Hidden Blooms Flower Farm opens in Amityville with U-pick bouquets and strawberries
Luca Kretz, 5, of Amityville, holds a bouquet of zinnias at Hidden Blooms Flower Farm in Amityville, a new U-pick destination. Credit: Bobby Kretz
You don’t have to drive out east or head upstate to wander through rows of vibrant flowers this summer. A new U-pick farm in Amityville is bringing a scenic and sustainable pick-your-own experience to Long Island’s South Shore.
Hidden Blooms Flower Farm (555 Albany Ave.; 631-655-8412, hiddenblooms.farm), located behind the Sisters of St. Dominic, opened July 18. The 1-acre regenerative farm nursery is the vision of Amityville native Bobby Kretz, 32, who set out to create a space where people can connect with nature while supporting sustainable practices.
"I've always been passionate about creating a beautiful outdoor space with responsible farming practices that people can enjoy," Kretz says.
Rows of zinnias, sunflowers and mixed blooms at Hidden Blooms Flower Farm in Amityville. Credit: Bobby Kretz
Kretz uses only electric or manual equipment, and the farm is pesticide- and herbicide-free, with a focus on supporting pollinators and incorporating native plants throughout the property.
"Everything is about regenerative farming and making sure we're creating space for the local ecosystem," Kretz says.
Open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the farm invites visitors to roam expansive rows of flowers including zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, dahlias, celosia, snapdragon, ageratum, scabiosa, statice and strawflower. For $25, guests can build their own bouquet with no time or flower limit, using provided snips and a cup of water and flower food to arrange blooms as they go. Strawberry picking is also available, starting at $8 for a pint.
Zinnias are the most popular pick, but the experience goes beyond the flowers. Visitors can expect butterflies, birds and wide-open rows with several outdoor spaces to relax and enjoy the space during or after their arranging.
"People love being around the butterflies and birds and being around nature," Kretz says. "You can be creative. There's no limit. You can make it what you like."
On Fridays, visitors can pick flowers during the ticketed “golden hour” session from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hidden Blooms. Credit: Bobby Kretz
The farm is also rolling out special events. Friday evenings bring "golden hour" picking sessions from 6:30 to 8:30, a quieter, capped event set against the sunset, with tickets at $40 per person sold in advance online. Hidden Blooms is also teaming up with local studios for sunset yoga, starting with Afterglow Yoga (11 Broadway; 631-464-8002, afterglow.yoga) on Aug. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m., with tickets available on the studio's website.
For Kretz, the project is also personal. His family has deep roots in the area, settling in the 19th century, around the same time as the Sisters of St. Dominic. His great-great-uncle farmed nearby and is buried in a cemetery close to the property. Now, Kretz is continuing that legacy while reimagining what a local farm experience can look like on Long Island.
