Visit these flower farms across Iowa when you want to pick your own stunning bouquets
Get your gloves and sunscreen on and buckets out to spend the afternoon among vibrant blooms at the flower farms of Iowa.
Brighten up your home, or the faces of your loved ones, with freshly picked flowers, from snapdragons and lilies to stunning sunflowers.
These five flower farms in Iowa offer you-pick experiences, meaning you can go directly to the farm and choose which flowers you want to take with you.
Alissa’s Flower Farm
Alissa VanZweden of Alissa’s Flower Farm brings more than two decades of growing experience, though she and her husband purchased the seven-acre farm in Hull just three years ago. Perennials, such as yarrows and delphinium, will be in bloom in early July, though the end of the month will yield annuals, including marigolds and zinnia, VanZweden said. Be sure to visit the Alissa’s Flower Farm website to purchase tickets to visit the farm.
Location: 2710 Hickory Ave., Hull
Contact: alissasflowerfarm.com
Cost: Starts at $35
Hours: Opens in early July on weekends only
Iowa Flower Farm
It’s Iowa Flower Farm to you, though owner Cheri Sorensen calls her farm "serenity." Visitors should expect to feel the same way when they visit the seven-acre farm 30 minutes north of Des Moines where flowers spread out across one-and-a-half acres. Some of the flowers grown at the Iowa Flower Farm include dahlias, snapdragons, lisianthus and sunflowers — the latter of which are planted in weekly increments to ensure there will always be some available. Bring your own gloves, cutters and buckets, though Sorensen will provide a clean bucket for visitors to use while they pick their flowers to maintain healthy plants. Iowa Flower Farm will also host Snip and Sips on Thursday evenings for folks who want to have a drink while they pick out flowers.
Location: 11520 N.E. 110th Ave., Maxwell
Contact: iowaflowerfarm.com
Cost: Stems range from 50¢ to $1.50 to $2, depending on the flower, per the farm's website.
Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m., and Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m.
Lovely Bunches
Designed to feel like you’re on a trail and discovering flowers throughout, the Johnson County farm will have marigolds, sunflowers, amaranth, zinnias and more, along with herbs and other greenery. Purchase farm fresh eggs thanks to the farm’s chickens, whom you may occasionally hear during your visit. The family-owned and operated farm led by mother-and-daughter duo Kara Krapfl and Sharon Dooley began in 2020 and also offers dog and horse boarding.
Location: 2915 Newport Road N.E., Iowa City
Contact: lovelybunches.com
Cost: $25 for a bucket
Hours: Sundays 3 to 6 p.m.; reservations only on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Miss Effie’s Country Flowers & Garden Stuff
Come pick anywhere on Cathy Lafrenz’s property, and stuff as many flowers as you can in a one-gallon bucket for $30. LaFrenz’s focus on providing visitors a welcoming experience may be the reason why she has customers from Des Moines, Chicago and London. The flower farm that began in 2002, and was the first you-pick flower farm in Iowa, according to Lafrenz, returns for another season with sunflowers, snapdragons, larkspur and lilies. Though if you’re looking for lilies, don’t wait too long as they may no longer be in bloom when July rolls around due to weather and drought, Lafrenz said. Miss Effie’s has a guesthouse for folks who’d like to spend the night at a flower farm, and a monarch butterfly enclosure is currently being built so people can learn how to raise them.
Location 27387 130th Ave., Donahue
Website: https://www.facebook.com/misseffiesflowers/
Cost: $30 for a one-gallon bucket
Hours: Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to noon; Wednesday evenings from 4 to 7 p.m. mid-June through mid-August
Wild Bird Farm
The family-operated farm in Madrid that opened in 2021 will have summer annuals in bloom when it opens in early July. Expect sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons, cosmos, celosia, amaranth and more across half an acre. Be sure to keep an eye out for special you-pick dates as Wild Bird Farm plans to host an ice cream truck and a s’more evening for select times.
Location: 9700 N.W. 158th Ave., Madrid
Contact: wildbirdfarmia.com
Cost: Choose a $20 cup or a $30 jug, per the farm's website.
Hours: Opens in early July. Hours vary weeknights and during the day on weekends.
Four more flower farms near Des Moines to visit
Bochner Farms, 17072 88th Ave., Indianola
Jester Hill Farm, 12430 N.W. 128th St., Madrid
Rose Farm, 7197 43rd Ave., Norwalk
Willow Flower Farm, 5119 Harding St., Prole
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Where to pick bouquets at flower farms in Iowa, Des Moines this summer