Loretta Ball of The Never Ending Flower Farm on the Joy of Cutting Your Own Flowers

You know, you give flowers for all different occasions and nobody's ever sad when they are around flowers.

If they're having a bad day or, you know, things are going on in their life and come out and pick flowers.

I'm like, I mean, it is like a it's like a therapy to me.

Today, on the Blue Ridge, our guest is Loretta Ball, the owner and operator of the Never Ending Flower Farm in Barnardsville, North Carolina, where visitors can wander through rows of flowers to create their own fresh-picked bouquets.

I'm your host, John Page.

Let's begin.

Loretta Ball is a Western North Carolina native who transformed family land in Barnardsville into the never-ending flower farm.

She lives on the property with her husband, Kurt, and their two children.

Now in its 10th season of You Pick Flowers, the farm has become a beloved destination where visitors can wander through colorful rows of flowers framed by mountain views.

Just 20 miles north of Asheville, it's a wonderful outing for families, a gorgeous backdrop for proposals and even very small weddings, and a gathering place for picnics and seasonal suppers.

In this episode, Loretta shares her earliest memories of picking wildflowers on walks to her grandmother's house and the winding path that eventually led her to start a flower farm of her own.

She discusses the joys and challenges of growing flowers in western North Carolina, how the farm has evolved over the past decade, and what it's like to run a business that's constantly at the mercy of the weather.

We also talk about family and how she's navigating life on the farm following the loss of her mother earlier this year.

Along the way, Loretta explains what visitors can expect at the farm, introduces a few lesser-known flowers worth seeking out, and offers some practical gardening advice for anyone hoping to bring a little more color into their own backyard.

We spoke via Zoom in late March when she was beginning to start seeds for the season.