Daffodil Season
Historically the daffodils on the brewery site were picked for charity, a tradition revived today.
The vision of the past drives us towards the future. Benjamin Hart was a man of great vision, named in the Daffodil Year Book of 1914 as one of the Daffodil Fathers of Ao-Tea-Roa, he is also credited with instigating Daffodil Day in 1900. The evolution of this event now sees it as a prominent international fundraiser, proving that one man can make a difference.
Thinking of this man, who, more than a hundred years before, set out to bring his vision of beauty and joy to an obscure valley. Planting year after year, this man had forever changed the world in which he lived. One day at a time, over generations, he had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.
The principle his daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one-step at a time and learning to love the doing. When we multiply tiny pieces of time, with small increments of daily effort, we too find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world...
The Spring season begins at the end of August with early flowers bringing colour amongst the ruins. Jonquils and old fashioned doubles are the first to appear at the beginning to mid September with the site resplendent in colour by the end of the month. October brings in many varieties and colours with the Pheasants Eyes last to flower about Labour weekend.
As clearing continues many old breeds are being revealed, some not found anywhere else in their true form. Also, due to the naturalised state of the fields, new breeds are being discovered. International daffodil experts have advised that categorising the daffodils on site would be akin to counting hairs on your head, however, particular new types may be registered.
Further research is necessary to determine the best way to propagate and conserve rare and new varieties that we have identified, including collecting seeds. We have established relationships with the NZ Daffodil Society on both Local and National levels, the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture, the Dunedin Horticultural Society and the International Daffodil Registrar, to this end.