In celebration of Floral Guernsey's 20th anniversary we are delighted to depict a unique image on our miniature sheet, the Floral Guernsey flower, which is a new daffodil especially bred by horticulturalist Rae Beckwith.
Here Mr Beckwith explains the story behind the creation of Floral Guernsey:-.
'I first stated breeding Daffodils in the spring of 1992. I definitely got the bug and I spend as much of my spare time as possible growing and hybridising new cultivars.
'It was in the spring of 1997 that pollen from Royal Marine was placed on Wychavon. Both parents have white petals with red/orange in the cup. The aim was to transfer the deep colour on the rim of Royal Marine onto the orange colour of Wychavon which is orange in colour along the length on the cup.
'The seeds set and then were sown in July 1997. For the following two years the seed developed and, at the end of year two, the seedling bulbs were lifted and planted out. It would be a further three years, in 2002, before the first flowers appeared. At this stage I was quite certain that the white petaled, red cupped flower that I had hoped for had passed the first stage of acceptance. Thankfully it was, and the seedling was then given the number 1-8-97.
'My good friend, John Woodward, vice-chairman of Floral Guernsey, was aware that in 2011 we named a daffodil 'Herm' after the wonderful island - a flower I began nurturing in 2001 - and he asked whether I might do the same for the 20th anniversary of Floral Guernsey.
'I was only too pleased to be able to offer 1-8-97, as it had gone through all the trials required; it has since been registered with the Royal Horticultural Society.
'Latr in the year, just before the Britain in Bloom Awards Ceremony the bulbs of 'Floral Guernsey' will be planted on Guernsey to mark this very special occasion.'
