Ridgefield farm offers wildflower picking while supplies last

(THE PICKET)—Technicolor clouds of zinnias and sunflowers tower above my head as I picture myself as a child again, overwhelmed by the wonder of beautiful, growing creatures sprouting from the damp soil.

Scissors in hand, I scamper through the rows made up of various hues—fuchsia, peach, amber, crimson, gold, pastel pink—and I feel more alive than I have felt in quite some time. “This is my happy place,” I think to myself. I might be almost 22 years old, but being surrounded by a field of wildflowers will never cease to excite my senses.

Ridgefield Farm and Orchard, located up a winding, scenic drive at 414 Kidwiler Road in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., is a prime location for picking your own wildflowers and getting a happiness fix. The hum of insects and the intoxicating scent of pollinated flowers travel along the warm summertime breezes at the farm, beckoning flower pickers of all ages to create a bright bouquet.

A bouquet brimming with 20 to 25 blooms usually costs around $10, although including sunflowers in an arrangement will raise the price by a few dollars.

The farm is open to the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wildflower picking will be a continuing activity until the farm runs out of flowers, which usually happens sometime in September, according to the Ridgefield Farm and Orchard website.

Alongside wildflower picking, the farm will also provide butterfly nets to anyone wanting to catch them as they seek out their flowers.

While wildflower picking is popular at Ridgefield, the farm offers other seasonal activities including pick your own apples, a pumpkin patch, hayrides and cut your own Christmas tree. Pick your own wildflowers and pick your own apples are two activities that usually stop at the end of September. Apples available in the month of September include Empire, Courtland, Golden Delicious, Jonagold and Mutsu.

For more information, visit the farm’s website at ridgefieldfarm.com or call 304-876-3647.

Note: All photos taken by Emily Daniels.

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Wildflower DIYs

Basic drying of flowers:

Once you have picked your own wildflowers at Ridgefield Farm and Orchard, the flowers will only last a few days in a vase of water. Instead of throwing the flowers away, why not try a fun DIY project to dry out your wildflowers and display them as decoration?

Supplies: twine, scissors and thumbtacks

Step One: Choose one of the flowers you would like to dry and trim the stem if desired.

Step Two: Tie a length of twine (the length depends on your preference; I personally like my piece of twine to be about a foot long) about an inch or two from the bottom of the flower’s stem.

Step Three: Tack the end of the twine (the flower should be hanging upside down at this point) to the wall, and, voila, you have a floral decoration that will be completely dried out in a few days.

Creating a Dried Flower Chain:

If you catch the flower drying bug (like I did about three years ago), you might become obsessed with trying to find new projects for your dried flowers. Here’s a DIY to make a dried flower chain.

Supplies: twine, scissors and thumbtacks

Step One: Choose as many flowers as you would like your chain to consist of (the one I made of my Ridgefield Farm wildflowers consists of 15 flowers) and cut the stems, leaving only about three inches (at most) of the stem.

Step Two: Use a very long piece of twine (a couple feet long; you can cut the excess off later) and begin by tying your first wildflowers toward one of the ends of the twine.

Step Three: Continue by leaving a few inches of space between each knot and tie the flowers one by one.

Step Four: Tack both ends of the completed twine flower chain to the wall (I like to tack mine in the middle also so there are two half circle lengths of twine hanging down).

Step Five: Enjoy the beautiful decor and wait for the chain to fully dry within a few days.

Emily Daniels is a staff writer for The Picket. She can be reached at edanie02@rams.shepherd.edu.