Stop, smell the flowers and enjoy a sip at Georgia’s High Point Farms
The Barn at High Point Farms, at 263 Parrish Lane in Flintstone, Georgia, is known by many as a classic country wedding venue.
Owned and run by Margie and David Gardner, their daughter, Jill Baldschun, and her husband, John, the family-run farm has catered to many brides and grooms across the seasons.
“My parents purchased the farm when I was just 16,” Margie Gardner states on the venue’s blog. “This is a family farm, and this is a family-owned and run business. The farm means something special to all of us: each flowerbed that we create and each project that we build.”
Bringing in the community to share in their life’s work has always been at family’s forefront.
“When we started this venture, the goal was to share the farm with people,” Jill Baldschun said in an interview. “The flowers, the goats, the beautiful setting. We wanted as many people to experience this joy as possible.”
And it’s that same inspiration that led Baldschun and her family to extend a new offering to the community through their summer “Pick and Sips.” Running from 6-9 p.m. each Friday in July, guests are invited to come in, cut and pick their own floral arrangements right from the farm.
The cost is $20 per jar of flowers, and beverages
are available for an additional charge, including wine, tea and lemonade.
“As we looked at our summer calendar this year, we noticed we had more open weekends without weddings, so we thought it would be a good time to extend something like this to the community,” Baldschun said, noting the family opted for evening hours to avoid the heat of the day. “I run the flower farm and handle most of the farm operation myself. We grow our flowers here for our wedding events, of course, and we sell to local florists across the area.”
The selection of flowers is vast, from zinnias, strawflower, thistle, chocolate
lace flowers, sunflowers, jeweled opar and, of course, dahlias, which Baldschun said were “the true workhorse of the garden.”
“Every time we cut them back, they just come back with even more beautiful blooms,” she noted.
Herbs are also onsite for the Pick and Sips and make for lovely fillers with both their scent and presentation, including rosemary, eucalyptus, dill, oregano, mint and yarro.
Baldschun went on to share how the farm offers a beautiful place for people to gather and just spend time together.
“My own friends love to come and pick their own flowers and design arrangements just as an experience,” she said. “There’s just something about finding your perfect colors, making those placements and maybe finding some varieties you haven’t seen before.”
If the Pick and Sips get a good response, Baldschun said she’ll look to add more dates to accommodate as many guests as possible.
“We just want to be able to share all of this with our neighbors: the farm, the flowers, even the goats,” she said. “It’s just a great place to have a good time with like-minded people and make special memories.”