“But as I always say, ‘Oh well, let's just carry on anyway'.”
In early spring it can be 10-12 hour days, seven days a week.
In summer the days start as soon as it is light, otherwise it gets too hot to pick.
There's always something to do. Teri wheelbarrows the compost, rips out old crops and grows new ones. Then there is the picking, selling, marketing and the bookwork — and it is all Teri.
She knows she is in a similar position to other solo operators who ask themselves, when do you, or should you, employ staff?
“I'm still just feeling my way, there's still room to grow,” says Teri.
But at the end of each day she is “exhausted”.
“It's probably more a young person's game but it's my passion.
“This is my first year of trying it. It's still very unknown to me.”
She decided to be a flower farmer a couple of years ago.
Her first big yield of flowers bloomed during lockdown.
Undeterred, Teri dried them all. They have been turned into wreaths, and bunches, and perfectly coincided with dried flowers making a comeback. As long as they don't get moist, or exposed to direct sunlight, bunches can keep their colours and last for years, she says.
Teri's fresh flowers go in many directions. They are at the Farmers' Market every Saturday morning, boxes go to the wholesale market in Auckland, some to local florists, and there are bunches at retail store Ashh in the block by the clock.
Teri says she is incredibly grateful for the support her growing business has received.
“It's so exciting what's happening with little people doing stuff in Gisborne.
“And people are supporting all the little local businesses. It's really cool.”
Whatever Teri earns she puts back into her business Moose Cottage.
The demand for fresh flowers is increasing, especially as flower imports have stopped due to Covid.
To compensate there are a number of small growers coming on board, with Teri one of more than five flower farmers in Tairawhiti today.
Her biggest fan and supporter is husband Kent. They've been together for more than 20 years and married for four of them.
“I don't think I would have got where I am without him, He's believed in me and given me the confidence.
“Whenever I have a meltdown and say I can't do it, he tells me, ‘yes, you can'.
“But he's a real cheat when he picks flowers,” adds Teri with a laugh as she remembers his 10 minutes of picking last spring and trying to make the bucket look fuller than it was.
Teri and Kent live on two rolling hectares up Riverside Road. The cottage on the property was called Moose Cottage and Teri has continued that name with her business.
Because there are not many flat areas on the land, Teri has patches of flowers and foliage around the property to make use of where the flat bits are. The property offers much scope for Teri to expand, and changes depending on the season.
There are winter crops, summer crops, late summer crops, spring and autumn.
“It's constant,” says Teri. “I work a year ahead, a bit like fashion.”
Teri's search for beautiful and unusual seeds has led her to America and the United Kingdom for orders.
“It's a passion and an obsession. I always like trying different things.
“I think traditional flowers are changing and people are starting to embrace a lot more changes.”
One picking patch for example has rows of flowers from the cabbage family, which look like a cross between a cabbage and a rose.
“Florists are excited to have more choice as well.”
Right now Teri is focused on keeping up with her workload.
Preparation for the weekly market starts on Thursday at 5am. Teri picks flowers all day.
They go in the chiller overnight to condition, and on Friday Teri is bunching up bouquets all day.
Saturday is market day and the flowers are displayed in the enamel buckets Teri collects. Presentation is very important to her.
Sometimes men who walk past her stall will remark at the flowers, “You can't eat that”.
Teri's reply is always, “they feed your soul though”.
“How can you not love flowers? What's not to like about flowers,” she asks incredulously.
A picking patch of the fragrant stock flowers were in full bloom at Moose Cottage when the Herald visited on a blustery autumn day.
Teri likens their scent to nutmeg, and their peachy pastel colour as very “old fashionedy”.
Although she works outside most of the day, Teri also has an old railway carriage as a workshop, which offers retreat from the weather.
Teri says during summer, the amount of flowers can be “overwhelming”.
When asked if she has a favourite flower, Teri says she loves them all.
But then, “that's a little bit of a fib actually”.
“I can't stand the ones with tiny stems that take 20 minutes to pick a handful.”
