With summer officially underway, there's no better time to check out Ontario's flower farms.
This day-trip activity is perfect for those who are looking for a unique mini-adventure this summer. It combines a road trip with a new experience and the opportunity to take incredible photos—what more could you need?
Visit one of the province’s flower farms to try your hand at snipping your own blooms and bring back a freshly cut bouquet to brighten up your home. Even better, load up and gift a colourful bunch to someone you love.
Colour Pop Florals: LaSalle, ON
Colour Pop Florals, whose motto is “Where colour and joy collide”, is a great place to start your flower-cutting adventure. Their specialty during the summer months is dahlias and this year they are growing over 30,000 of them—big, beautiful, dazzling blooms that come in a wide variety of colours. Wander the rows of flowers, take pictures and cut your very own bouquet; it’s an experience you won’t soon forget. Colour Pop Florals is the largest pick-your-own farm in Southern Ontario (and the only one to offer pick-your-own dahlias in the area) and is part of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario.
Green Corners Farm: Ottawa, ON
At Green Corners Farm, you’ll find Ottawa’s largest u-pick flower field. They grow local, seasonal flowers, which in the summer months means sunflowers, snapdragons, zinnias, marigolds, and more. Cut your own or pick up a bouquet from their roadside stand. This is a popular place for photographers as well, and for a small fee they can book photo shoots or mini sessions with clients here.
Stems Flower Farm: Cookstown, ON
This small 8-acre flower farm is just outside of Cookstown and includes a Cut Your Own Bouquet Garden. Take a leisurely stroll through an acre of flowers covered in thousands of impressive blooms and select your own bouquet. The area also includes a private garden and a picnic space for visitors to enjoy.
Fresh Market Farms: Burlington, ON
Fresh Market Farms is one of the largest self-cut flower farms in the Toronto and Niagara area. It’s a 25-acre, family-owned farm where they are devoted to providing customers with locally grown, sustainable flowers and vegetables. Adherents of the slow flower philosophy, they are proof that beauty and sustainability can go hand-in-hand. Choose a mix of zinnias, dahlias, baby’s breath and a number of other varieties to create your own bespoke bouquet this summer. Do some shopping at their farm stand and pick up some home goods and gifts too. You can even reserve the flower field for a private party or group! Their private u-pick sessions are led by a professional florist, so you’ll be guaranteed to score a picture-perfect assortment of blooms.
Garden Party Flower Farm: St. Agatha, ON
Designers, DIYers and other floral enthusiasts flock to Garden Party Flower Farm, where the blooms are grown in the organic tradition and visitors are encouraged to experience the beauty of picking their own flowers for themselves. They grow over 4-acres of free-range flowers on the farm, which includes 200 varieties. They also forage their meadows and forest for unique and interesting botanicals. There are simply too many kinds of summer flowers to list here—you’ll have to visit to see for yourself.
Please note that for most of these experiences, tickets must be purchased in advance online. Because these are working farms, you can expect bugs, weeds, uneven ground, and variable weather conditions. Closed-toe shoes are also recommended.
