Monday, August 14, 2017

The Magnificent Sunflower

Who doesn't love the sight of a bright, big yellow Sunflower?



Or a whole field of them?



On our honeymoon tour of Italy 21 years ago, we were in the stupid bus when we passed by fields and fields of sunflowers on both sides of the road. I wanted to stop and get out to see them up close but we had a schedule to stick to :-(

I finally got my chance.

On a perfect summer evening between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. (the best part of the day in my opinion) we arrived at Frederick's Farm in Clifton Springs, NY, a 16 minute drive from our house. I did not know it even existed until my daughter posted a picture of herself and my granddaughter there. Oh, the joys of social media!



The draw to the farm was the hayride through the field but when we realized the line was an hour and a half wait, we decided, like many others, just to walk the paths through the field and get an up close and personal look.

The view from waiting in the line was too much for us and we had to just go to the Sunflowers!


It was a great decision!

I was amazed at how every single sunflower in this huge field were all facing one way, away from the sun.


Well, except for one little one who seems to have lost his way...


I googled it and found out that during their growth, sunflowers track the sun and tilt towards it (called heliotropism). Once they bloom, they face East, which is what they were doing here.

I found out some other fun facts about Sunflowers.....

They are native to North America



Each Sunflower head is made up of 1,000's of tiny smaller flowers.


They are the state flower of Kansas...


They are the only flower with the word "flower" in their name.


They grow quite large.
The record for the tallest Sunflower is 30'1" grown in Germany in 2014.
The largest head can be up to a foot and a half.


While we were on the path the wagon was heading our way and didn't look like it was going to slow down. My husband, son and I, along with others on the path, had to jump inside the Sunflowers to get out of the way...there was that little space on either side.

I got some great pictures!


 That's my son and husband after the wagon passed.


I stayed inside a little longer...



The only downfall of not riding in the wagon is
that they all got to pick some Sunflowers to take home.


But that's okay.

Actually I am allergic to my favorite flower and I was already getting tingly sinuses 
and a scratchy throat.

It was all worth it.

I got to be out in perfect weather with some great scenery, beautiful, magnificent Sunflowers and a treat at the end.





AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these great blog parties:

Cooking and Crafting with J & J
Happiness is Homemade
Tuesdays With a Twist
Wow Us Wednesday
Show and Share
Share Your Cup
Share Your Style
No Rules Weekend Blog Party
Home Sweet Home
Anything Goes Pink Saturday
Best of the Weekend

30 comments:

  1. What a completely magical place. We went to the ocean this week and on the way we drove through tons of farmland and it was filled with sunflowers. I too wanted a picture, but didn't get it. Loved the fun facts...who knew! Thanks for sharing your sunshine with us!

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  2. Oh my, I would be in heaven! Thanks for sharing the gorgeous photos! Hugs, Cecilia

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  3. We went to a sunflower field last August - isn't it amazing? Your pics are great! Glad the truck didn't get you!!

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  4. Awe....love me some sunflowers and I could get lost in the beauty of those sweeties in that field. Wish I had that ice cream right about now! LOL! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  5. Oh my...I would have thought I'd have died and gone to heaven. There are a few fields of sunflowers near me but I was never able to stop and get out. Fantastic photos!

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  6. Sunflowers are one of my favorites but I've never seen a display like that! Oh, I would have just stopped as you did and shoot photos one after another. What a field and what a drive! The ice cream, frosting on the cake! Thanks for sharing these glorious photos!

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  7. Hi AnnMarie, I love sunflowers and your visit to this wonderful farm is amazing. Your photos are great. You certainly got some special captures especially when you had to jump out of the way into the field. Sorry you are allergic but like you said, so worth this wonderful visit. Thanks for sharing all the great sunflower info too.
    Now can't you share that ice cream cone??? haha!
    Have a great week. xo

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  8. I'm glad you were able to finally go to a sunflower field and take some beautiful pictures. That would've been scary to have to get out of the way of the wagon!

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  9. Hello AnnMarie, wow I love all of those beautiful sunflowers and they are one of my favorites. It looks like you spent the perfect day out. It's great that you found this place too from your daughter.
    Have a great week.
    Julie

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  10. What fun! I grew them along my fence a few years ago. My neighbor got the benefit of seeing their pretty faces each morning as they looked over the fence toward the sunrise, at HIM. They never turned around and looked at me so I gave up growing them. I still love them anyway.

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  11. Oh, how pretty!! My husband used to grow them behind our garden, and oh, my, we would just enjoy walking out there in the afternoons and looking at them. Those are good memories. Thank you for sharing the beauty. God bless you!

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  12. Oh how gorgeous is that field filled with those beautiful Sunflowers. Love the photos of you standing in the midst of them. Gosh, they are tall aren't they. Interesting fact about them facing away from the sun; I did not know that. I just assumed their bright, golden faces always looked to the sun. Such an interesting and beautiful post, AnnMarie.

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  13. I love sunflowers! I plant them every year, and every single year the critters eat the seedlings! This year they left ONE....but they also planted some in my pots on the deck, which I let grow - they are awesome!

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  14. Very pretty. I didn't know all those sunflower facts, so thanks for sharing. The heliotropism is very interesting because I potted a Heliotrope flower this year and one of their features is that they follow the sun. So I guess that's the term heliotropism comes from, the Heliotrope flower, or the name Heliotrope comes from the term heliotropism. Kind of like the chicken and the egg. Which came first? xo

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  15. Beautiful photos, Ann Marie. I love sunflowers. Have a great week, my friend.

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  16. Oh, what fun, AnnMarie, and you took some wonderful photos of your day! My eldest daughter loves sunflowers, and her birthday is in August, so we always gift her with big bouquets. Interesting info about sunflowers, too. Just seeing them makes me smile. Hugs xo Karen

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  17. AnnMarie: I have always wanted to stand in a field of sunflowers!! I just love them. My next favorite flower is the lilac and I get the same allergic reaction to them. Bet that ice cream made your throat feel better..Happy Wednesday..Judy

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  18. What a fun chance for photos... beautiful. :)

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  19. Ann Marie, I love sunflowers! They just make me ever so happy!! I loved learning some new facts about them and you are too cute hiding amongst them! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  20. I've never seen a field of sunflowers nor have I walked or driven through ones. Beautiful photos.

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  21. We have fields of sunflowers here in Texas and I love them so!! Several years ago I was traveling back and forth to my dad's when he was doing chemo. I would pass fields and fields of them to the point that I could almost run off the road because I was in such awe! They really are beautiful. Love your photos today. :)

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  22. What a lovely sight! Sunflowers are so happy and always make me smile!

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  23. Sunflowers are a favorite of mine, and I thoroughly enjoyed this post! I've seen a sunflower field in the Hamptons, but never up close and personal like you were here. Great photos! Thanks for enlightening me - I didn't know most of those facts, and love how they face the sun! Thanks for sharing one of nature's most spectacular sights at Best of the Weekend!

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  24. Beautiful in deed!
    I only knew a couple of those facts, quite interesting.
    Boy, there really wasn't much room for you to be on that road when the truck was coming, yikes!
    I had wanted to plant some sunflowers this year when I saw some at Home Depot already two feet tall, but missed my chance when I returned to buy some, they were sold out. :(
    I've never seen them for sale like that before. You snooze you loose.

    Great photos and thank you for sharing the beauty with is.

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  25. Oh what a fun day, and to think this beautiful place is only 16 minutes from your home! My goodness, when I saw the backend of that tractor, I knew why you had to stampede into the sunflowers to get out of its path, wow! I loved the picture of you with the sunflowers in the background, they are the most beautiful flowers to see! I didn't know all those facts about them, and was very interested to read your research about them. And the fact that they are native to our country is remarkable too. The treat at the end definitely was a perfect delight to enjoy after the end of such a fun day :)

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  26. Ann Marie I just LOVE your photos! This is a great post. I was shopping today for things to "fluff up" the shop and when I was leaving I realized I didn't get any sunflowers. I will definitely be going back to get some. Thanks for sharing and thank you for stopping by my blog post about the vintage side of the Jersey Shore!

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  27. Ann Marie I just LOVE your photos! This is a great post. I was shopping today for things to "fluff up" the shop and when I was leaving I realized I didn't get any sunflowers. I will definitely be going back to get some. Thanks for sharing and thank you for stopping by my blog post about the vintage side of the Jersey Shore!

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  28. So beautiful! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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  29. Sunflowers are my favorite, and I'm so sorry you're allergic! The flowers and fields are so pretty. Thanks for being brave and getting up close because I enjoyed your photos! I am now following you via email, and I'm off to read your guest post! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

    xo,
    RJ

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