The popular Okatie ‘U Pick’ daffodil farm is set to open this weekend. What to know
Bright yellow flowers at Okatie’s U-Pick Daffodils are starting to bloom and will be ready for picking this weekend.
The family farm will open at 9 a.m. Sunday, weather dependent, and close at 4 p.m. or when blooms sell out. The fields are located at 48 Calhoun Plantation Road, just off Pinckney Colony Road.
The farm’s co-owners, Chuck and Diane Merrick, open and close the fields depending on the weather and the number of blooms available, so watch the farm’s Facebook page or website at upickdaffodils.com for the most up-to-date hours as the season continues.
The couple also plan to post if they are closing early because the flowers available that day are sold out. Those who’d like to check on the status of the flowers, including guests making a longer commute, before visiting the farm can also text Chuck at 843-368-1998.
Visiting the farm has become a spring rite for those in the Lowcountry, and the Merrick family takes pride in continuing a tradition that started more than 50 years ago. Photos from the farm’s visitors fill social media each year.
Diane Merrick said there are loyal customers who return every year — some traveling from as far as Myrtle Beach, Florida, and even Massachusetts — and locals who now bring their kids and grandkids to share the experience. New visitors discover the farm each season.
The family expanded parking at the farm this year and planted “a lot more” daffodils than last season, Chuck Merrick said.
“We planted almost double the amount of daffodils this year,” Chuck Merrick said. “Last year we ran out of flowers, so we put some more in.”
The family uses a daffodil-planting machine purchased from Holland with a tractor pulled behind it to plant each bulb. Last year, there were 36,000 bulbs. Before he purchased the machine, Chuck Merrick had planted each one by hand.
The bulbs will bloom throughout the season, which generally ends in March but varies depending on the weather.
Each stem is 50 cents, a 15-cent increase from last year to account for expenses such as bulbs, shipping, and fuel.
“I hope people don’t get upset,” Diane Merrick said. “We try to keep it as low as we possibly can, but we can’t lose money.”
Cash and card payments will be accepted, and a selection of picked daffodils are also typically available for purchase.
