If you’ve stopped by our Te Puna shop recently, you’ve almost certainly noticed the colourful preserved hydrangeas from Bunched.

Derek is a local neighbour and grower, and his absolute dedication to his craft is inspiring. Unlike typical dried flowers that get brittle and fragile, Derek’s hydrangeas undergo a specialised preservation process that keeps them soft, structured, and looking visually "alive" for years.

I recently caught up with Derek to learn more about the art form of growing and preserving, what a harvest morning looks like on his flower farm, and why Sir David Attenborough is top of his tea drinking wish list.

Hi Derek! We love having your stems in the shop. I’ve always wondered, how did you first get into growing and preserving flowers in Tauranga?

I was introduced to the flower growing industry by Naomi Gestro, who had been growing for some years. He had such a passion for the industry and growing that he encouraged me to get involved, and here I am still today. Producing a successfully preserved hydrangea flower that remains soft to touch for a good length of time—with its form consistent and its colour remaining intact—gives me so much pleasure, and I really enjoy the creative nature of the finished product. The joy they give to people who purchase them inspires me to keep evolving the process to produce an even better product with different forms and interesting colours.




People are familiar with dried flowers, but preserved hydrangeas are a completely different story - they actually stay soft, structured, and visually "alive." How does the preservation process work, and what makes it so specialised and different from dried flowers?

The preserving process, when done systemically, has many components that all need to come together to end up with a quality product. Choosing the right hydrangea varieties to preserve and picking at the precise stage are critical. The process is also greatly influenced by external environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. Preservation works by replacing the water in plant tissues with a solution, thereby preventing wilting and preserving natural structure—as opposed to dried flowers where water is not replaced, which is why they aren't soft to the touch.

They are so soft! When you're right in the thick of harvest, what does a typical morning look like on the flower farm?

During peak harvesting times, our day begins at 7:00 am. If we are doing a preserving run, those flowers will be picked first and put straight into solution. Next, picking continues for fixed orders of fresh flowers that need to go out the next day. Picking needs to be completed by 10:00 am, because any later and wilting can become an issue. Once picked, they are placed in the cool store and processed that afternoon, ready to be shipped out the following day. The hydrangeas being preserved will remain in solution for 3 days before being removed and hung up.

I imagine the days are long on the farm, how do you like to down tools and unwind? Do you have a go-to evening ritual to reset?

During daylight saving time, I enjoy walking along the beach when the tide is out, or going for a swim if the tide is in. Golf is my time out too when time permits. However, my favourite way to unwind is having a glass of wine on the deck with music in the background, catching up with Di on how our days went while admiring the view of the Kaimai Ranges and Tauranga Harbour.

Finally, if you could sit down and share a cup of tea with anyone, who would it be and why?

David Attenborough, who I have immense respect for. He has made the world aware of their environment and inspired people to appreciate and protect the natural world through his natural history documentaries, which connect with people of all ages.

He turned 100 recently?!! A true treasure. 

Thanks Derek! 

You can purchase Derek's preserved hydrangeas from bunched.co.nz or in our shop - 7 Clarke Rd, Te Puna, Tauranga.