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Retired nurse Melinda Woodward is passionate about chrysanthemums.
The Fish Hoek resident, who has been growing and nurturing the plants for the past nine months, will be showcasing selected flowers at the Chrysanthemum Flower Show taking place in Kuils River on Saturday 29 April.
“My passion for chrysanthemums started about three years ago. My sister and I are avid gardeners.
“We received a few plants from a friend of ours in Mamre and we didn’t know that there were clubs that would teach you the finer things about growing chrysanthemums because at first we just grew it willy-nilly.”
In 2022, the sisters started the Oostenberg Horticultural and Industrial Society in Kuils River where Woodward travels every month to meet with club members and other chrysanthemum enthusiasts.
“There you have people who had flower shows for years and are multiple champions.”
But why chrysanthemums and not roses for example?
Woodward explains: “You very seldom find this plant in a nursery.
“It is so unique, each of them has its own DNA.
“You can grow them from seeds but we haven’t cultivated them yet.”
It is the first time Woodward’s chrysanthemums will be going on display and judged at a club.
“I have never shown my flowers and when I started it was such a structured regime to follow but I do it with joy because, at the end of the day, it is something you create.
“It takes nine months to grow a chrysanthemum, it also needs to be a certain height. When you go to a flower shop you would perhaps find one big chrysanthemum in a bouquet, but you are not going to find other species.”
Growing and nurturing chrysanthemums creates joy and purpose, says Woodward.
“This plant and growing this plant as a retired person is my life. When I get up in the morning I go and talk to them to nurture them from a little plant to what you see now, and that is the ultimate joy.
“The chrysanthemum is my reason for getting up in the morning and to see how many petals have opened. I am in the winter of my life. I am 78 years old and there are a lot of things at this age that you think about in your life.”
Woodward hopes to spark interest in the younger generation to learn about the chrysanthemum.
“I want more people to get into growing chrysanthemums and I would like the younger generation to show some interest.
“It is all about the holistic approach and I am willing to help anyone who would like to start off.”
