Mike Brown
The Brown family moved from Tresco to Sunnyside Farm in 1920 and have been growing narcissus flowers for 100 years now. Over the years dairy and beef cattle have been reared as well as pigs, chickens & turkeys. Mike took over the farm in 1988 and over the years the acreage has increased from 15 to 36 acres. He decided to concentrate on bulbs and has broadened the varieties and increased the crops grown.
Mike supplies wholesale flowers primarily to Mainland Marketing as well as to one or two postal flower businesses throughout the winter months. In the summer, bulbs are exported to the UK and Europe, there are three holiday lets and a small bulb shop on the farm to tend to also.
Farmer Brown enjoys a Scilly sunset / A field of blooming narcissi
Mike mentions an important point: ‘The narcissi grow so well on Scilly because of our naturally warm climate. We get very little frost here on the islands and the flowers don’t like the freeze’. (Think frozen cucumbers!) So if you’re thinking about planting bulbs at home, make sure to choose a warm spot in your garden, like near a wall by your house.