Bountiful and beauteous blooms on Brecon

Leon Gray-Lockhart | 4th February 2010

MOST folk aren’t themselves enamoured by public displays of affection. However, Noel Petrie is more than happy to show off his love for his late wife through a collection of blooms that he wants the public to see over the next 10 days.
Noel’s a Stratford man, through and through. He grew up here, made his living here, led a happily married life here and to this day continues to cherish the ¾-acre section he developed with his beloved late wife, Rita.
“My wife passed away 22 years ago, and it still upsets me,” reflects Noel.
“Everybody knew and loved her. She was known as a really sweet lady.”
As a testament to the couple’s enduring love – and as a personally satisfying pasttime – Noel still keeps their section immaculate, its crowning glory being a traditionally solid, fully-functioning 30x17ft greenhouse, heaving with a dazzling multitude of begonias.
“Most of them are at their best right now – right in the middle of the January, February, March period,” says Noel proudly.
And proud indeed should he be, given the health and natural beauty of his 110-strong collection; exploiting myriad leaf and petal styles and a plethora of hues and shades from all ends of the spectrum.
“With all the years of work of put into them all I want to do is share them.

I’ve had many people through in the past, and they’ve always been absolutely blown away. A lot of them can’t get over just how many different varieties and styles of them there are.”
Labour of love
This year’s dazzling display hasn’t come without a little effort though, given the unusual nature of Taranaki’s recent weather.
“It’s been a strange season this year; hot but not bright. Begonias don’t like to be too wet, but they sag if things get too hot and dry for them.
“Because they love humidity, at times I’ve had to put water on the cobbles on the path next to them to cool down the greenhouse.”
However, despite having to work a little harder on his collection this year, seeing them thrive brings an enormous amount of pleasure to Noel – a pleasure he wishes to share with as many people as he can.
“I’d love to have more people come and see my collection,” he says.
Once over the initial explosion of colour, even the most casual of observers will find themselves intrigued by the differences in the details; whether it’s the variegations of the leaves or the sizes of the blooms – running from delicate and dainty orchid-like styles, through to those shaped like carnations and roses. Enormous double blooms stand out, as do prettily trimmed ‘picotee’-style petals in two tones combinations.
Noel will be opening up his begonia house on 124 Brecon Road to the public for 10 days from today, free-of-charge.
“That gives people two weekends in which they can come and browse the collection.”
History in the houses
And have a browse people will; and probably not just at the begonias either, because Noel has another greenhouse full of tomatoes and strawberries right next door.
“This greenhouse is still productive and it’s probably over 100-years-old. It was built for an old family home on Pembroke Road, before being shifted to my Mum and Dad’s Brecon Road property years later, before being shifted down here.
“Through all its shifts, it’s always been easy to move. Without the glass, it’s simply an old cedar frame; we just picked it up and walked it down to here.”
The history of the rest of his property is just as personal too – his own piece of an original 20-acre block owned by his family that extended all around the Warwick Road/Avon School/Achilles Street area. And it was he who built the house he still occupies to this day; he and the local tradesmen who were working in Stratford nearly 50 years ago that is.
“I’ve spent all my life in Stratford. During my working life, I took over my family’s jewellery business and kept it going to its centennial year in 1996, after which I retired.”
Since retirement, Noel’s lifelong passion for gardening has itself bloomed, although ever shaded by sad memories of losing Rita. However, Noel takes great comfort in the joy of growth, and the colours and life that spring up around him.
For Noel, it’s especially important that people catch up with his blooms this year, as it could be Noel’s last display for a while.
“I’m nearing 80 and I won’t be able to maintain the begonias in the way that I would like to soon. I used to display in the Rhododendron Festival, but it is getting a little too much for me now so I really want to invite anybody interested to come and have a look.”