Anne Ellen Christmas Tree Farm in Manalapan’s Village at Anne Ellen is a holiday staple in New Jersey. The family behind the winter wonderland has been quietly working on a new reason for families to visit long before the first snowfall. After months of planning, they’ve opened Petal & Pine Flower Farm in nearby Monroe Twp.
The main attraction is more than five acres of blooms you can snip and pick yourself, a colorful flower field transformed in just three months from what was once a soybean crop. Visitors can wander rows of dianthus, marigolds, cosmos, snapdragons, salvia, celosia, zinnias, eucalyptus, lisianthus and gomphrenas.
Grab some clippers, fill your bucket with water and head out to the fields. The flowers are separated and labeled so you know exactly what you’re picking. It’s an easy activity for little hands, and gives you time in nature with the kids.
The farm officially opened on June 26, and flowers are expected to bloom through the end of August. Though the pick-your-own sunflowers are just starting to grow, you can see some fully bloomed heads peek out of the Wildflower Field. Though you can’t pick the wildflowers, you can wander through the fields to see kid-friendly photo ops like a caterpillar, butterfly, teacup and lighthouse stand.
Other kid-friendly activities include the farm animal area, where there’s a mix of Highland cows (Wilbur and Daisy), donkeys, alpacas, goats and mini horses; you can buy animal feed from inside the gift shop.
The playground has “petal tracktors” for pint-sized farmers, spread out inside a small play area.
There are lawn games like giant Jenga, cornhole, basketball, and a decorated mini golf course.
After all that pickin’ and playin, head to the coffee trailer for a selection of cold drinks and sweet treats. The seasonal menu includes a blueberry cobbler, vanilla cake or cup of dirt (mocha) iced drink; original, lavender or prickly pear lemonade; and Southern sweet tea. Petal & Pine is partnering with Brie by the Sea for a selection of Graze Boxes, aka packed charcuterie to go. There’s also a selection of chips, macarons, brownies and cookies.
And when it’s time to shop (or to have your bouquet wrapped), pick up some honey, a wind chime, a crochet bouquet or decorative tea ware from inside the gift shop. There’s also a rotating curated marketplace on the farm grounds.
The farm is pet-friendly, as long as you keep your dogs on a leash, clean up after them, and make sure they don’t eat the blooms. You can buy specially-made dog treats in the gift shop.
There are special pop-up events, too. Going back to the Christmas connection, Petal & Pine will hold a Christmas in July festival for one weekend only: on Friday, July 24, and Sunday, July 26, there will be holiday shops, Christmas-inspired drinks and treats, themed photo ops, and thousands of Christmas lights after sunset. The farm will be open from 9 am to 9:30 pm those days. Admission is $10.
On Saturday, July 25, a special Christmas After Dark party will be held from 6 to 10 pm, with the addition of a free showing of the movie “Elf” at dusk (around 8:30 pm). Admission is $15 per person, can be bought at the gate starting at 6 pm, and is first-come, first-served.
Join Bloom & Flow sessions: Morning Bloom Sunrise Yoga is on Sundays, July 12 and 26, and August 2 and 26, from 7:30 to 9 am; and Golden Hour Flow Sunset Yoga is on Mondays, July 13 and 27, and August 3 and 17, from 6:30 to 7:45 pm.
Petal & Pine Flower Farm is located at 35 Old Church Rd., in Monroe Twp., Middlesex County. The farm is open from 9 am to 5 pm Thursdays to Sundays; the picking season will depend on the blooms, but is expected through at least August 23.
Admission tickets are $10 per person cash, or $11 per person using a credit card, and can be paid at the gate. Flower stems are $1.75 each. Check their Instagram page for $20 bucket specials, yoga pop-ups and other special events.
Editor’s Note: Always check times, dates and weather updates before heading out.
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