When Kristin Flowers wanted to devote part of the family grain farm to growing specialty cut flowers, some people she talked with weren’t sure it was a good idea due to location.
The McClure, Ohio, farm is in a rural area, about 30 minutes from any sizable towns, and people might not bother to make the drive. But with the support of her husband Greg, Kristin pursued her idea.
“I had always wanted to add specialty crops to the farm,” said Kristin. “There was an old house lot where Greg’s grandmother grew up and raised a family, and the row crops hadn’t been extended to that area because a lot of the house foundation was still there.”
Kristin and Greg decided that would be an ideal location for a flower farm.
As she thought about how to make her vision come to life, Kristin followed some specialty crop flower growers around the country, studying their methods. “I read books and listened to podcasts,” she said. “There weren’t any flower farms in the area, and I thought we could make it work, but I wanted to have plans in place before we got started.”
Kristin stuck with her idea, and in 2018 the family planted their first flowers. “I named the U-pick portion of the operation Talisman Farm because I think of a talisman being something that’s deeply rooted and brings good fortune,” she said. “We like to think of that land as a talisman that’s deeply rooted in our family. Now flowers grow where the old farmhouse used to sit. Generations grew up there, and now it’s a magical place where people come and spend time.”
Although Talisman Farm started as a wholesale operation, COVID provided a natural transition to a U-pick option. “Our business model changed,” said Kristin. “The florists we had been wholesaling to didn’t need flowers because no one was having big weddings. It worked out well because everyone was looking for something to do.”
The cut flower season at Talisman Farm is from mid-July through October. Kristin said marketing ahead of time through season passes has helped move a lot of flowers.
“We start promoting season passes for the following year around Thanksgiving and sell passes through winter until the next season,” she said. “It’s a great way to get people excited to come back for the following growing season.”
After their first U-pick season, the Flowerses started selling season passes at Christmas time for people to gift. “They can buy either a vase season pass or a bucket season pass,” said Kristin. “The next growing season, they can come out and fill their vase or bucket. That gives them a full summer, usually about 10 weeks, of farm-fresh flowers.”
The self-serve aspect has increased the customer base. “When we were only open on weekends with limited hours, I think people felt like they had to come here during certain hours,” she said. “Now that we’re open seven days a week from dawn to dusk, the traffic is spread out and allows more people to come.”
A repurposed grain bin serves as an office and storage for flower snips, buckets and vases, and another bin has been transformed into a gazebo where people can rest in the shade or enjoy a flower party. Customers can also pick up care instructions for fresh flowers.
Kristin prefers to purchase seed from smaller seed distributers who offer quality seed with great germination rates. “We choose a wide range of colors, textures and heights and stick with flowers that are hardy and easy to grow,” she said. “Ohio weather is all over the place – we’ve had wet springs and dry summers lately, so we don’t grow anything that’s too delicate.” She also tries to select varieties that will last at least a week after cutting.
Among Kristin’s sunflower favorites are pollen-free varieties that are great for bouquets and arrangements. She also favors branching varieties that provide multiple cuts from one plant. With an array of sizes and colors ranging from black and chocolate brown to peach and white as well as traditional colors, there’s something for everyone. Sunflowers are planted every two weeks in several successions for continual blooms throughout the season.
For zinnias, Kristin focuses on varieties that will continue to bloom after cutting. “I separate colors by rows,” she said. “We used to do a rainbow mix, but people have told us they like rows by color. ‘Persian Carpet’ is a favorite variety, along with ‘Candy Cane,’ ‘Firecracker’ and ‘Lime Queen.’ We also grow some zinnias with smaller heads. We try to mix it up each year but those are the workhorses.”
The Flowerses have tried different growing methods and are still experimenting. In some sections of the flower beds, they lay 16-foot-wide strips of landscape fabric for both flowers and walkways, but Kristin has found she prefers mowed grass walkways between rows.
“This will be the first year for grassed walkways for the whole farm,” said Kristin. “It looks nice and costs less. We still lay landscape fabric in two main areas, including the section where the cut-and-come-again varieties will be in production for the entire season. The fabric cuts back on weeds, and with the volume of flowers, it’s more doable.”
Sunflowers do better without landscape fabric because they form a canopy quickly, which cuts down on weeds.
“We plant everything by hand,” said Kristin, adding that she has family support for tasks. “We’ve learned a lot and we’re still learning every year.”
Pumpkins are planted on Memorial Day weekend, and they’re ready in early to mid-September. “We like to catch the early pumpkin crowd,” said Kristin, adding that people begin to look for autumn-themed items in August. “We grow a lot of specialty and heirloom varieties that people love, along with stacking pumpkins and a lot of different colors. The goal is to finish pumpkin season prior to grain harvest. We still have flowers, and we try to plan an event like a fall harvest kickoff. There are flowers to cut and people can also pick pumpkins.”
The Flowerses are heading into their eighth season with two acres of flowers and one acre of pumpkins. Kristin said people love the quiet, remote, rural location of the farm and tell her they enjoy the drive.
“Any car that makes the trek and pulls into our rural drive means the world to us,” said Kristin. “We’re happy for them to visit and enjoy the farm. We’re excited for people to pick flowers and take them home to enjoy.”
Visit Talisman Farm online at talisman.farm.
