 Network.