However, they have no intention to leave the property as they love living there, and are considering leasing out the facilities in future, such as to growers.
Dick’s late parents, Bert and Barbara Tripp, started Flowerland in 1966 in Hastings, selling flowers and tomatoes.
His parents then bought the company’s current property in Clive in 1974, and it has been based there since.
An aerial picture of the Flowerland glasshouses taken in 2020. Photo / Flowerland
Dick said initially, they mainly grew carnations, including exporting them overseas.
Changing trends meant they adapted, over the years, to also grow the likes of lilies, roses, gerberas, sunflowers and alstroemeria.
The Tripps have thoroughly enjoyed supplying people with beautiful flowers, and Dick said, “We hope we’ve brought some pleasure to their lives with our flowers.”
He said a big thank you to all their clients and customers.
While retirement is their main reason for finishing up, Dick said many of the glasshouses needed replacing.
“A lot of these glasshouses were built in the 1970s, and they have reached the end of their economic life.”
Dick, who turns 70 this year, said it would be a major project to rebuild them and, at this point in their lives, they felt that was “for someone else to do”.
They won’t completely stop growing flowers, of course, which will remain a hobby into retirement.
Jo said a highlight from owning and operating the business was working with so many great staff.
“We have some really good, core staff – we have been very lucky to have amazing staff.”
They have 11 staff, including themselves, and that number tends to swell during busy seasons.
Jo said it was not a financial decision to close, as the business remained viable.
Rather, she said they were looking forward to having more time to enjoy retirement, including helping with their grandchildren.
Jo said their busiest time of year was Mother’s Day, and they would finish up after supplying flowers for Mother’s Day this year.
Kathy Davies, owner of Hospital Flowers in Hastings, buys all her flowers through Flowerland.
Davies said Flowerland would be “sorely missed” in the region.
“They have been very good and have looked after me amazingly well.”
She said she would now buy her flowers through flower markets up north.
Hawke’s Bay has other flower suppliers, such as Blokker’s Nurseries, also in Clive.
Flowerland was also the first customer of Fastway Couriers in Napier during the early 1980s, which became a big success and is now Aramex.