Alysan Willocks

Alysan Willocks has been selling flowers at the farmers market from the very first day the market started. She began with daffodils in the spring and daffodil bulbs in the autumn and has progressed on to mixed bouquets, dahlias and sweet-smelling sweet peas.

Alysan grew up in Balclutha and lives there to this day. She began growing flowers at Inch Clutha on an acre of river silt that she swears is the best soil in the country. No need to add compost or fertiliser here the flowers just loved it.

Alysan has since moved back to Balclutha where she has a compact but incredibly productive flower garden that her Uncle Ray looks after mostly.

The whole flower growing enterprise is a family affair and has now become inter-generational with Alysan’s daughter growing dahlias in Sawyers Bay. Alysan has two granddaughters who are now showing an interest in flowers as well.

When Alysan moved from Inch Clutha, she took massive amounts of cuttings that she held in pots until she bought her new property two years later. Uncle Ray lives just along the street and he does all the sowing of seed and takes cuttings of roses etc. Uncle Ray is 85 and keeps a very orderly, tidy garden.

Alysan picks first thing Thursday morning, Thursday evening and Friday morning. She then conditions all the flowers so they will last well in the vase before packing up her old station wagon and getting the travelling road show on the road to Sawyers Bay where Alysan and her daughter stay up half the night arranging the bouquets. Many cups of tea later and with Radio Live keeping them going they load up the station wagon again with bunches of flowers that give people so much pleasure at the market.

Alysan works as a Service Co-Ordinator for Pact and she finds working with flowers compliments the work she is so passionate about. She loves the farmers market and the memories it has for her. Customers adore her bunches of flowers and her willing smile and happy demeanor.