Staff from Eastwoodhill National Arboretum and Gisborne District Council about to plant 12,000 daffodil bulbs donated by retiring grower and long-time Gisborne East Coast Cancer Society supporter Merv Goodley. Back: Peter Oram, Joe Grant, Warren Nalder, Maree Wallace, Paige Ramsay, Sandra Turnbull, Bobbi Williams, Kaya Campbell and Te Awe Tahur. Front: Travis Dalton, Anthea Dalton, Oriana Roja, and Kenzie Sampson.
Photo /Paul Rickard
Staff from Eastwoodhill National Arboretum and Gisborne District Council about to plant 12,000 daffodil bulbs donated by retiring grower and long-time Gisborne East Coast Cancer Society supporter Merv Goodley. Back: Peter Oram, Joe Grant, Warren Nalder, Maree Wallace, Paige Ramsay, Sandra Turnbull, Bobbi Williams, Kaya Campbell and Te Awe Tahur. Front: Travis Dalton, Anthea Dalton, Oriana Roja, and Kenzie Sampson.
Photo /Paul Rickard
“I don’t know one end of a daffodil from the other.”
So says Māhia daffodil grower and loyal Gisborne-East Coast Cancer Society supporter Merv Goodley, who is always good for a laugh and a deprecating remark.
He aims to be back in Gisborne soon to look at the newest Gisborne-East Coast Cancer Society daffodil plot at Eastwoodhill National Arboretum.
About 12,000 of Goodley’s bulbs were planted in the new plot earlier this week as he steps back from growing daffodils.
Eastwoodhill staff and volunteers from Gisborne District Council’s horticulture and amenity team planted the bulbs.
Goodley has been supporting the GEC Cancer Society for more than 10 years following the death of previous supplier and good friend Kevin “Rock” Johnston.
“I’m doing it for an old mate,” Goodley said.
Merv Goodley picks more daffodils at his Mahia property to support the Gisborne-East Coast Cancer Society before his retirement. Photo / Liam Clayton
The new daffodil plot site will feature a plaque giving a historic timeline and acknowledging Goodley, Kevin Johnson and his father George in supporting the Cancer Society with a plentiful supply of daffodils.
Kevin and George before him also supplied Eastwoodhill with daffodil bulbs going back to the 1960s.
Goodley estimates he has provided between $7000 and $3000 worth of daffodils each year, predominantly for the Cancer Society, but also for other parties.
His support has been invaluable.
Goodley said other cancer societies bought daffodils for $2 and sold them for $5.
“It’s like selling raffle tickets,” he scoffed.
“The beauty here is that the Cancer Society gets five bucks cash.”
Goodley enjoys the run-up to Daffodil Day which is about three weeks long.
The daffodils get picked in about 90 minutes.
“The men come out and pick, the women bundle them up and I take them to Gisborne. It’s neat to see.”
Sometimes the Cancer Society goes to Māhia to collect the flowers.
Asked about his motivation or pride from providing such vital support to the Cancer Society, he simply replies: “The daffodil is sort of a symbol for the Cancer Society.”
The new plot at Eastwoodhill is located next to the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association site.
It is dry and easy to drive to.
Arboretum horticulturalist and opps team leader Anthea Dalton said their other daffodil sites were “quite boggy”.
“I didn’t know if they [daffodils] would come back after the wet weather last year. They came through but probably won’t be as nice as they have been.”
She thanked the “lovely volunteers” from the council who came out to help plant the bulbs.
The site will feature a plaque giving a historic timeline and acknowledging Goodley, Kevin Johnson and his father George in supporting the Cancer Society.
Arboretum-grown daffodils will continue to be donated to the Cancer Society for its fundraising.
Goodley said he would get one more flowering of daffodils back at his Māhia home.
“It won’t be anything like in the past. That will be it.”
