Sunflowers Galore! A Field Full of Reds, Oranges & Yellows!

Who Doesn’t Love Sunflowers?

I love sunflowers! Those big bursts of yellow, how they smile at me and rotate their heads with the movement of the sun. Yellow is the most common color, but these beauties also come in shades of red and orange. They are regulars in my garden every year, however, I rarely buy seeds. Most of my sunflowers are transplants from those that grow below my bird feeder from fallen seed. Often times I just grab a handful of seeds from a bag of birdseed and pop them in the ground. The only problem with this method is that all of my sunflowers are yellow. Birdseed does not produce the beautiful shades of red and orange that I long for. However, I do get some multi-stemmed and multi-bloomed plants among the regular ones this way. These seeds grow a variety of sizes as well, sometimes tall and sometimes small, but always a surprise and beautiful.

Backyard Birdlady in a Sunflower Field (Photo- Backyard Birdlady / Karen Hance)

My son and I recently visited Sunflowers of Sanborn, a locally planted sunflower field in Western New York State, containing more than 300,000 sunflowers. When the owner of the field, Louise Brachmann, planted the sunflowers last year, she had no idea that people from all over the region would come to see them. She originally planted these beauties to bring a touch of happiness to her family after the death of her parents. Louise and her husband, Chad, opened the field to visitors and the rest is history. People stopped and took photos of themselves in the field of yellow and posted them all over Instagram. This year they have added a parking lot and food stands as well as an old-fashioned mine where kids can pan for tiny gems.

Red and Yellow Sunflower in a field of Sunflowers (Photo- Backyard Birdlady / Karen Hance)

If you’re in the area and would like to visit Sunflowers of Sanborn, Danielewicz Farm is located at 3311 Saunders Settlement Road, Sanborn, NY. They are open from 4 p.m. to dusk weekdays and 11 a.m. to dusk on Saturdays & Sundays. Both the flower field and parking are free. Sanborn is located in Niagara County, between Niagara Falls and Lockport. You’ll be amazed at all of the sunflowers and also get some great photos! Use caution if you are afraid of or allergic to bees. With this many flowers, there are a lot of bees collecting pollen. We walked through the field for a good 30 minutes and were not bothered by any of the bees- they paid no mind to us.

Stunning Yellow-Tipped Orange-Red Sunflower (Photo- Backyard Birdlady / Karen Hance)

A big thank you goes out to Louise and her family for planting and tending to this beautiful field of sunflowers. We are so grateful that you have shared it with the public and we look forward to visiting again next year.

Deep Red Sunflowers in a large field of Sunflowers in Sanborn, NY (Photo- Backyard Birdlady / Karen Hance)

Sunflowers are also a favorite food source for many birds. Plant them in your garden and you can expect to attract Goldfinches, House Finches, Cardinals, Chickadees, Nuthatches and more. Bees and butterflies love sunflowers too! They are so easy to grow- won’t you plant some next year?

Closeup of a Sunflower with a Bee (Photo- Backyard Birdlady / Karen Hance)

As summer comes to a close in this part of the world, food sources for the birds will quickly decline. Please think about adding a bird feeder to your yard if you don’t already have one. Black-oil sunflower seed is the food of choice for most birds. This seed can be purchased in 40-50 pound bags relatively inexpensively and will attract a wide variety of birds. Remember to keep those feeders filled and Happy Birding! ~ Karen