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A new flower patch dazzles at Elderslie Farm
Elderslie Farm in Kechi has become famous for its you-pick blackberry brambles. Now it's bringing the joy of a day among the brambles to a new you-pick flower patch.
Emma and Berkeley Neyens
Emma and Berkeley Neyens crouch next to a row of black-eyed susans. Emma Neyens brought her 3 year-old daughter to the farm to build a bouquet for visitng family members. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Elderslie Farm zinnias
Zinnias in shades of linen, mauve, cream and pumpkin reach to the sky at Elderslie Farm. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Flamingo feather celosia gets a visit from a bumble bee
George Elder planted well-loved flower varieties alongside interesting bouquet fillers like this flamingo feather celosia. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Zinnia rows at Elderslie Farm
Visitors to Elderslie Farm wander through the rows of the farm's new you-pick flower experience. The flower patch is open from dawn to dusk at the Kechi-based farm and costs $9 a bouquet. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Bramble Cafe customers look out over flower patch
Customers at Elderslie Farm's Bramble Cafe sit in the shade and look out over rows of flowers. The new you-pick flower patch joins the property's blackberry brambles, cafe and farm-to-table dinning experience, Elderslie. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Woman snaps a picture at Elderslie Farm
A woman stops to take a picture of the flower patch at Elderslie Farm. Rows of purple and white gomphrena are a popular addition to the bouquets built at the you-pick experience. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Flower patch at Elderslie Farm
This year marks Elderslie Farm's first foray into cut flowers. The Kechi farm, known for its blackberries, planted a you-pick flower experience in February that has drawn the community to its sky-high blooms. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Katharine Elder walks through flowers at Elderslie Farm
Katharine Elder walks alongside rows of cellway red celosia and orange amaranth, building a bouquet of the flowers and some red zinnias. The you-pitch flower patch is the newest addition to Elderslie Farm in Kechi. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Sunflower and black-eyed susans
A post-bloom sunflower hides among the black-eyed susans at Elderslie Farm. Farm owner, George Elder, decided to plant a flower patch in February. The patch did so well in its first year that the Elders planted a second round of sunflowers that will be ready for Oktoberfest celebrations. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Women build bouquets at Elderslie Farm
George and Katharine Elder created a self-guided flower-picking experience at their Kechi farm. Visitors scan a QR code, pay a small fee and then pick up a vase and shears to use to build a bouquet from the new flower patch. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Snapdragons at Elderslie Farm
George Elder said planting flowers like the snapdragons seen here was a welcome challenge at Elderslie Farm. The farm is famous for its you-pick blackberries which Elder has nurtured over 15 years. He said the first year of flowers were picked to thrive in the Kansas climate, like these snapdragons which flourish in the heat. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Flower varieties at Elderslie Farm
George Elder and the growing team at Elderslie Farm planted varieties of zinnias, black-eyed susans and gomphrena and other flowers in a you-pick experience. Elder ordered seeds in February, planted young seedlings in April. The first blooms popped up across the patch in May. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
People explore the Elderslie Farm flower patch
People explore the new you-pick flower patch at Eldeslie Farm in Kechi. Grower and owner George Elder says the flowers represented a challenge and departure from the farm's blackberry brambles. Elder says he planted the patch to encourage curious exploration of the land. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
Elderslie Farm zinnias
Rows and rows of zinnias dazzle at Elderslie Farm in Kechi. Co-owner and executive chef Katharine Elder said the flowers are inspiring her team at Elderslie, a farm-to-table dinning experience on the farm. (Meg Britton-Mehlisch / KMUW)
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