Bakery café blossoms at Makkink’s Flower Farm

Behind the bakery café counter at Makkink’s Flower Farm are from left Bev Van Straten, Hilde Makkink and Ayla Sawchuk. (Chris Abbott Photo)

Chris Abbott, Post Correspondent

Makkink’s Flower Farm and Bakery Café has come a long way from its humble roots – a flower table near road.

“My business has grown ‘over the years,’ it’s nothing that I planned out,” said Hilde Makkink, noting when she added the cut-your-own flowers service it was a dream come true. “I didn’t say, ‘This is what it has to look like in 10 years or so.’”

Makkink started with sunflowers, and enjoyed it… a lot.

“I started with a really small plot and now it’s two acres of fresh-cut flowers – and two acres is enough. We start off the end of May, beginning of June when the first flowers are ready. It runs until the frost hits in the fall. I’m always hoping for Thanksgiving, and the weekend after is ideal. But if the frost comes earlier, it’s over.”

Flower seasons vary, but they include dahlias, peonies, sunflowers, zinnias – and so much more.

“We grow around 45 varieties,” said Makkink. “I think it’s even more. But nothing is growing the whole time. Peonies are a spring flower, May-June. Then we have Delphiniums, then the summer flowers start to bloom.

“We always try to have bouquets ready.”

A baker for 15-20 years before starting her flower farm, in the early years it was a bit of a struggle for Makkink learning it all.

“It was self-taught, trying and error. In the beginning we would have a gap of a couple weeks without flowers but I figured it out. Now I have the hang of it and there’s always stuff growing.

“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “The best part of it is weeding, I love to weed. If I have a busy day in the store, and my head is full, I go in the field and I weed for two hours. It’s so relaxing! It’s just my happy place – weeding in my flower fields.”

Visitors come from nearby Oxford, Elgin and Norfolk Counties ($10 admission fee), but they also from much farther away, including the GTA, to wander through the flower fields on grass paths, cutting their flowers.

Many out-of-town visitors wanted to know ‘where to eat,’ and Makkink typically guided them to establishments in Tillsonburg.

“We got busier and busier, I hired more people and we needed some more space.”

That’s when another dream was realized – more of a distant, in-the-background dream – adding a coffee/lunch room.

“I didn’t think that people would come out of town for lunch or an afternoon coffee or morning tea, but they do, and I honestly love it.”

Located a couple minutes east of Tillsonburg (east on North Street to 164604 Kellett Rd), they are almost on the edge of town.

“Still, the main focus had to be flowers.. and it still is. Everything is flower related. A lot of people come here for lunch or for a coffee and tea, and even a wine and a quiche – we have an alcohol licence.”

Not only does their new building host the bakery café with plenty of tables/seating and the cut-your-own flowers section, they now have ample space to do workshops.

“Everything is flexible. The tables can go up and down, and a lot of the tables are on wheels, so I can easily change the room around to a workshop or cafe area. Or we can make the store area bigger.”

Makkink’s Flower Farm and Bakery Café is open May 1st to mid-December, four days a week – Wednesdays to Saturdays 9-5. Mondays and Tuesdays are office/prep days for Makkink and her staff, which includes deliveries.

“We do pancake breakfasts once a month, with a tour of the farm. It’s nice for people to come here and have the experience.”