Theresa Schumilas grew organic vegetables for three decades.
As a retirement project, she decided to head in a new direction, and began growing what she calls ‘free-range’ flowers.
The result was Garden Party Flower Farm, a four-acre farm in St. Agatha that specializes in wholesale flowers to florists, weddings and other such events.
But Garden Party has a twist
Enjoying nature as you’d find it
On weekends, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., it opens to the public for a one-of-a-kind pick-your-own flower experience.
“I think people are craving to be in nature, not in nature that’s manicured or controlled, but in nature as you would find it,” Schumilas said.
While she acknowledges that the farm is meticulously managed, she said it does allow people to experience flowers in the raw.
Weeds, bees and mosquitos are commonplace here, as nature intended.
Flowers, not followers
The flowers themselves are the headline, and the experience isn’t a controlled one.
She doesn’t offer refreshments. There’s no gift shop. There isn’t even a bathroom for visitors.
“It’s not about posting a picture on Twitter or on Pinterest, it’s about experiencing flowers, that’s all it is,” she said.
When people arrive, they pick up a flower jar and a pair of clippers, and are allowed to wander around the working farm among the sounds of pollinators.
There are prices per stem, or, for $15, visitors can pick as many flowers as they can hold in a hand.
The fields are open from June 2 until Thanksgiving.
With reporting from Krista Simpson
