6 Pick Your Own Flower Farms in Rhode Island

Mmore than just an Instagram-worthy photo opportunity, these local flower farms have dedicated farmers who grow a fine selection of plants for spring and summer. Even if you’re not picking petals, take in the beauty of the flowers and the hard work the farms have put out.

Editor’s note: The openings of the farm depend on the weather conditions. Check social media and online announcements for the most up-to-date information.

NORTH

Lady Farm and Orchards, Johnston

Flowers: Tulips and daffodils

After purchasing the property in 1890, the Dame family first made their agricultural profits from dairy cows and apple orchards. The family lost ownership after the state took control of the property in 1969. For many years the farm sat idle. After subletting the land from the Rhode Island Historical Farm Association in the early 1970s, the family resumed farming and a wholesale market began operations. In 2012, renting became an issue and the Ladies moved their business across the street. Seven generations later, Dame Farm and Orchards operates as a farm stand and flower farm. In previous seasons, the farm has grown summer varieties of zinnias and sunflowers.

Things to know before you go: Customers must pay for all flowers they pick. Bring your own heavy clippers or scissors. Backpacks, large shopping bags and other large containers are not permitted.

Opening mid-April to the public. Call before arriving for the most up-to-date information, including times and admission prices. 91B Brown Ave., Johnston, 949-3657, damefarmandorchards.com

SOUTH

Petal Farm, Kingston West

Flowers: Dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, celosia, marigolds, amethysts

Thanh Luu is a solo show who moved to the state nearly a decade ago and started growing lettuce and a single bed of zinnias and marigolds. She was inspired by her aunt’s joyous reaction to receiving flowers. Over the years, his dream came true by cultivating an eleven-acre field of grape varieties. In addition to her flower farm, she supplies flowers to a handful of weddings each year and sells to local farmers’ markets and distributors. In the spring, she stores buttercups, anemones, tulips, narcissus, snapdragons, peonies, Irish bells and more. From July to

September, her farm is open for U-pick flowers. At the end of summer, his whole field is in bloom. Its fall season includes dahlias, sunflowers, eucalyptus, hydrangeas, amaranths and more.

Things to know before you go: There are limited parking spaces. Bring your own clippers and buckets; water is provided for your flowers.

Opening mid-August to the public. Admission $5. 592 Fairgrounds Rd., West Kingston, 804-824-1457, Petalsfarm.com

Manfredi Farms, West

Flowers: Sunflowers

When not offering PYO flowers, Manfredi Farms offers farm-fresh produce and a petting zoo full of cows, goats, donkeys and chickens. The farm specializes in a long season of sunflowers. These aren’t the tall, black-centered varieties, says manager Melanie Manfredi, but rather the soft, fluffy ‘Teddy Bear’ blooms. Sizes vary from two inch blooms to eight and ten inch blooms in a variety of colors.

Things to know before you go: Everyone who enters the grounds, even those not picking flowers, must pay entry and receive a wristband. With the purchase of an admission, guests are allowed into the children’s play area with a huge sandpit, tether ball, picnic area and playground. Guests can pick as many flowers as you can hold, but no buckets or baskets are allowed. Bring your own clippers.

Opening at the end of May to the public. $17 admittedper person. 77 Dunns Corner Road, Westerly, 322-0027

Wicked Tulip Flower Farm, Exeter

Flowers: tulips

Wicked Tulips in Exeter Begang his journey in 2009 when
Keriann met Jeroen Koeman, who comes from a Dutch family of tulip growers. Upon getting married, they began EcoTulips selling organic bulbs. In September 2015, they brought their dream of growing tulips from central Virginia to Rhode Island. Each year, the couple plants 800,000 tulips with a tractor and hosts the largest U-pick tulip event in New England. They have prioritized the purchase and use of certified organic bulbs in an effort to be more environmentally friendly. Their second farm, at Preston, Connecticut, is only twenty-five miles away.

Things to know before you go: Bring your own water for your tulips after picking. Sign up for the newsletter to be notified of ticket sales and more. Adult admission includes ten tulips. Additional tulips cost $1 per stem.

Opening at the end of April depending on the weather. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Adults $20; children five to seventeen $5; younger only five free. 400 Hog House Hill Road, Exeter, 297-3700, wickedtulips.com

IS

Moon Peony Electric Farm, Little Compton

Flowers: peonies

Electric Moon focuses on top quality peonies. In the spring, the farm is open to cut flowers while the fall is reserved for sales of rootstocks. The farm is open to the public by selection days of the first two weeks of June to
watch the growth habits, flower colors and scent of different varieties of peonies while the field is in full bloom.

Things to know before you go: Although not a PYO, guests can view and select the flowers they want to cut. Cash or check payment only.

Open for field viewing and purchase of pre-cut stems June 11 from 4-6:30 p.m.; June 12–June 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5–$8 per rod. 43 Old Harbor Road, Little Compton, electricmoonpeony.farm

Farm of the four cities, Look for

Flowers: Dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, asters, gomphrena, salvia, gladioli, rudbeckia

Around the 1900s, David Soloman Peck purchased land in Seekonk and passed ownership to his children. Over the following generations, the farm grew to thirty hectares with a team of agricultural workers. After distributing to grocery stores, the farm turned to a roadside cart starting with the sale of melon. Cart became a stand and expanded their selection to other vegetables and fruits. Today the farm has expanded to provide a farm stand and twenty-three greenhouses. The PYO flower garden has a long season until a hard freeze, and at that time the farm turns into a PYO pumpkin patch with a hay walk that leads to a corn maze.

Things to know before you go: Open early July. No admission fees; flowers paid by the kilo.

Open Monday through Friday. 9 a.m. to 6:90 p.m. George Street, Seekonk, MA, 508-336-5587, 4townfarm.com

how to make them last

Taylor Olson, owner of Moonstone Flower Company, shares tips for keeping your flowers fresh at home.

“The benefit of using local flower farms is that sourcing directly from your grower allows you the longest possible vase life right from the start,” says Olson, who takes custom orders via Instagram. to @moonstoneflower.co. “Grocery stores usually sell flowers that have been cut for a week and flown in so that by the time they reach you, you might be lucky to get a few good days with them.

You cut them, now what?

• Cut the stems at an angle, trimming the ends every few days to keep them fresh.
• Remove any greenery from the stem below the waterline.
• Use a clean vase and fill it with cold water.
• Falling tulips? Drop a dime in the vase and watch them recover within an hour.
• Remove the outer petals of the roses before placing them in their
  new house.
• Add a little alum (find in the spice department) to a vase of hydrangeas to revive them.
• Keep flowers in a cool space away from the elements.