Gardeners' World Christmas Eve special highlights Yorkshire family of one of first commercial poinsettia growers
The heartwarming story of how three sisters from Hull kept alive their father’s love for a festive plant will feature in the Christmas Eve Gardeners’ World special.
Michelle Robertson, Debbie O’Brien and Clare Sharp took over running the family nursery, O’Brien’s Nurseries Hull, on Nursery Lane, after their father Mike died in November 2017.
Mr O’Brien was one of the first commercial poinsettia growers in England in the 1960s and the sisters grew up helping look after the houseplants, which come in a dazzling range of hues, from ever popular reds through to pinks, mint, and striking mottled ones called Glitter.
Very much a family affair, their aunt still lends a hand and their partners also help out on their days off.
Clare said: “Poinsettias for us are part of the family at Christmas. It is all we’ve ever done at Christmas.”
When they were contacted by a BBC producer, following an article in The Yorkshire Post, they thought it was a wind up, but filming took place over two days, and Clare is now eagerly anticipating the programme airing in front of millions of viewers on Friday.
“It’s excitement, but there are a bit of nerves behind it,” she said. “It’s nice because it’s recognition for what Dad did, all those years of love and labour.
“This is for Dad really. This is how good you did Dad.”
This year they grew just under 3,000 poinsettias, which are sold on to wholesalers, but yesterday had just 30 left. She said Brexit and a change in regulations had helped them have a “really good year”, adding:” It’s nice that people have realised that the way we grow them is different.”
Presented by Monty Don,the show starts at 8pm and includes Rachel de Thame on natural Christmas decorations and Advolly Richmond making a trip to Cumbria to visit the topiary gardens at Levens Hall, before visiting the Hull nursery.
Originating from Mexico, over eight million poinsettias are sold in the UK every year.
The cuttings are supplied by Syngenta from a nursery in Kenya in the middle of June and are grown on in a mainly peat compost.
Clare says they will be trialling peat-free products for some of the bedding plants they also supply next year, but it’s not something they can rush, as so much hangs on getting a good crop.
The plants are grown in a glasshouse, at a temperature of over 21 degrees, and shouldn’t be misted says Clare – whatever people say on social media.
They need as much love as labour: “Debbie and I say ‘goodnight’ to them, ‘sweet dreams’ when we leave. They bring a smile to our faces.”
And they can be grown on – as Clare knows from personal experience: “Mum and Dad had one that grew so big that they couldn’t get it through the front door – it had to go to the local church which had double doors.
“Dad used to then bring it back for a few years.”