Mid-July in the D.C. area means hot and steamy weather — and for sunflowers to bloom.
You can celebrate that lovely pop of yellow at farms around the region including at the Sunflowers of Lisbon festival in Woodbine, Maryland.
Farmer Derek Patrick said there are 13 acres of yellow sunflowers to walk through and pick from.
“This is our sixth year doing it and every year we try to add more stuff for the customers. It’s just a great experience,” he told WTOP.
The festival runs every day until July 30 as visiting hours are from 9 a.m. until dark. General admission starts at $15, but kids under 2 are free.
On the weekends, there will be food and ice cream trucks and family friendly activities including hayrides.
“I’m a farmer. That’s my real job. But my wife and I started this and I think there’s no cooler crop growing in a field than sunflower,” Patrick said.
While the heat and humidity in the region may be tough for some, Patrick explained it’s great for summer flowers.
“Sunflowers truly love the sun. They didn’t necessarily love when we didn’t get rain for 40 days in May but they liked it after that, when we started catching these thunderstorms,” he said.
He and his wife Jenny also run a field in Maple Lawn, Maryland. The Summer Sunflower festival at that location begins in August.
Sunflower season typically lasts until early September.
