For Emma Horswill, the path from editing videos for Gardening Australia to running her own flower farm felt like a natural one.
The former video editor trained in horticulture at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts, then set about combining those two passions on a three-hectare property at Lower Snug.
The result was Earthenry Farm, which in 2019 became what Horswill says was Australia’s first pick-your-own flower farm.
“I just really had this beautiful garden and passion for flowers and wanted to invite people to the property to enjoy it just as much as I did,” she told Pulse.
Visitors book tickets online, choose a small or large tin pitcher and receive harvesting training from field staff before heading out to pick whatever catches their eye.
Returning customers who bring their container back receive a discount.
“We’re just so lucky to be doing this every day as a job,” Horswill said.
The farm runs pick-your-own sessions for half the year and operates a nursery selling specialty cut flower plants for the other half.
Eight staff keep things running, flexing up to around 10 during summer.
In the off-season, 20 to 30 volunteers help with winter work in exchange for soup and a gift voucher to spend when the farm reopens.
Horswill said events book out regularly and repeat visitors keep coming back.
She is also proud of a free schools program that invites children to the farm for excursions combining flower picking and art.
The upcoming season kicks off with a spring sale on October 17 from 10am to 2pm.
She said it was looking like a good season for the farm.
“The heat that’s being talked about … I think that will really work in our favour in the cold part of Southern Tasmania for our flowers,” she said.
“Every year that we’ve been operating, we’ve sort of been increasing our numbers and the interest in the farm.”
“We’re really happy with the local community response. We get a lot of repeat customers coming back all the time that love the farm.”
Dahlia tubers, rooted cuttings, potted peonies, Italian ranunculus, organically grown seed and fresh spring bunches will all be on offer alongside coffee and food stalls.
A golden ticket hidden in one of the seed packets will win three large picking tickets for the season ahead.
More details are available at earthenry.com.au.
