The Summer Dreams Farm Visit You Didn’t Know You Needed
Flower Picking
Summer Dreams Farm in Brandon Township, Michigan, is a flower farm. Have you ever thought of going to a farm to pick flowers? It’s an experience that many people enjoy. Picking flowers from a farm can feel like an odd thing to do. What happens when you give it a try? We decided to find out. Come along to Summer Dreams Farm in Brandon Township, Michigan, and see how it all turned out. We were a bit skeptical, and maybe you are too.
U-Pick Farms
When you think of U-Pick farms, what comes to mind? Berries, apples, and pumpkins are what come to my mind. Maybe yours, too. Often, it’s the young that are drawn to this experience. Maybe young couples or families with young children. We haven’t been to a U-pick farm of any kind in a very long time. Once you have a yard to care for, the idea of picking produce on a farm can lose some of its shine. Parents often take their children to a U-pick farm as a family outing for fun or an educational experience. When the kids grow older, family entertainment evolves into something else. U-pick farms often become a thing of memory. But now, there are flower-picking farms of all types, such as Sunflowers, Lavender, Dahlias, Cut-and-come-again annuals, and more. Flower picking is for a different crowd, one a bit older than the pumpkin and apples crowd, one that is seeking joy rather than stocking up on summer foods like strawberries and blueberries. Summer Dreams Farm specializes in Dahlias but also grows Rudbeckia, Zinnia, Yarrow, Dusty Miller, and more.
Preparing for Summer Dreams Farm U-Pick Event
Summer Dreams Farm requires preregistration and prepayment online. This opens a week before each scheduled U-Pick session. We set off for the farm with ticket in hand and the address set in Google Maps. We enjoyed each other’s company as we set off, discussing the day, the route, and nothing in particular. The late summer day was mild. The sky was a fluffy blanket of clouds with bursts of blue and sunlight peeking through. Based on the guidance from the Summer Dreams website, we wore closed-toed shoes and brought our garden clippers. We arranged ahead of time that he would take pictures and I would do the flower picking. We have learned that setting expectations ahead of time, even just a few simple ones, makes for a much more enjoyable experience.
Arriving at Summer Dreams Farm in Brandon Township, Michigan
There is no sign as you approach the driveway, but the map directions are accurate. The entrance is gated with pillars. The gate was open, and several cars were pulling out. The driveway is long and narrow, so passing other cars off the edge of the two-track may be necessary. When you get to the end of the driveway, check-in is to the right, and parking is to the left. The parking lot is a pasture, so go slowly here as it is rather bumpy and uneven. When you get out of your vehicle, watch where you are stepping. There are horse-laid land mines about.
Checking-In
Exiting the parking pasture, you will see glimpses of rows and rows of plants with brightly colored flowers seeming to float at the tops of the green rows. Blooms of bright yellows, soft pinks, blues, reds, oranges, and white beckon from beyond the check-in areas. A small tent is straight ahead as you cross the driveway where you turn into the parking area. Here, you present your ticket and check in. Once your name is confirmed, you will take your little number tag (with a 1 or a 2) that the helpful ladies behind the table give you. This tag indicates how many buckets you registered for. Walk behind the tent to a small table where an energetic man greets you with smiles and welcoming gestures. He is the owner and addresses each cluster of flower-pickers as they approach with a short safety talk and helpful tips about how and what to cut out of the fields so that your blooms will last as long as possible. You are then given a metal bucket with a plastic insert that has a bit of water, and off you go into 7 acres of beautiful flowers to pick until your bucket can hold no more.
Something Surprising Happened
Picking flowers from someone else’s yard turned out to be unexpectedly challenging. That was a surprise. I mean, Summer Dreams planned this event, they invited the public, and we paid them, but putting those cute compact garden clippers (the ones I bought on a whim because they were compact and cute) up to someone else’s flowers was tough. We wandered around the 7 acres of flowers, giant dinner-plate Dahlias, the smaller dome-shaped ones, the reds, oranges, pinks with yellow centers-oh so many vibrant colors, watching other people cut away and fill their containers. He is taking lots of really amazing photos of flowers. He’s got a knack, even though he says it’s just the camera; it’s definitely the camera AND him.
Why Was This so Hard?
Turns out this feeling goes back to childhood. Children usually like to give gifts to people they love in order to see them smile. Many children will gather up sticky little handfuls of dandelions to give a bouquet to their moms. One of my favorite things as a child was to wander around my neighborhood in the fields and empty lots, grab fistfuls of wildflowers, and bring them home to Mom. She was always happy to have them, which made me glad to give her something. She always reminded me to pick only from the fields, not people’s gardens. Sometimes, flowers from people’s gardens grew through the fences, so they weren’t technically from someone’s garden. Once or twice, I actually picked one directly from someone’s garden along the sidewalk. It was wrong, but the thought of my mom’s smile was more vivid in my mind than the threat of getting caught. So, now, when we are cutting these flowers at this farm, well, it felt a little wrong. It took 10 to 12 cuts before I really felt okay. It is funny how our childhood rules and experiences can unexpectedly impact us while out doing our routine adult life.
So Many Flowers
Eventually, I got over the hesitancy and truly enjoyed the experience. The flowers were abundant, and even though they were primarily dahlias, the variety of dahlias was impressive. I didn’t know that they came in so many different variations. There were enough colors, shapes, and shades for everyone’s taste. The variety of bouquets that people picked was interesting. Some people focused on a color pallet that matched in tone or vibrancy. I noticed a lot of deep-hued reds and purples as we started heading into the fall season. Plenty of people chose softer colors like pale pinks and whites. Others had such a wide variety that you couldn’t call it anything but beautiful. Some people went outside the Dahlia-only lines and picked the Zinnias, Dusty Millers, and even some mint for a nice touch of green to all the bright flowers. There were many, many more flowers there than we could all have picked—plenty for everyone.
A Full Bucket of Flowers
There came a point when no more flowers would fit in the bucket. It was time to leave. We were making our way out of the rows of flowers and across the field to the exit when we ran into a group of fellow flower pickers. They had full and beautiful buckets, too. He asked if he could take a photo of them with their flowers because they were so pretty, and each bouquet was unique to the person who picked it. They agreed and then gave him their phone for more photos for themselves. Then, another group asked for photos. And more people entered the picture. One little girl with this group had had enough of the flower picking and was ready to go. As such little ones do, she was crying and unhappy. The women with her were trying to cheer her up to little avail. They picked her up to be in the photo with them, but she was still unhappy. He asked her if she liked flowers; she nodded but didn’t smile. Her caregivers stated that she liked rocks. He asked her if she could hold up her rocks for the photo, and she smiled. He handed their phone back, and as we walked away, we could hear the chatter about how lovely the pictures were and how happy they were to have them.
What to do When You are Done
Once you finish picking, you exit the same way you came in. The attendants cheerfully help you slide the plastic insert with water and your flowers out of the metal bucket. The metal bucket stays there, and you take your plastic insert and flowers home. The insert conveniently fits into most cup holders in vehicles. If you want a metal bucket like the one you used for picking, you can purchase one while you are there. Also, if you post a photo to your social media while you are there and show them, you will get a colorful flower sticker to take with you.
Book Your Own Adventure at Summer Dreams Farm
Overall, we had a delightful time. We were pleasantly surprised by how much fun we had. The flowers were beautiful. The day was perfect. The owner and staff were cheerful. We came home with flowers enough to fill three vases, photos worthy of sharing and printing to hang on our walls, and joy in our hearts for each other’s company and helping others enjoy their day. We recommend a trip to Summer Dreams farm to spend an hour or so snipping off flowers from someone else’s garden to take home and enjoy. Take flowers and photos, and make some friends along the way, and remember that surprises can happen anywhere.
What to Know Before You Go
Summer Dreams Farm is in Ortonville, Michigan. The U-pick days are usually on Sundays, and you must register and pay ahead through their website. Please pay attention to their online directions on what to wear and bring. We didn’t notice a sign on the road, but Google Maps was accurate. The driveway has a gate and pillars and is a bit long. It takes you back to the pasture used as a parking lot. Go slow here, as it is rather bumpy and uneven. The owner and staff were both friendly and helpful. https://goo.gl/maps/R2CaVKZLTggMBTgUA
Summer Dreams Farm is listed on our Things to Do in Oxford post. It isn’t directly in Oxford, but it is just a short 10-minute drive from downtown, where you will find plenty of places to choose from for dinner or lunch while you are in the area.
We both enjoyed our time here and hope you will support this Hidden Gem and enjoy your time.
