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Tips for making the most of this fun, fresh air activity

You've heard of picking your own berries, pumpkins, apples and more, but how about combing a field full of colorful flowers to create your very own bouquet? It's a growing trend across the country, and one that my neighbor, accomplished gardener Amy McGinniss (her garden looks like a miniature of painter Claude Monet's famous garden at Giverny) and I tapped into this summer at Brittany Hollow Farm in Rhinebeck, New York.

For $20 each, we were allowed to pick as many flowers as we could fit into a reusable bucket.

"Obviously, I love flowers since I love to garden," McGinniss says, "but I had no idea what to expect —how it would work, what kind of flowers they might have. It turned out to be such an adventure that I brought my sister back to pick her own bucket!"

"In this busy world, it is a chance to slow down, enjoy the butterflies and birds and observe nature."

According to Debby Mosher, co-owner of Brittany Hollow Farm, "Many people love to pick their own flowers because it gives them a sense of ownership and creativity." Plus, she adds, "in this busy world, it is a chance to slow down, enjoy the butterflies and birds and observe nature."

At the farm, McGinniss and I quickly fanned out in the vast field. We had different strategies for picking — she created a curated bouquet, while I filled my yellow bucket to the max.

"Everyone picks flowers differently," notes Mosher. "Some pick a certain color palette, others only like zinnias, and still others only like the more unusual flowers out of the fifty or so we grow." It's all about personal preference and style.

While you don't really need to prep for a visit — and many DIY farms will provide scissors — it's best to be prepared in case they don't. Here are some tips:

With any luck and regular water changes, your bouquet may stay fresh for a week or even two weeks. You can also extend the life of your flowers by adding in a packet of cut flower food, a powder that typically contains lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, sugar and bleach, when you do your arrangement and then every few days. Also recut the stems on a diagonal every few days.

For additional advice and a flower food recipe, Mosher recommends visiting the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's website.

Flower farms can be found in most states, offering a fun experience out in nature, a way to support local farmers and the opportunity to have flowers in the house without the usual high expense. Picking seasons in the south and warmer climates are year-round, but only run from June to late September in the East and Midwest.

Here's a sampling of some flower farms you might visit:

Wicked Tulips, Preston, Connecticut and Exeter, Rhode Island: This Northeastern farm specializes in tulips, and is only open each year from late April through late May.

Land's Sake Farm, Weston, Massachusetts: This New England farm has over 100 varieties of flowers and fillers.

Southern Hill Farms, Clermont, Florida: This central Florida farm grows sunflowers and zinnias for spring and fall picking.

Emery Acres Flower Farm, Rosemount, Minnesota: This midwestern farm has over 100 varieties of flowers and is open July - September.

Wilderbee Farm, Port Townsend, Washington: Pick lavender and cut flowers here during the summer.

The Farm at Park Winters, Winters, California: Pick from cosmos, marigolds, zinnias, dahlias, poppies, dianthus, sweet peas, love in a mist, agrostemmas, snap dragons, ranunculus, sunflowers and other flowers.