by Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The first annual Sunflower Spectacular, the “newest and closest sunflower field to Boston” is being held at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden at Elm Bank from the present until approximately September 25 or the end of September, depending on the duration of the blooms.
On a sunny Saturday, August 17, a visit to the Sunflower Spectacular was an amazing and memorable experience! Upon entering at the gatehouse, visitors were directed to two routes, approximately ¼-mile paths, for reaching the 1.3-acres of sunflower fields. The first route was a meandering path through the Pollinator Meadow, Bressingham Garden, Weezie’s Garden for Children, and the Trail Garden, and past the stately Manor House. The second, or accessible route, was a mostly paved path past the mentioned gardens on the left and the Education Center, Jim Crockett Memorial Garden, Maple Grove, Goddess Garden, Italiante Garden, and Manor House on the right. Before you arrived at the sunflower fields, you were able to enjoy most of the gardens, which were beautiful and full of blooms, interesting structures, and whimsical statuary.
The first sight of the sunflower fields was nothing less than breathtaking. If you took the first path, you arrived on a hilltop where there were benches on which to rest and gaze at the sight before you. If you took the accessible path, you would have arrived closer to the ground level of the fields, but the view is nonetheless impressive.
The field on the left was designated solely for viewing and photo-taking. Visitors could walk into the field on paths, right among the flowers! There were bees, birds, and butterflies in the fields, but from what I could see, they didn’t bother with people, as they were busy enjoying the flowers. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society displayed a sign encouraging people to post their selfies and photos on Instagram with the tag @MassHort. (Professional photographers must follow requirements posted on the web site.)
The right field was designated for picking. With the price of admission, you could take three sunflower stems home. The Society provided shears to cut the stems and wrapped them in brown paper to protect them on the walk back to your car.
If you’d like to see the magnificent sunflower fields, you can purchase time-slotted tickets at www.masshort.org. Advance ticket purchasing is recommended. Parking is available on site. Attendees are welcome to bring a picnic. There are plenty of grassy areas for a picnic blanket and some café tables near the Education Building. Sturdy shoes are recommended for walking in the gardens and in the sunflower fields.
