Visiting a farm, a field or picking your own produce is the perfect summer activity for nature and gardening enthusiasts! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears…
I was lucky enough to visit a magical farm, with incredible aromas and flamboyant colors… but not dedicated to food!
I visited a flower farm.
Yes, not all crops are for eating! But those pretty flowers you buy at the florist have to grow somewhere, don’t they? At the Ferme Florale Libella, pick-your-own bouquets are the order of the day.
In itself, the prospect of visiting a field of flowers appealed to me, and it was with no particular expectations that I headed to Cookshire-Eaton in the Eastern Townships of Quebec for this activity, which turned out to be a must-do of my summer. Even though it was the hottest day of the summer and I sweated buckets!
A Remarkable Mission
It was there that I met Charlene, the owner, and it was love at first sight. With her rare generosity and openness, I was able to talk to her about her unusual flower farm project, which offers people the chance to pick their own bouquets.
I quickly realized that it’s not the love of flowers that motivates her journey, but the love of Nature with a capital N. She practises regenerative agriculture and has built her entire business around her convictions. On her farm, the focus is on living soils, where native species are combined with wild species. The soil is left undisturbed, the fertilizer used is organic, and the lawn is mowed only where necessary, leaving the wild areas to shine with native plants.
Living Soil?
Soil health is a subject for an article in itself, but in a nutshell, here’s the problem. Soils that are over-exploited, ploughed deep every year, and that see the same variety of annual plants planted year after year are in bad shape.
The soil no longer has any cohesion, and is transformed into dust that the wind and water carry away. There are no microorganisms to recycle and nourish the soil, decompose debris and feed the plants that will grow in it. Deprived of durable roots that live there year-round and aerate the soil, water cannot penetrate the compact mass of earth and runs off at the surface, carrying a layer of sediment with it. Carbon can no longer be captured from the atmosphere to feed soil organisms, and the little that manages to establish itself during the season is immediately destroyed the next time it is ploughed. In short, the soil is dead, and we compensate with liters and liters of water, insecticides, fertilizers and so on.
There are some very simple ways to take care of your soil, things that growers should all know about since it’s their main tool. Don’t leave the soil bare, don’t plough, have diversified crops… in short, Charlene can tell you all about it!
Just Flowers?
The 50-acre land is gigantic, and every year the area where flowers are grown for picking is enlarged. There are perennials, annuals, edibles, medicinal plants and even some to produce dyes.
But that’s not all: conferences and workshops are offered to learn more about using flowers, dyeing, creating bouquets and wreaths, all in a semi-enclosed structure that allows activities to be carried out outdoors regardless of the weather. On-site, there’s also a microscope for viewing the microorganisms present in these rich soils, and there will soon be a screening of documentaries on soil health. In this enchanting environment, learning about the land makes perfect sense.
Of course, you can also picnic and stroll along the trails to make the most of the day.
What the Gardener Doesn’t Dare Do at Home!
The ultimate wow factor is the flowers. But be warned, the experience is sensational. Is that too strong a word? No, because your senses will be stimulated like never before!
We’re gardeners. We know all about getting our hands dirty with plants. But this time, I promise you, it’s something special: we’re picking flowers! I don’t know about you, but the flowers stay in the flowerbeds at home, and I’d never dare cut these marvels!
In short, the sensory journey begins with textures: for me, at least, my hands have been through a lot! Touching petals, hairy stems, more or less rigid, sticky, tough leaves… It’s a far cry from the tomato and cucumber textures we’re used to harvesting!
Have you ever seen mint, thyme or monarda in a bouquet? I have. And I don’t understand why florists don’t do the same! The mix of flowers and fine herbs really made for an original, fragrant bouquet. I’d eat it!
The sheer number of foraging insects creates a lovely, soothing buzz as you choose THE flower you want, without any rules or restrictions, and what can I say about the colors?
It’s an experience that’s a little intimidating at first, because cutting a flower isn’t what gardeners usually do. But once you get the hang of it, it’s a different kind of communion with nature.
A Unique Gift
The Libella farm offers two sizes of harvest “vase”, and you can fill them as you like. You can fill it to your heart’s content, and you’ll get a lot of flowers in the small size! Don’t be fooled by my bouquet, I wasn’t even at half my glass’s capacity. I’ll make up for it when I go back.
But who collects so many flowers, you ask? Charlene tells me that people come to make their wedding bouquets, their centerpieces or even bouquets for several people.
Creating a personalized bouquet by choosing each flower and arranging them yourself, under her expert guidance, is a real thrill. What’s more, because the flowers are so fresh, they stay beautiful for a very long time. As I write this article, it’s been almost a week since I picked my flowers, and not a single one has wilted.
In short, gardeners, if you want to enjoy a change of scenery while doing an activity you think you know inside and out, I strongly recommend that you plan a stop at the Ferme florale Libella on your next visit to the Haut-Saint-François region: you won’t be disappointed!
What a wonderful place to go. Sounds like a perfect day!