The Best Pick Your Own Flower Farms around RVA

If your family is anything like mine, you love seeing all the beautiful blooms at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and Agecroft Hall & Gardens. But seeing all those blooms can be tough for kiddos -- you can't pick any of them at these historic gardens!

Luckily for us, there are some amazing pick your own flower farms around central Virginia! These farms are usually open in late March through October with pick your own tulips, lavender, sunflowers, and more!

I really like these pick your own flower farms because they are easy to navigate with kids, they offer other attractions or are close to other family friendly spots, and they are 2 hours or less from Richmond.

Here are the best PYO flower farms for families to visit around Richmond, Virginia:

1. Alvis Sunflower Farm: Located in Manakin Sabot, this sunflower festival usually takes place in late July and early August. It’s hosted by Alvis Farms, a working dairy farm that’s been in Goochland since 1965. Alvis Farms has 50 acres of sunflowers, and we like how this festival has a bunch of activities: touch a truck, lawn games, animals, a misting tent, and food trucks.

It does get very hot picking sunflowers in August. We like to visit early in the morning or at sunset to get the coolest temperatures possible! This is also a very big farm, so depending on the ages of your kiddos, you may need two adults. We've visited as a family the past two years.

*Check here for my full review.

2. Amelia Lavender Festival: Located in Amelia, Windsor Lavender Farm has more than 2,000 lavender plants and they are celebrating their second year of lavender blooms. To celebrate, they are hosting a festival on June 10 and 11 from 9am-7pm on their farm. Tickets are sold at the gate for $10, and children under 10 are free. Parking is also free! There will be 50+ vendors, concessions, music, a petting zoo & face painting.

*Check here for more details.

3. Belvedere Plantation: Located in Fredericksburg, this 600+ acre working farm is about an hour from Richmond on the Rappahannock River. Also known as The Peony Farm, Belvedere Plantation hosts events in the spring, summer & fall. This farm has everything: hayrides, a pumpkin patch, flower picking, clean restrooms, changing stations, a market, food options & so many activities! This is a huge farm, so depending on the ages of your kiddos, you may need two adults (we went as a family).

The Sunflower Spectacular is TBA. Tickets usually cost $14.95, and single stems cost $3 (sunflower blooms).

*Check here for my full review.

4. Braehead Farm: Located in Fredericksburg, this farm has been family owned since 1937. Braehead Farm has pick your own produce fields for strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, sunflowers & more. The market has prepicked produce, goods and ice cream. There are also bathrooms in the market. Behind the barn is an amazing play area for children with farm animals ($5pp). Chickens roam freely! It’s located about 50 minutes from Short Pump, and it’s right off 95 - perfect for a day trip. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣You don't need to call ahead or make reservations.

This farm is currently open from 9-6 daily for PYO strawberries and some vegetables. Cut your own flowers is between June and September. You can cut sunflowers, zinnias, celosias, and wildflowers. Check here for pick-your-own schedule.

*Check here for my full review & here for details from our last day trip to Braehead!

5. Burnside Farms: Located in Nokesville, this brings the beauty of Holland’s tulip fields to Virginia with a million tulips every spring! The Festival of Spring is usually in April & you can pick-your-own tulips. This pick-your-own farm also has daffodils & other blooms right now + they will have sunflowers for 3-4 weeks in July!

Burnside Farms has a large play space with an inflatable pillow, multiple play houses & a basketball area — definitely be a *highlight* for kiddos! The tractor ride was also a hit at the end of our visit - we all jumped on with our stroller & rode from the tulip fields to the front of the farm.

*Check here for my review.

6. Chesterfield Berry Farm: Located in Moseley, this farm is about 40 minutes from Short Pump. This farm has strawberries, blackberries, sunflowers, sweet corn & pumpkins. You drive passed the playground & barn to the grass parking lot. Once you’re at the fields, you will wash your hands & grab a bucket to pick strawberries. The fields aren’t too far from the parking lot, so there’s not too much walking for little ones. There are porta potties, too. 

2023 Season: The Sunflower and Sweet Corn Festival is in July and August.

*Check here for my full review.

7. Fresh Branch Farm: Located in Chesterfield, this family-run farm hosts an annual Sunflower Festival each summer (late July/early August). You can cut your own sunflowers, see tractors & pet goats and chickens. This is a smaller farm with parking right by the sunflowers. It is doable solo with kids!

While they don't have food options on property, Hull Street has so many restaurants. Swift Creek Place has Mission BBQ and Gelati Celesti. At the light for Winterpock Road, there’s Mod Pizza & Chick-Fil-A.

*Check here for my full review.

8. Historic Greenbrier Farms: On over 300 acres, this pick your own farm has strawberries, tulips, peaches, wildflowers, sunflowers, pumpkins & Christmas trees! Greenbrier Farms also has a nursery, play area, event space and a restaurant. While visiting a nearby museum, we added this spot to our trip before heading home. We spent about an hour picking tulips & exploring.

*Check here for my full review.

9. Liberty Mills Farm: Located in Orange, Liberty Mills Farm opens from June to October for pick your own flowers. They have Zinnias, Gladiolus, Echinacea, Cosmos, Lisianthus, Dahlia, Lavender, Snapdragons, Gomphrena, Rudbeckia, Blue Ageratum, Sunflowers and more!

Besides picking your own flowers, little ones can play in the outdoor play space that has a large wooden tractor play structure, a slide, natural stepping stones and more! Don't forget to grab some tractor-made ice cream (yep - they make their own ice-cream with a tractor!) as a sweet treat to finish off your adventure.

If you're looking for an entire day adventure, you could pick your own flowers at Liberty Mills Farm, grab lunch at BBQ Exchange, and then tour James Madison’s Montpelier.

*Check here for my full review.

10. Snead's Asparagus Farm: Located in Fredericksburg, this sustainable family farm has pick your own sunflowers in late summer, pumpkins in the fall & cut your own Christmas trees in December. We also love the whimsical, woodland play area that is open throughout the year. At our last visit, we spent 3 hours exploring during our last visit, only leaving for food!

As of May 2023, the farm is currently open from 10-2 on Saturdays for visits. Sunflower season is typically in June through September.

*Check here for more details on Snead's.

11. Sweethaven Lavender Farm: Located in Williamsburg, this family owned lavender farm is about an hour from Richmond, Virginia. You can cut lavender, eat lavender infused treats like cotton candy & brownies and explore the beautiful farm. You can also pick your own Zinnias, Sunflowers, Lance Leaf Coreopsis, & Blue Flax mid-June through July. This year's season will be from May 16 to July 1. Grab your tickets here.

Sweet Haven Lavender Farm is also the perfect spot for a picnic- there are picnic tables & large trees for shade. There are hammocks & a children play area too! Our adventures here usually last about 3 hours, and this is a doable trip solo with 2 kids. This was my first solo day trip adventure with an 11 month old and an almost 3 year old.

*Check here for my full review.

Quick Tips & Facts:

1) When we visit farms, I always bring our sunscreen, bug spray, hats and snacks. You just never know when the market will be closed or if it will be extra hot that day! All the flowers grow in full sun, too.

2) Almost every farm and orchard has uneven terrain - vines in the field. Strollers usually don't work. Bring a baby carrier or plan on using your stroller as a "home base."

3) These are working farms. Dress accordingly. We always wear closed toed shoes.

4) Most PYO farms do not allow backpacks or large bags in the fields. Because we use a backpack as a diaper bag and we need it all the time, I've had our backpack checked before.

5) Some farms don't have bathrooms, and some only have porta potties. We always bring our car potty because it's just easier for little kids. Click here for the one we use and love.

6) If it has rained recently, the farms, including the parking lot, fields & play areas will be very wet and muddy.

7) Depending on the farm, the cutters can be pretty sharp. Watch little kids closely!

8) Most opening dates are announced last minute based on weather & blooms. Make sure to contact the local farm or check its Facebook page for the most up to date information!

Looking for more pick your own farms around Richmond? Check out our favorites here!

For more details on these getaway spots and more Virginia adventures, follow our family on @thewestendmom on Instagram!