How a love for beautiful bunches blossomed into a full-fledged flower farm

It’s hard to think of a more idyllic day job than growing flowers, and at her Prebbleton farm in Canterbury, on the South Island of New Zealand, Kate Williams has hit the jackpot – with one small caveat. “I’ve always loved having fresh flowers in abundance throughout my home, and I decided it would be more cost-effective to grow my own,” she says. “Ironically, it was not a cost-effective solution due to how labour-intensive it is!”

Kate and her husband of 35 years, Phil, run their flower farm on a four-hectare parcel of land that they purchased 10 years ago. “We’ve built and developed many businesses together over the years, with Phil also designing farm and commercial buildings,” says Kate. “You can see this creativity at our property, including a 75-metre flying fox that sweeps down an avenue of tulip trees for the grandchildren and visitors to enjoy.”

The flowers themselves are spread across more than a hectare, with rows of dahlias, zinnias, delphiniums, snapdragons, sunflowers and more ensuring a dazzling show of blooms year-round. The dahlias are the main event, with many cultivars grown from seed. “I started saving seeds without quite knowing what I was doing,” Kate admits. “It’s been trial and error, with plenty of learning along the way.”

As well as the blooms, Wagyu cattle graze on the fertile paddocks and free-range chickens keep Kate and Phil well-stocked in fresh eggs. A machinery shed-turned-flower studio serves as a picturesque hub for Kate’s styling business, The After-Hours Stylist.