By Lesley Kistner
If you have had your fill of the uninspiring shades of Pennsylvania winter gray, April is the perfect month to start thinking about those proverbial May flowers.
Centre County’s flower farms – many of them part of Happy Valley Agventures, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau’s agritourism marketing and support initiative – are busy preparing for the upcoming season. From established farms to new offerings, abundant, colorful blooms will soon fill fields throughout Happy Valley, PA, bringing joy and joyful experiences to visitors and residents all summer long.
Recently established, Blooming Petals Flower Farm offers fresh-picked flowers at its scenic location in the Nittany Valley just outside of the village of Hublersburg, PA. Tulips and daffodils have been planted for spring. Owner Jennifer Moyer also plans to plant ranunculus in the coming weeks, with hopes of mid-May to early June blooms.
Visitors to Blooming Petals Flower Farm will find more than two dozen types of flowers, filler flowers and greenery, with attention given to a broad spectrum of colors and options that are specific to the fresh-cut flower market and that have a long vase life.
For the Happy Valley Lavender Farm, 2025 marks its first season being open to the public. Depending on the spring weather, most of the farm’s lavender will be blooming in the last week of June, possibly into July.
“We are excited about the coming season,” said owner Donna Lent, who makes soap and bath salts on the farm, which she describes as a “sanctuary of natural beauty.”
Happy Valley Lavender Farm also offers a limited supply of lavender coffee, as well as historic lavender wands during the blooming season. Lent anticipates offering lavender essential oil to the public in July as well.
While the Happy Valley Lavender Farm is largely wholesale, it will be open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 22-July 3. During this time, no appointment is necessary to stop in at the farm at 3730 W. College Ave. Items can also be ordered online for shipment or to be picked up at the farm.
Pick-your-own lavender will be available at Rooted Farmstead. It is one of the numerous varieties of flowers grown at the picturesque family farm on Jacksonville Road, just outside of Bellefonte, PA.
Rooted Farmstead’s farm shop reopens on March 29, with seeds, soil, supplies and plant starts – including cut flower garden kits – available for purchase. Soon after the popular May 10 Spring Market, peonies will make their appearance in early June, followed by the much-anticipated lavender in late June. By mid- to late-July, Rooted Farmstead’s fields are in full bloom until the first frost.
“I think people love coming to Rooted to pick their own flowers because it is more than just bringing home a bouquet – it’s about the experience,” said Christie Holloway, who owns the farm with her husband, Mark. “For a lot of our visitors, it becomes a weekly reset – a chance to slow down and connect with nature in a way that is grounding and therapeutic.”
Holloway said she often receives words of thanks from guests who appreciate the farm and her hard work.
“It is often not tied to a specific reason, but you can feel the weight behind it – whether it’s from someone feeling tired or overwhelmed, someone who just shared a special moment with a loved one in the fields, or someone who used to garden but can longer do so,” she said. “In many ways, the farm has become an adopted garden for the community.”
Rooted Farmstead’s flower farms and others in the county also provide a tranquil setting for other small businesses that understand the therapeutic appeal of being in nature.
Kaleidoscope, PA is one of them.
This summer, Kaleidoscope, PA will continue partnering with local flower farms with watercolor and other creative workshops. Each event is designed to reflect what is in bloom, creating a unique and immersive experience.
Like Holloway, Kaleidoscope founder Sarah Zappe believes that creating art within nature and seeing beautiful flowers can do wonders for mental health and wellness.
She hopes to return to Rooted Farmstead to paint zinnias and dahlias, and to The Heirloom Farmer outside of Port Matilda, PA for sunflowers, among other locations.
Whether you prefer to pick your own flowers, let others do the work or just enjoy being surrounded by fragrant fields of color, Happy Valley’s flower farms – and a new season of delightful experiences – are ready to blossom.