As a florist, researching Swiss flower farms was one of the first things I did after moving to Switzerland. Why? Local flowers are a clean, beautiful, interesting, and long-lasting alternative to grocery store and other traditional flower sources. (Did you know that only 30% of flowers bought in Switzerland are grown in Switzerland?) When you buy locally grown product, you know that the flowers were harvested within the last few days, meaning they will last at least a week and likely much longer in water. They are usually grown using sustainable practices, meaning no dangerous residual chemicals, and will have the kind of scent, color, and variety that you can’t find anywhere else.
I found a few great Swiss flower farms to share for florists needing local sources and brides contemplating DIY wedding flowers.***
Mille & Une Fleurs
Mille & Une Fleurs
Route de la Chaux 4
1148 Cuarnens
Tel: +41 (0) 79 268 85 57
Offers self service and workshops.
Potager de la Planche
Potager de la Planche
Chemin de la Planche 3
31423 Tévenon
Offers self service.
Chickadee Flower Farm
Chickadee Flower Farm
En Jon 6
1407 Donneloye
Offers self service.
Fleuraissance
Fleuraissance
Dorfstrasse 28
8164 Bachs
Email: hello@fleuraissance.ch
Offers flower delivery, wedding florals.
I know there are so many more flower farms that offer self service or “Blumen selber schneiden” in Switzerland. Wouldn’t this be a really fun summer activity for the family? Also, I think it’s amazing to get to experience where our flowers come from and gain appreciation for our local farmers.
A Few Tips for Self Service
- Flower farms may only be open the public during certain days during the flowering season (usually late spring to early fall), and not all of them may allow for cutting your own flowers. Make sure to call ahead or check social media before your visit!
- Take a pair of shears or a sharp knife. Make sure to bring a clean bucket or container to keep your flowers fresh on the way home. Your bucket should be clean enough to drink out of!
- Cut your flower stems so they are long — the length from your wrist to your elbow is just about perfect. You can always trim them later! Usually, cutting long stems actually encourages the plant to grow even more flowers. Gently strip or cut off all the foliage/leaves from the lower 2/3 of the stem. This will keep the water from getting dirty (longer vase life!) and will help you fit more flowers in your bucket 🙂
If you’re not near any of the farms mentioned above, I encourage you to seek out a flower farm near you and see if they allow visitors or provide classes to come and learn about the process.
I can’t wait to visit each of these farms! Leave a comment below if you have been to any of these farms or if you have any other flower farm suggestions!
***Do you want to DIY your wedding flowers? DIY-ing all of your wedding flowers is a HUGE undertaking, made trickier by the fact that, well, flowers die (especially if you don’t know how to condition and care for them properly)! That said, DIY-ing your wedding flowers isn’t impossible and can save you a ton of money… and that may end up being worth it to you. If you take on this project, it’s important that you do a fair amount of research, pre-planning, and set realistic expectations. Should I do a planning post on DIY wedding flowers with some tips and tricks for making your florals awesome and as painless as possible?
(Photos via Floret Flowers.)
