The World Daffodil Convention, which is being held in Dunedin next week, offers plenty for the public. Gillian Vine reports.
Trevor Rollinson would have liked a cooler spring without the high winds experienced throughout the country, so that everyone's daffodils would be at their peak for next week's World Daffodil Convention in Dunedin.
The event, run every four years, comes to New Zealand every 16 years, as we're on an international circuit with major daffodil-growing countries. The others are Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom-Eire.
Asked where the Netherlands comes in, Mr Rollinson explains it is primarily a commercial bulb-growing country, whereas countries involved in the conventions have more numerous amateur exhibitors and breeders.
This year's convention is hosted by the National Daffodil Society of New Zealand, of which Mr Rollinson is president and Les Cleveland, also from Dunedin, is patron.
"The seeds for the convention were sown four years ago," Mr Rollinson says.
He did a presentation in Ireland, at the 2008 convention. "I put up good slides of Dunedin and tried to sell it as a venue."
Dunedin was successful, partly because of its good record, having run successful South Island national daffodil shows at the Edgar Centre, a venue that found favour for its lighting, cool temperature and spaciousness.
"The lighting is so important," Mr Rollinson says.
Although he admits being a little disappointed that fewer-than-expected people are coming from the United Kingdom and United States, he puts this down to the tough economic conditions in the northern hemisphere and is pleased a quarter of the 160 delegates are from overseas, mainly Australia.
As well as presentations on such subjects as growing show-quality narcissus in pots, visitors will have the chance to tour gardens, including Mr Rollinson's, Cleveland Park and the Wetherston daffodils near Lawrence.
"The convention is geared up to the serious exhibitor but there's plenty for the general public, too," Mr Rollinson says.
Anyone even mildly interested in daffodils will certainly get a buzz from seeing top-notch blooms in the South Island National Daffodil Show and Australasian championship, while camellia lovers are catered for through the South Island Camellia Show. Other flowers and early vegetables will be competing in the Dunedin Horticultural Society's spring show.
Alpine Society members and bonsai fanciers are mounting exhibitions, while trade shows will add further interest.
Growing your own
Like many keen daffodil exhibitors, Trevor Rollinson enjoys producing new varieties from seed. It does take a bit of patience, as they can take from three to five years to flower, but the reward is flowers no-one else has.
Mr Rollinson started in 1999, producing 19 seedlings that year. They flourished and multiplied, and he now has more than 1000 bulbs propagated from that initial batch.
There are four steps.
1. Select a flower and take some of its pollen, using a cotton bud.
2. Choose a different variety to put the pollen on; this is the one whose seed pod is to be left to develop. Dab on the pollen from step 1.
3. Cover the flower to keep bees from bringing in different pollen. Uncover when the flower dies.
4. Let the pod develop and just before it bursts open, usually in early December, collect the seed.
There may be 20 to 30 seeds in a pod, although harder-to-breed varieties may produce a single seed.
Seed can be sown at once but Mr Rollinson leaves his until March and has seedlings popping through in mid-July. The very best can be named and placed on the international daffodil register, administered by the Royal Horticultural Society, in England.
See it
The World Daffodil Convention, in the Edgar Centre, Portsmouth Dr, Dunedin, is open to the public on Friday, September 28, from 2pm to 5pm; on Saturday, September 29, from 10am to 5pm; and on Sunday, September 30, from 10am to 4pm. Admission is $5 for adults, children free.
