From stress to serenity, Black Creek Flower Farm creates a space to breathe

Laura Barker is the proud owner of Black Creek Flower Farms and is excited to show the community what’s to come in the fall.

Black Creek Flower Farm’s new Sunset Flower Picks are giving people a chance to slow down, relax among the blooms, and leave with more than just a bouquet but memories. 

The Sunset Wednesday Pick at Stratford’s Black Creek Flower Farm gives visitors an opportunity to come to the fields from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and with a $20 price tag they can pick a bouquet of flowers alongside playing lawn games and socializing. Visitors are also free to bring their own picnic set up if they wish. 

“We get a lot of couples that come for date night, or families and groups of girls coming out together to enjoy a relaxing evening,” said Laura Barker, owner of Black Creek Flower Farm.

“It’s a nice mid-week break and at the end people can go home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. We have cornhole and ring toss games. There’s something for everybody.” 

Black Creek Flower Farm is a family-run business now in its third generation with Barker taking over ownership. The farm has offered “u-pick flowers” for about five years, and this year introduced the Sunset Flower Pick. Each season, the farm continues to add new events and expand its offerings.

Barker said that the farm has received requests from the community to add floral painting workshops in the future. Additionally, the Fall Harvest Festival is set to return in the coming weeks for its third year. The event will feature a sunflower trail for visitors to walk through and pumpkins and seasonal decorations geared toward families. The festival also includes face painting, with all proceeds donated to the local food bank. 

“My word of the year is joy. It’s great spreading joy to people; it’s such an important thing in this day and age. Mental health is such a huge thing and there’s been so many studies on flowers and being amongst them can be so good mentally for you,” said Barker. “People are so tied to electronics, and a lot of jobs are based inside of a building. People aren't outside as much, and life is so demanding with jobs taking so much from us.

“It’s rewarding for me to see how happy people get. I had a workshop, and a lady was crying because she thought the flowers were so beautiful. I think she mentally slowed down when she came out and the flowers might remind people of a family member and someone who’s special to them.” 

Throughout the summer, the farm offers workshops designed with children in mind, including themed events such as a princess tea party and a teddy bear picnic. The farm also hosts private events, giving families and groups a chance to create their own memorable experiences.

“I have been the owner for five years. I’m sticking to the roots of what foundation that the business was built on,” said Barker. “We are very family oriented, but my family is still very much involved with the operations. We have been shifting to more events and workshops and slowing down the wholesale end of things, it's much more rewarding interacting with people.”