phlox

Pick Your Own Phlox: A Dutch Farm Adventure

Forget tulips for a minute. There’s a fluffy, fragrant secret growing on farms across the Netherlands, and it’s ready for you to snip. We’re talking about phlox—those cheerful, star-shaped clusters of pink, purple, white, and magenta that look like they’re having a tiny party on a stem. And yes, you can pick them yourself, from July to September!

Grab your friends, the kids, or just yourself and a pair of scissors. Head to a U-pick flower farm (keep an eye out for “pluktuin” signs), and prepare for the loveliest, most satisfying harvest. Phlox is a champion for cutting: sturdy stems, a sweet clove-like scent, and blooms that just keep giving.

Pro picking tips:

Time it right. Early morning or late afternoon is best—the flowers are most hydrated and the heat won’t wilt your basket.
Pick wisely. Look for stems where about a third of the tiny flowers are open, and the rest are still in tight buds. They’ll keep blooming in your vase for days.
Snip at an angle. Cut the stems long (about 30-40 cm) and pop them straight into a bucket of water you brought from home.
Handle with care. The petals bruise easily, so carry your stems gently. Leave unopened buds on the plant for the next pickers.

What to do with your armful of phlox once you’re home?

First, give them a fresh 45-degree angle cut and strip off any leaves that’d sit below the waterline (they rot fast). Plunk them in a clean vase with cool water, and they’ll perfume your whole living room for a week. But don’t stop there:

Table centerpiece: Mass a bunch of phlox in a low, wide bowl—no need for other flowers. Their round heads create a cloud of colour.
Floating blooms: Snip individual flower heads and float them in a shallow glass dish. Instant garden on your coffee table.
Pressed in a book: Press a few flat stems between parchment in a heavy book for a week. Frame them for sweet botanical wall art.
Dried: Hang small bunches upside down in a dark, dry spot.

For the true flower lovers—an extra treat:
The petals of garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) are edible raw (in small amounts) and have a mildly spicy, floral taste; the stems and leaves are not. Rinse the petals just before use and keep them for 2–3 days at most, between damp paper towels in the fridge. Float a few clean petals in lemonade or add them to sugar for a floral sprinkle.

Phlox-Inspired Iced Tea

Not a herb, but the petals make a dreamy tea.

Phlox & Mint Sun Tea
Gently floral, refreshing, and caffeine-free.

2 cups fresh phlox flowers (rinsed, just the petals)
4 sprigs fresh mint
1 tablespoon honey (or agave)
4 cups cold water

Place petals and mint in a large jar. Pour in cold water and honey, stir. Set in the sun for 2–4 hours (or refrigerate overnight). Strain and serve over ice. Garnish with a whole phlox bloom—it’s gorgeous.

So next time you see a Dutch farm offering phlox picking, go for it. You’ll leave with a basket full of color, a head full of scent, and enough blooms to turn your home into a garden. Happy picking!

Corien Veron Bloem en Atelier Pluktuin

flowers, grasses

noord-brabant

At Corien Veron Bloem en Atelier Pluktuin in Esbeek, you pick your own seasonal flowers from June to the end of September. The field grows around 50 to 60 varieties, including asters, sunflowers, phlox, cosmos, zinnias, dahlias and ornamental grasses. The flowers are grown organically and without pesticides. The pluktuin is open daily from 9.00 to 19.00. You can pick your own bouquet or buy one that is already made. Payment is by cash or card. The farm also sells silk flower arrangements and offers workshops in flower arranging, which take place in the converted cowshed of the 19th-century farmhouse.

Eric Sleutjes Bloemen en Planten

flowers

noord-brabant

At Eric Sleutjes Bloemen en Planten in Sint-Michielsgestel you pick your own flowers in a dedicated pluktuin from July until the first frost, typically the end of October. The field grows around 80 to 90 varieties, including asters, roses, delphiniums, phlox, cosmos, dahlias, zinnias and sunflowers. You cut the stems yourself and pay by the bunch. The farm is open Tuesday to Friday, 10.00 to 17.30, and on Saturdays from 10.00 to 17.00. The same hours apply to the on-site theehuis, a small café that serves coffee, tea, homemade apple cake and sandwiches. The theehuis is open from late April to the end of October.

Tuinderij Amelis’Hof

vegetables, herbs, flowers

utrecht

Tuinderij Amelis’Hof in Bunnik is a historic, one-hectare market garden where you can pick your own flowers and seasonal vegetables. The farm grows around 100 varieties of vegetables, including heritage types like oerbiet (a traditional beetroot), winter broccoli, snijbiet (Swiss chard), spekbonen (flat green beans), pastinaak (parsnip) and aardpeer (Jerusalem artichoke). There are also 25 types of herbs, small fruits and over 150 flower species, such as cornflowers, sweet peas, dahlias and zinnias. The flower field is open from late May until October.

Hanna's Pluktuin

flowers

friesland

At Hanna’s Pluktuin in Makkinga, you pick your own seasonal flowers directly from the field. The farm grows dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, amaranthus, ornamental tobacco, statice, salvia, scabiosa, fountain grass, calendula, strawflowers, echinacea, yarrow, sea lavender, snapdragons, bishop’s weed, nigella, bronze fennel, phlox, globe amaranth, lion’s tail, marguerites and more. The selection changes through the season. You pay €12.50 for a hand-held bouquet of 20 to 25 stems, which you cut yourself with scissors provided. The farm also sells gift vouchers starting at €10, valid for two years on fresh bouquets, dried flowers and decorative items. Pre-arranged bouquets can be ordered in advance for collection.

Tuinderij De Groenteboer Biologische zelfoogsttuin

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

utrecht

Tuinderij De Groenteboer in Kamerik is a pick-your-own organic vegetable and flower garden where visitors harvest their own produce directly from the field. The farm grows around 60 types of vegetables, herbs and soft fruit, including spinach, broad beans, peas and turnip greens in spring; carrots, beetroot, broccoli and strawberries in summer; parsnips and pumpkins in autumn; and kale and leeks in winter. The season runs from May to December, with roughly 30 weeks of harvest.