What makes the Arnosky Family Farm blooms so special? We get to know the Hill Country’s most beloved flower operation.
Story by Jenny Webster Jurica
Editor’s note: In October 2021, the flower farm will provide blooms for Blanco’s inaugural Texas Marigold Festival (October 23 – 30).
Located outside of scenic Blanco, with some of the Hill Country’s most iconic land elevations in the background, sits a blue barn huddled among 20 acres of glorious wildflower fields.
In those surrounding fields are swaths of colors that vary from season to season.
And every bloom is lovingly cared for by Pamela and Frank Arnosky, owners and operators of Arnosky Family Farm and The Blue Barn Farm Market.
Arnosky Family Farm: Growing wild for 30 years
The Arnoskys purchased this patch of land in 1990, when it was covered in scrappy cedar trees. It was there that the Arnoskys raised their family and embarked on a wildflower-farming adventure.
The couple are nature lovers to the core. Frank has a horticulture degree and did graduate work in peach breeding at Texas A&M. Pamela graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in biogeography, or the study of the geographical distribution of plants.
Today, 30 years and countless cut flower bouquets since they began, the Arnosky’s seasonal flowers are among the most popular items in the floral department at H-E-B and Central Market stores all over Central Texas, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Central Houston.
In fact, it is likely the Arnosky Family Farm’s marigolds that you’ll find at your local H-E-B this month—or prominently displayed in the Día de los Muertos altars found throughout Central and South Texas.
Marigolds, with their vibrant colors and pungent scents, are thought to help guide spirits to these altars. And folks come from all over to purchase the Arnosky marigolds in particular, carrying them home by the buckets full.
Doing business the old-fashioned way
Yes, Texas consumers love Texas blooms—and the Arnoskys and their brand’s signature logo are as beloved as they are well-known.
Perhaps that’s because there’s such a personal touch to each of the bouquets, something that transcends color and style.
Visit the couple’s The Blue Barn Farm Market on any given day of the week and you might get catch Pamela there. If not, then odds are good the couple is tending a farmer’s market booth or exploring new growth opportunities in other parts of the state.
Yes, the Arnosky Family Farm’s flower business is blooming. And the Blue Barn market? It’s still going strong. There are flowers, of course, as well as locally sourced eggs, cheese and chilled beverages.
Remarkably, the market operates on the honor system: Customers are entrusted to pay for their flowers in the absence of shop owners manning the shop. It’s a sign of faith in humanity rarely seen in this day and age. (Editor’s note: You can see photographs from inside the shop in a 2018 photo essay.)
Meanwhile, the company itself is a standard-bearer for the flower industry’s growing “field to vase”.
Much like the farm-to-table movement that picked up steam in the restaurant industry several years ago, modern consumers are embracing the idea that the flowers that they chose are best sourced as locally as possible, grown in an open field, and cultivated in soil and weather conditions to which the plant is naturally suited.
And the growers? They’re actively engaged in the planting, growing and cutting of each plant.
Just like the Arnoskys.
Peonies from heaven
A few years ago and in an effort to escape the brutal Texas summers, the Arnoskys purchased some property in Minnesota. This paved the way for them to grow and sell peonies, a flower that has experienced a recent, rapid rise in popularity.
Peonies do well in cold winters, because they need the lower temperatures for proper bud formation. In the coming years, the Arnoskys plan to spend their summers in Minnesota, harvesting and shipping their peonies back home to Texas for distribution and sale. They’ve even hosted successful “peony parties,” celebrating the beloved fragrant, old-fashioned bloom.
“At a peony party, you choose your own stems. I serve complimentary rhubarb cake and raspberry jam bars, both rather nostalgic treats, to people with memories of peonies in their past,” explained Pamela.
More recently, the Arnoskys purchased land in Fort Davis, in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Here, too, peonies grow well—paving the way for Texas-sourced peonies. (Unfortunately, a series of hailstorms created a setback in their peony crops, but the Arnoskys are hopeful that their West Texas operation will be up and running soon.)
Even in a pandemic, flowers bloom
Since farming is considered “essential work,” the Arnoskys were able to continue their fresh flower business as the pandemic hit.
In fact, business at the Blue Barn has been robust. It’s not unusual to see a row of cars parked out front, as people pick of cut flowers as well as vegetables and potted plants. What’s on offer varies from week to week, which is part of the experience.
And it’s all comforting.
“Folks are looking for nature, for color, for flowers and plants, all to improve how they get through these days,” said Pamela. “In these days of COVID, being outdoors and gardening has become such a solace to many people.”
Explore more: Arnosky Family Farm
You can visit the Arnosky Family Farm and The Blue Barn Farm Market on the Henly Loop. They are located at 13977 FM 2325 in Blanco and are open everyday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. See their website for more info and don’t forget to follow them on Instagram.
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