Way back this past spring, when we picked tulips at Burnside Farms, I made a mental note of the farm’s Summer of Sunflowers event.  I wasn’t sure if we would make it out to Haymarket over the summer – even as early as Easter, our summer calendar was filling up.  But I kept the event on my radar just in case it worked out, and as it happened, we had a gorgeous day and an open calendar on Labor Day Monday.  So – off to Haymarket we went, in search of some summer sunflowers!

I was determined to get a few clicks in with my camera.  There is nothing in this world that annoys my children more than when Mom pulls out the dSLR!  But I insisted and made it as quick as possible, and then Nugget was released to the bounce house and Peanut to the sunflower fields, while I followed close behind with the camera still clicking.  (You never know when that perfect Christmas card shot is going to present itself…)

The sunflowers were planted in rows in the same field where we’d picked tulips, and it was absolutely glorious.

I want them allllllllllll…

Each family got one basket to fill with as many sunflowers as they wanted.  Peanut chose the basket, as she did when we picked tulips.  I think she made her decision solely based on which basket would make the best necklace.

Anyway, we made our way through the fields, Peanut pointing out the flowers she wanted and me clipping the chosen blooms with the snips the farm provided.  We each had our minor freak-out moments – me over a butterfly (shudder) and Peanut over a fly that she mistakenly believed to be a bee.  I like to think that I was the more stoic one of the two of us.  (I really was.  Peanut dramatically tried to collapse in the middle of the sunflowers and I had to hold her upright for several minutes, repeating “It’s not a bee.  It’s not a bee.” until she finally snapped out of it and got back to picking.)

Caught her looking.

Eventually the boys joined us again and we picked more blooms as a family.

It’s possible we went a little overboard.  There were just so many beautiful blooms!

 

 

Eventually we got all of our flowers safely back to the tent for processing.  We trimmed the stems, got them in water and paid for them, then were on our way – but not without a quick detour…

 

Every.  Single.  Time.

Brought our blooms home and they’ve been brightening up the kitchen in my favorite vase (a wedding present which has amazingly surprised twelve years of house-moving and kid abuse).

Such a gorgeous day, and a perfect way to bid farewell to summer!  Thanks for the basket of sunshine, Burnside Farms!

Have you ever picked your own flowers?