WIMBERLEY, Texas – The distinct aroma of marigolds adorn Day of the Dead altars and lead the souls of our departed loved ones back to the world of the living. Although the flowers originate in Mexico, there’s a special flower farm that for years has helped make Día de Muertos in San Antonio and across Texas more special.
In Texas, most of the marigolds bloom at the Arnosky Family Farm in Wimberley, Texas.
“As a cut flower grower, we grow everything that we think can possibly grow. So, over the years, we’ve experimented. We’ve been growing flowers since 1993, and we’ve tried everything that you can grow,” Pamela Arnosky said.
Pamela runs the farm alongside her husband, Frank and a small team.
“Marigolds grow well in Texas,” Frank said. “They love the heat, so, it’s a perfect match.”
They grow marigolds year-round, however, the big push begins in the summer. More than 300,000 plants are grown and shipped a month in advance to Central Markets and many H-E-B’s across the state.
“We started growing the marigolds (in the early 90′s), and then people came to us and said, ‘We see you have marigolds. Let me tell you about Día de los Muertos,’” Frank said. “We learned about the celebration from the people in San Antonio and from reading and traveling in Mexico. We understood that there was this connection that we were the farm that could grow these flowers for San Antonio.”
Years later, the marigolds have become one of the most coveted by visitors.
Arnosky Family Farm is a self-serve flower farm open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cash is the only method of payment accepted. They are located at the corner of FM 2325 and FM 165, 8 miles east of Blanco, Texas.
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