OUTDOOR LIVING
A new option for cutting fresh flowers has popped up on County Road 37 in Middlebury this summer. Beth Eash and family started Farm Grown Flowers, a U-Pick flower spot on their family farm. Sunflowers, Zinnias, Cosmos, and other wildflowers are planted in a succession type system, allowing fresh stems for cutting all season long. New rows are regularly planted while older plants feed and nourish the soil once again.
Beth Eash and employee tend to the flowers and customers.
Bees are busy on the flowers!
The Zinnias are beautiful!
Leave a leaf near the flower for best results when cutting.
Opening in July, Farm Grown Flowers has posted regular hours on their Facebook page, along with gorgeous pictures of their blooms. Several events have already happened, such as date night or girls’ night with a food truck, flower picking, and photography. Other special days have included prearranged flower bundles. They expect to be open July through mid-October each year. I took our two youngest boys out to the flower farm. Buckets and clippers were available for our use, along with a demonstration on which flowers to pick. Staff suggested looking for firm stems and petals not yet completely unfurled. With so many varieties, it was hard to choose, but it was fun to search for them all. We enjoyed the experience of family time, being part of nature, supporting local businesses, and interacting with our community. Pollinators were busy throughout the flowers. We reminded ourselves that bees leave us alone if we leave them alone. In reality, the bees were interested in the flowers, not us. We made small bouquet jars with a few flowers each to share with the women in my family. Farm Grown Flowers has a variety of sunflower species, such as Teddy Bear, Mexican, Gold Rush, Rouge Royale, Goldy Double, Double Quick Orange, Florenza, Firecracker, and more. Each has unique characteristics, and all are beautiful! They accept card, cash, and Venmo for the reasonably priced flowers. You can contact them at 574-370-2667 or farmgrownflowers@gmail.com. When you go, remember to take a bucket or container to transport your flowers. For optimal freshness, change the water and trim the stems every few days, favoring hard water over soft water. Enjoy the fresh blooms!
Our flower haul!
6 inMiddlebury Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2021
Dr. Carla Gull blogs at www.insideoutsidemichiana. com and hosts the podcast Loose Parts Nature Play. She is often seen with four tag-along explorers in the greater Michiana area.
