There are lots of flowers in strawberry fields throughout the area, and that means only one thing — the strawberries will be appearing in a little more than two weeks.

Caroline Lilley, of Lilley Farms on Bennett’s Pasture Road, said the berries should be ready the first week of May for the public to come out and pick.

“They look like they are going to be pretty good,” she said. “There are a lot of flowers.”

But, she added, no red is peeking out in the fields yet.

The recent up-and-down weather the area has experienced has not had a negative effect on the crop, Lilley said.

When the worst of the weather happened, there weren’t enough flowers on the plants to do much harm.

“Now, they are growing like mad,” she said.

It takes about a month from the time a flower blooms on the plant for a berry to appear, she said.

As soon as the berries arrive, people will be able to pick, Lilley said. The first week of May probably is going to be the best time to visit.

Lilley Farms offers different packages for picking. For $5, a children’s package includes a two-quart bucket, a coloring book and a sticker. Lilley said they offer the children’s bucket, so the kids don’t have to carry the same size buckets as their parents.

Guests can choose to pick their own berries with the U-Pick package, which costs $8.50.

Pickers who bring a bucket from a previous year will receive a 50-cent discount, Lilley said.

The farm also pre-picks berries for customers. The price for pre-picked berries ranges from $5 for a quart to $12.50 for a gallon bucket.

On average, a bucket of strawberries weighs about 5 pounds, but it can vary depending on how the berries are picked, Lilley said.

This year, visitors get the addition of an extra quarter acre from which they can pick.

Lilley said she thinks they are going to have some great strawberries this year.

“So far, it looks pretty good,” Lilley said. “Hopefully, it’s going to be a good year.”

In the next few weeks, Lilley Farms will set up an information line at 483-9880 for people to contact if they have any questions.