Summertime means heading to the local farm to pick-your-own fruit, vegetables and flowers. I follow a few of my local favorite farms on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to make sure that I know what is ripe and available to pick. While visiting the Wicked Tulips Flower Farm in early May, I saw a sign for the farm across the street highlighting their summer’s bounty. Blueberries, Strawberries, and the usual summer vegetables were on the list, but then I saw the word, Sunflowers.
My favorite flower is and always will be the majestic Sunflower. I knew that I would be back to visit the Dames Family Farm in Johnston, RI in mid-July for their fields of Sunflowers. Pick-your-own Sunflowers, just like in France, but closer in my newly adopted state.
A few weeks before the fields opened, the farm highlighted what you need to do to book your visit and what tools you would need to bring for your Sunflower picking session. Your own garden shears of clippers and my suggestion, a pair of garden gloves. They supply the basket.
Cost: $5 entrance fee plus $2 per stem.
Mom and I headed out to the farm early on a hot summer day and just spent an hour taking pictures to capture the beauty of a field of Sunflowers. The field was a spectacular backdrop for pictures.
As every Thrifty Weekender knows, one of the best ways to save money is to plan ahead. How many Sunflowers will fit in your vase at home? That is what you should pick and pay for. I knew my big blue vase could handle 7-8 big Sunflowers. I picked eight Sunflowers.
Where can you find the pick-your-own farms near your home? The most popular times of the year are both Summer and Fall for pick-your-own farms. Strawberries, Blueberries, Tulips, Sunflowers in the Summer are tops. Pumpkins, Apples, Squash, and Gourds can be found in the fall. And many of the Apple Farms have both Cider and the prized Apple Cider Doughnuts.
