From retail to blooms: Tala Draper’s flower farm journey in Te Awamutu

Grower and creator, Tala Draper of Draper’s Field. Photo / Catherine Fry

Following a 17-year career in furniture retail management that took her all over New Zealand, working from home as a flower grower was not on Tala Draper’s agenda.

However, the birth of her first son and the Covid-19 lockdown completely changed everything.

“My first son was born three days before the March 2020 Covid-19 lockdown and we came home to spend much of his first year in lockdown in our house in Hamilton,” Draper said.

“After spending so much time with my son at home, I just wanted to leave the corporate world behind me and spend his first five years with him.”

Draper and her general all-around handyman husband had previously bought around 9000sqm on the outskirts of Te Awamutu and moved an older, characterful, weatherboard home onto the property to renovate.

After making part of the house liveable, the family moved in with the bigger renovation job ahead of them.

Draper’s second son was born in 2023.

Growing flowers

Draper discovered flower growing by Googling “what is the most profitable crop per square metre”.

“I was only allowed to use about 2000sqm for a new venture because we needed the rest to run some beefies.”

She ordered a book on dahlias not even knowing what a dahlia was at the time, enrolled in an online course in flower farming and Draper’s Field became a reality.

Before her first season in 2022, Draper covered her allocated area in black tarp to kill the grass before cultivating it and carrying out soil testing.

Bunches of flowers drying in the well-ventilated barn. Photo / Angela Murray

Most of her soil is a sandy loam and it needed some lime to maintain the soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5 suitable for flower crops.

She spent a lot of time weeding and clearing that first season.

“Now I’m more chop and drop as it’s less work for me and is more natural and sustainable.

“I’m no gardener so my garden is not tidy or attractive, it’s a working garden!”

Draper described her flowers as mixed, wild English garden species that can be easily dried, such as snapdragons, nigella, Sweet William, honeywort, anemones, status and strawflowers.

She uses a big barn for drying flowers.

She initially started drying to make use of excess flowers or ones that had passed their fresh sell-by date, but they are popular, especially during winter.

Experimenting with different blooms

Tala Draper uses around 2000sqm for her flower growing. Photo / Catherine Fry

With two 20m by 5m polytunnels, a 20sqm greenhouse and a cold store at her disposal, Draper isn’t afraid to experiment with her growing.

She tries growing different flowers out of season, playing with the growing conditions to see how far she can push them.

“I want to grow flowers all year round and I start them all from seed.

“Some require warm conditions to germinate, and some require cooler conditions.

“Others require heat to grow after they germinate.”

Currently, Draper buys in cut flowers from other growers at different times of the year.

She said she couldn’t grow everything she might want.

Around 300 cypress trees and other evergreens have been planted around the property perimeter, providing a continual, year-round supply of greenery for her bouquets.

Flower care

Late summer and flowers make the perfect photo opportunity for Tala. Photo / Angela Murray

“The main pests I’m up against are slugs and aphids,” Draper said.

“I try to be as organic as I can, but I have to resort to slug bait with the smaller plants, or I would lose everything.”

She sprays minimally for aphids and finds that growing a wide mix of varieties ensures a constant supply of flowers, even if a couple of species are targeted by pests.

Her flower beds have weed mat and are irrigated with drip tape using water from the rainwater tank fed from the house roof.

Mulch and homemade compost are used on the beds and the soil is fed with compost tea, microorganisms and fish fertiliser.

“My goal is to produce blooms with a long vase life,” she said.

“I want my customers to have flowers that last seven to 10 days.”

Waratahs and wire are used to support the larger flower heads.

She isn’t a trained florist, but her mum had a craft shop when Draper was growing up and she remembered making up flower baskets for the shop.

“The experience of the shop taught me the artistry of making things and I love being creative.

“Mum helps me with the flower drying.”

Draper wants to build a country homestead life for her family and is looking forward to homeschooling the boys.

“I supply two local supermarkets and sell from our farm gate during the peak flower growing season.

“The level of work I’m currently doing offers me good quality family time and I’m constantly building efficiencies within the business so I can do the majority of the work without compromising my family values.”