Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Not far down the cut-through dirt road just north of the old dog track, something bright is happening. A former hemp farm is gradually being tilled over into wide rows of flowers. The vibrant tract, now called Pippa's Patch, is ready for u-pick customers but also offers new outdoor space for having an oak-shaded picnic or posing for fun photos in nature.
Pippa's Patch opened at the end of May 2026, just seven months after 27-year-old India Giddes bought the property and revved up her hot pink tractor.
On the one hand, Giddes has created a family-friendly place like a park, where people of all ages can enjoy becoming immersed in nature for no charge. Under giant live oaks there's an outsized bench swing and several picnic tables, freshly painted pink. Backdrops for photos include a muralized shipping container, swaths of swaying flowers and a butterfly-design bench by a tree whose tilted up root system has been transformed into a magical display. There's a pond to peek at, and a nature trail is in the works. Everything on the 5.5 acres is now organic and pesticide-free.
“Just come!” says Giddes. “I want to create a sanctuary that everyone from the grandma to the baby can come out, spend the afternoon or have lunch, enjoy the flowers, watch the butterflies and hear the birds. It's a space for nature, serenity and peace.”
On the other hand, Giddes is developing the business side of her enterprise along several lines. Foremost is the flower u-pick opportunity, with a whole field of seasonal blooms to select, cut and take home. In a garden hut, there's an inventory of jewelry made from flowers and shelves of homemade jams and jellies that Giddes also has on consignment in several downtown shops. She has a boiled peanut operation and provides a floral preservation service for bridal bouquets. Eventually, the site could become a venue for outdoor weddings and field trips.
This month Pippa's Patch is hosting their first event, a Paint & Sip evening in partnership with Karissa's Kreationz. For $50, participants will have a vase to paint and fill with freshly-picked flowers. The event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 28, 6-8 p.m.
For Giddes, Pippa's Patch is her retirement dream coming to life. She spent the past 10 years caring for her grandfather, an important father-figure in her life who nicknamed her “Pippa.” They spent the last year of his life traveling around in an RV, a bucket-list item for him. When he passed away, she decided to leave the home-health corporate career she had built in Alpharetta, Ga., behind. Having grown up in Thomasville, Ga., with many family and friends in Jefferson County, she was eventually drawn back to a place where she could re-connect and re-start. She parked her RV in Monticello, and began the hard work of building a new life on good earth with her faithful canine companion, Magnolia.
“Flowers force you to live in the moment, to be together and connect,” she reflects. “There really are beautiful things everywhere you look. It brings me great joy to share the beauty in the world.”
Pippa's Patch, located at 210 Oetinger Rd., is open Saturdays 10 a.m-2 p.m., Sundays 4-6 p.m. and during the week by appointment (call 229-224-0872).
IN THE FEATURED PHOTO: India Giddes and Magnolia show a great place to pose for a photograph at Pippa's Patch. ECB Publishing, Inc. Photo by Laura Young, June 24, 2026