Fields of tiny terminators are waiting to be plucked south of town.
Snapdragons, sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, marigolds — they share one commonality with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s classic anti-hero movie character: They keep popping up even when you think they’re down for the count.
And thank goodness, because by the end of the Rocky Mountain Flower Fest at Gather Mountain Blooms, the fields will be stripped bare of bright, sunny blooms. But not to worry, the indelible little plants will send up another bloom within a week.
The third annual festival is Saturday at the urban farm in Security-Widefield.
“We love it because people come and cut flowers and have that special experience of wandering through the field,” said the urban farm’s co-owner Nikki McComsey. “It’s a feeling of gratitude and joy and love that people get to experience that.”
McComsey is one of three sisters who opened the cut-flower farm three years ago in the fields at historic Venetucci Farm. Though one sister has since moved to Woodland Park, McComsey and her other sister and a few others plant about 60,000 flowers on an acre and a half from April to mid to late July. All that work results in continuous hordes of blossoms through the first frost, many of which are sold at their Flower Stand, a farm stand with fresh flowers, or available to visitors who pay to cut their bouquets. Some of the blooms are sent to florists around the state.
Planning the planting so there are always fresh, blooming flowers requires forethought and intricate successions of flowers. One group of blooms has come and gone and will be replanted with something new. One field is blooming now and another will come into bloom next month. Part of one field is dahlias, which are featured in farm events during the summer and fall.
Attendees at Saturday’s festival have a choice of two tickets — general admission or general admission plus You-Pick Flowers, which is limited to 400 people this year to ensure there are enough blooms. The event also will feature folk, bluegrass and Americana music by Grass it Up, Copper Children and Haymakers, food trucks, beer and wine, activities for kids, line dancing and a flower crown craft, for an extra $20.
“When we first started we didn’t plan on doing You-Pick Flowers,” McComsey said. “It came about because we had so many flowers and needed a way to sell them. It’s an experience. It’s not just about selling flowers. People love that. They’re always looking for unique experiences and outings with family and friends.”
