Pa’s posies delight photographers in four states
Above, Brenda and Dennis Epperly take a break in their zinnia field.
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A Fayetteville photographer takes engagement photos of clients who traveled to Pa’s Posey Patch from northwest Arkansas.
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A Rocky Comfort photographer regularly uses Pa’s Posey Patch as the setting for family photos. In the field above are a mix of poppies and bachelor’s buttons.
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Above, a Bentonville photographer shoots family photos.
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June 23
Sheila Harris
Dennis Epperly, of rural Cassville, loves flowers. He loves them so much that he decided to grow fields of flowers for no reason other than to provide bouquets to residents and backdrops for local photographers.
“The idea was slow to catch on with local residents that first year,” said Epperly, whose third season is well underway. “I was opening the field up for use with no up-front charge, other than a donation. I even let people cut bouquets at no charge. Still, there wasn’t much enthusiasm.”
A retired high school Vo-Ag teacher, he inherited his appreciation for flowers from his mother, who always had a vase of fresh flowers on the table when he was growing up.
Epperly started his flower project modestly the first season by planting a half-acre of zinnias and sunflowers. In spite of being unable to attract many takers for his by-donation, homegrown flowers, he persevered - and expanded.
The second year, he planted four acres with a wider variety of flowers and began a Facebook Group called “Pa’s Posey Patch.” That group, he says, was responsible for a blossoming clientele of photographers who drive for hundreds of miles, collectively - and some, individually - to take advantage of his labor of love.
During his second season, Epperly adopted what he calls an “advisory council” of five photographers who make suggestions and answer questions he may have.
“The first bit of advice they unanimously offered me,” he said, “was to tell me to charge for the use of my field. I took them up on it, and it seems to have increased business rather than slowing it down.
“I charge professional photographers $25 for a sitting now,” he said. “For everyone else, I still just accept donations.”
For this season, his third, Epperly planted 13 acres with a wider variety yet of annuals and perennials.
On the advice of his council, he planted fields of poppies - one with just red poppies, and another with deep pink poppies mixed with blue bachelor buttons. Reactions have been phenomenal. Wizard of Oz fans have even been known to put in an appearance.
“It’s a photographer’s dream backdrop,” said a Fayetteville photographer, whose clients - also from Fayetteville - followed her to Epperly’s poppy fields for their engagement photo shoot.
Epperly says on most weekend evenings there will be eight to ten photographers and their clients shooting photos in his fields.
“I currently host about 100 photographers within about a two-hour radius of here,” he said.
Epperly has operated a donation-only pumpkin patch from his fields for the past 40 years, and the idea for growing flowers along with pumpkins was a natural evolution for him, he said.
“I planted my first garden when I was five years old,” Epperly said. “My mom instructed me to plant marigolds in it. She always told me, ‘everything grows better with flowers.’ I figured flowers would go well with pumpkins, too.”
Epperly says he expects his sunflowers to be in full bloom after the Fourth of July.
“Then, I’ll have sunflowers, zinnias, Mexican sunflowers and Brown-Eyed Susans in bloom until frost,” he said. “I plant them successively, so that I’ll always have some blooming.”
The poppies are winding down for the season, but Epperly says Bachelor’s Buttons and Larkspur will continue to provide blues in backdrops.
Another popular backdrop, says Epperly, is his field of Buckwheat, which changes from pale green to golden brown as the summer progresses.
Epperly asks that photographers contact him via Facebook Messenger at Pa’s Posey Patch to schedule a time for a photo shoot.
Sheila Harris
Dennis Epperly, of rural Cassville, loves flowers. He loves them so much that he decided to grow fields of flowers for no reason other than to provide bouquets to residents and backdrops for local photographers.
“The idea was slow to catch on with local residents that first year,” said Epperly, whose third season is well underway. “I was opening the field up for use with no up-front charge, other than a donation. I even let people cut bouquets at no charge. Still, there wasn’t much enthusiasm.”
A retired high school Vo-Ag teacher, he inherited his appreciation for flowers from his mother, who always had a vase of fresh flowers on the table when he was growing up.
Epperly started his flower project modestly the first season by planting a half-acre of zinnias and sunflowers. In spite of being unable to attract many takers for his by-donation, homegrown flowers, he persevered - and expanded.
The second year, he planted four acres with a wider variety of flowers and began a Facebook Group called “Pa’s Posey Patch.” That group, he says, was responsible for a blossoming clientele of photographers who drive for hundreds of miles, collectively - and some, individually - to take advantage of his labor of love.
During his second season, Epperly adopted what he calls an “advisory council” of five photographers who make suggestions and answer questions he may have.
“The first bit of advice they unanimously offered me,” he said, “was to tell me to charge for the use of my field. I took them up on it, and it seems to have increased business rather than slowing it down.
“I charge professional photographers $25 for a sitting now,” he said. “For everyone else, I still just accept donations.”
For this season, his third, Epperly planted 13 acres with a wider variety yet of annuals and perennials.
On the advice of his council, he planted fields of poppies - one with just red poppies, and another with deep pink poppies mixed with blue bachelor buttons. Reactions have been phenomenal. Wizard of Oz fans have even been known to put in an appearance.
“It’s a photographer’s dream backdrop,” said a Fayetteville photographer, whose clients - also from Fayetteville - followed her to Epperly’s poppy fields for their engagement photo shoot.
Epperly says on most weekend evenings there will be eight to ten photographers and their clients shooting photos in his fields.
“I currently host about 100 photographers within about a two-hour radius of here,” he said.
Epperly has operated a donation-only pumpkin patch from his fields for the past 40 years, and the idea for growing flowers along with pumpkins was a natural evolution for him, he said.
“I planted my first garden when I was five years old,” Epperly said. “My mom instructed me to plant marigolds in it. She always told me, ‘everything grows better with flowers.’ I figured flowers would go well with pumpkins, too.”
Epperly says he expects his sunflowers to be in full bloom after the Fourth of July.
“Then, I’ll have sunflowers, zinnias, Mexican sunflowers and Brown-Eyed Susans in bloom until frost,” he said. “I plant them successively, so that I’ll always have some blooming.”
The poppies are winding down for the season, but Epperly says Bachelor’s Buttons and Larkspur will continue to provide blues in backdrops.
Another popular backdrop, says Epperly, is his field of Buckwheat, which changes from pale green to golden brown as the summer progresses.
Epperly asks that photographers contact him via Facebook Messenger at Pa’s Posey Patch to schedule a time for a photo shoot.
