A floral blast from the past has made its presence felt after years - and years - of lying dormant in the garden of Kemp House and the Stone Store, two of New Zealand’s oldest buildings.
Staff at the Kerikeri Mission Station couldn’t believe their eyes when they spotted a flowering bright red Vallota lily late last year that hadn’t been seen in bloom for at least nine years.
The sudden blooming of a flower under the impressive pink camellia tree behind the Stone Store left everyone stunned in the best possible way, says property lead Liz Bigwood.
“This is a bit of a mystery to be honest. Helen Baker, our longest standing volunteer who is very familiar with the garden, is the person who spotted the lily.
“Paula Cotterill, our wonderful gardener, can’t recall the plant flowering in the past. We have no idea why it should have chosen to flower now after years of keeping such a low profile in our garden - but we’re delighted that it has. It might be that everything has aligned with the weather conditions and the lily has just decided to make itself known again.”