A Picture-Perfect Sunflower Patch

Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers. As a child I looked forward to planting them because they sprout fast, have big easy to handle seeds, and rapidly grow to an impressive height. So, a late summer trip to a sunflower farm seemed like a perfect way to indulge early in a fall-type experience – kick off blog season.

Maple Lawn Farm’s Sunflower Fest

We have several nearby sunflower farms, but we sought out one that could offer a full-day experience. Maple Lawn Farm’s 5th Annual Sunflower Festival in New Park, Pennsylvania seemed to check all of the boxes.

The ticket price included event admission, free parking, a wagon ride to the eight-acre sunflower field and your choice of one sunflower bloom to take home.

Maple Lawn Farm’s sunflower patch boasts more than 50 varieties of sunflowers. In addition to seasonal u-pick crops including apples and peaches, it bills itself as the “largest, most diverse pick-your-own sunflower patch east of the Mississippi River!”

Our group of four was not disappointed! After hopping off the hay wagon, we were treated to the largest selection of sunflowers I’ve ever seen. There were the traditional cheerful yellow blooms that you’d expect, and an amazing selection of dark reds, orange starburst and pale lemon yellow varieties.

Plus, they had Teddy Bears! This is a variety my mom and I fell in love with years ago for its soft, puffy, ball-shaped flowers..

I expected the flowers to be grouped by type or color, like you’d see at nursery or conservatory. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was more fun to “discover” the different sizes, shaped and varieties while wandering through the fields. With more than 175,000 flowers on display, there was plenty to see and smell.

A Few Eye-Popping Posies

Below are just a few of the standout sunflowers from the tour.

There were also several “prop stops” sprinkled along the paths like the couch made of hay pictured below. Visitors even have access to an elevated viewing platform to maximize photo opportunities. The props were a fun addition, adding even more visual interest to the flowers and the dozens of photos we took.

Wrapping Up Our Day

Halfway through our sunflower patch visit, we sought out the large tent adjacent to the sunflower field. Visitors can grab a seat, purchase lunch or dinner, enjoy live music (on most weekends) and even sample some of the farm’s wines.  

As we were making our way back to the hayride at the end of our tour, I found a patch called “Land of the Giants.” This section of the field is planted with Skyscraper, Kong and Titan sunflower varieties that can grow up to 12-feet-tall. Although many of the giant flowers were not in bloom, they were a lot like the ones I remembered as a child.

We stopped by the farm stand, which features fresh bakery treats, peaches and other produce, and an assortment of hand-dipped ice cream, after our tour concluded. I was impressed with some of the more exotic ice cream flavors like red velvet, banana cream, basil lemongrass, and sunflower honey surprise.  

Maple Lawn Farm’s Sunflower Fest made a great pre-fall outing that I would highly recommend.