Taranaki farmer opens gates to tulip field on his Midhirst farm

The tulips are in bloom at a John Vernon's farm. Photo / John Vernon

Move over the Netherlands, Taranaki’s tulips are the best of the bunch, says John Vernon.

John says he and his wife Alison are keen gardeners and this year, tulips were in their planting schedule, 3000 of them to be precise. The tulip bulbs were planted on their Midhirst farm and are now blooming beautiful, he says.

“I thought they’d be good to plant as you plant them and they tend to look after themselves. I planted them back in the winter and used my brew of potting mix and put them in bags. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support from my wife.”

With the tulips now in bloom, John and Alison want to share their gorgeous view of the tulips with others, opening the farm gates for visitors to come and admire the flowers by appointment.

People are more than welcome to visit the tulips, he says.

“The things these flowers do is make people smile. When people see them their whole demeanour changes and seeing their smiles is the best party. It’s awesome to watch and I get a kick from seeing people’s reactions. That’s been the best part, making people happy.”

Tulips are well suited to the Taranaki climate he says.

“The thing about tulips is they love the cold. There are not many things that do well up here, but the tulips have done amazing. It’s amazing to see they’re a feast to the eyes.”

While the tulips look delicate they’re actually a hardy flower, he reckons.

“They’ve grown here in quite a harsh environment so they’re quite strong flowers. The tulips close in the morning, open up during the day and close again around 3pm. They’re very good at protecting themselves.”

People will also be able to buy a tulip or two themselves to create their flower garden for next spring, says John.

“I’ll be selling them as a live plant. Each person will receive a pot with the bulb in and come spring next year when they’re ready to bloom, they’ll have a family of tulips.”

To arrange an appointment to view the tulips call John on 027 203 8014. Free entry to view and plants for sale from $10, bring cash.