Have you always dreamed of being Alice, magically lost in a flower-filled Wonderland? You can live your most colourful floral dreams by visiting flower farms around Ottawa, where you can create your own bouquet. Dahlias, snapdragons, lavender, sunflowers and many other varieties are waiting to be picked.
Explore enchanted gardens and bring home a bouquet from these pick-your-own flower farms, all less than two hours from Ottawa.
Green Corners Farm
Distance from Ottawa: 0.5 hours
Frolic through garden beds full of zinnias, snapdragons, cosmos, sunflowers and endless greenery. There are also more than 30 types of sunflowers in many colours, like white, yellow, red and multicoloured. For just $25, you can fill your basket with your heart’s fancy, with up to 25 points worth of flowers. Sunflowers cost two points and all other blooms are one point each. Not into build-a-bouquet? No worries! Admission to visit the farm and fill your Instagram channel with endless selfies is just $5 or buy a pre-made bouquet at the farmstand. The season usually runs from mid-July to the first frost (in late September or October), with sunflowers at their peak in August.
Roam Flora
Distance from Ottawa: 1 hour
This solar-powered farm is home to a rainbow of blooms and will post various flower events in advance on social accounts and its newsletters. There are a variety of blossoms, from peonies in late spring to cosmos and zinnias in late June into July, you can end the summer with sunflowers and dahlias, among others, throughout the season. The prices for bouquets start at $30 and can range in size to $75 for large buckets of blooms. There are no U-pick flower dates as of June 2024, but any changes and updates will be announced online.
Fields Of Gold
Distance from Ottawa: 1.15 hours
Watch for the goldrush this summer! In addition to big and bold sunflowers, there are about 20 other varieties you can pick, such as dahlias, cosmos, and zinnias. The price to pick your own bouquet at Fields of Gold is $20, with entrance to the farm costing $15 per adult. The U-pick patch will be operating from Friday to Sunday, with the anticipated opening date of July 17, 2024, and you can make an online reservation. Pop by the bloom bar to buy a pre-made bunch or check out several summer events like Wednesday paint nights, Sunday sunset stroll dates, and a large vendor market taking place on August 17 and 18, 2024.
Loulou Lavender
Distance from Ottawa: 1.5 hours
Forget the lavender fields of France! This summer, surround yourself with blooming fields of green and purple. There is no admission fee to visit this flower farm, but you can pick lavender bouquets starting at $6 each. There is also a gift shop where you’ll find lavender and other locally made products. Lavender treats, including flavoured ice cream and cookies, will be on sale this summer on select dates, with proceeds going to charity. The lavender season typically begins at the end of June and continues into the first few weeks of July.
Gossamer Gardens
Distance from Ottawa: 1.3 hours
Near the quaint town of Perth just west of Ottawa, you can stroll blooming fields and create a custom bouquet at Gossamer Gardens. Grab clippers and a supplied container with water and go wild collecting stems from the garden for $30 admission, including the flowers (about 20 stems). Feel free to bring a container to transport it home. You’re also welcome to bring snacks and water since the farm does not sell food. The U-pick season should begin by mid-July and updates on dates and events will be posted on their website. You’ll find flowers like snapdragons, peonies, asters, dahlias and newly bred zinnias for 2024.
La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac
Distance from Ottawa: 1.75 hours
Head over the river to Quebec for two summer flower festivals at a farm that also grows fruits and veggies. Flower season kicks off with Festi-Fleurs. On select dates between July 19 and August 4, 2024, you can pick a bouquet from over 200 floral varieties. There are over 50 types of sunflowers to choose from during the Tournesol en Fleur, which runs on weekends from August 16 to September 2. Admission includes a jar to carry your blooms and is $24 for Festi-Fleurs and costs $29 during Tournesol en Fleur (sunflower season). Visit the flower farm for a sunset bonfire event on July 20, 26, and 27, and August 17, 23, 24, and 31. You can also pick berries for part of the season and enjoy food truck eats like burgers and desserts.
Ferme Marineau
Distance from Ottawa: 2 hours
Swim through an ocean of colours at this enchanting flower farm where you can pick a bouquet from thousands of blooms. Discover varieties like cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, celosia and more. Flower picking dates run from Friday to Sunday beginning on July 19, 2024, and change to Saturdays and Sundays only on August 24. Admission to the farm is $12.95 per adult, including other farm activities such as an outdoor labyrinth with puzzles, select live performances during the summer, access to a café and creamery where you can grab icy treats, and berry picking. A pot and shears are provided to cut blooms, costing $15 for one pot of U-pick flowers or $12 each for two or more.
Before you hit the road, bring your CAA Membership
From just $30 a year, CAA Members save wherever they go. You can save when dining out on your road trip or when filling up at Shell (save 3 cents a litre on fuel). You can view the list of 126,000 partner locations worldwide online.