Meet Jimmy Prosser: Chrysanthemum growing champion for 65 years and still going strong aged 90

Wales
And Finally
Saturday 13 November 2021 at 5:35pm

Watch: ITV Reporter Hamish Auskerry meets Jimmy Prosser at the Quadrant Shopping Centre in Swansea.

It is Saturday afternoon at the Quadrant shopping centre in Swansea and tucked away next to an empty premise stands 90 year old Jimmy Prosser. He is watching over the judges during the 48th Annual Show of the Swansea Chrysanthemum Society.

"I put my first flowers on the bench in Morriston in 1958 and I've been showing ever since", Jimmy told me.

"My wife passed away suddenly and for a few years I was growing them but I didn't have the interest and then when I sort of got over that I went back to showing again".

Jimmy founded the society back in 1973. Him and his friends in the group are celebrating the society's 18th consecutive win at the British National Chrysanthemum Society Championships.

Jimmy Prosser has been growing for 65 years.

In a bid to inspire the next generation, the society have been hosting their annual competition at the Quadrant Shopping Centre, this Saturday and Sunday (November 13 and 14).

After 65 years of growing 'chrysanths', Jimmy, said: "When I got married in 1956, I decided to buy a greenhouse for our garden. My plan was to grow vegetables in it. When I shared this with my workmate he suggested I grew chrysanthemums instead. I thought this was strange. To me, they were funeral flowers.

"But as I started to look into it, I soon realised the huge variety of beautiful chrysanthemums out there. They're so beautiful, real show-stoppers!

"Fast forward a year, and in 1957 I had my first flowers on a bench. I didn't win gold that year, but it didn't hold me back. I still can't believe that was 64 years ago now. My love of showing flowers has grown each year, which is why in 1973, I decided to set up the Swansea Chrysanthemum Society, the first and only society of its kind in the region"

The society once had 50 members but now they want more volunteers.

"We had over 50 members at the beginning, all passionate about growing these beautiful flowers. But numbers have fallen in recent years, which is something we want to change.

"We want to bring back the excitement in growing these beautiful flowers and encourage the younger generation to take up this brilliant and rewarding hobby.

"We're the best growers in the UK and our members come from Swansea, Neath and Porthcawl. We're a friendly bunch and we hope our show will encourage others to join us."

Quadrant Shopping Centre Manager, Lisa Hartley, said: "It's a true pleasure to host the 48th Annual Show at the Quadrant.

"We're all so used to seeing small chrysanthemums in supermarket flower bouquets, that when we come across the larger varieties, they almost look otherworldly.

"To celebrate this year's show, we're asking our customers to nominate someone in their community, who is deserving of a large bouquet from the show. We will have 20 bouquets available to pick up from Monday (November 15) and customers can nominate their deserving friends or family via our Facebook page from Saturday morning."