In the midst of agricultural adversity in Antrim County, there are bright spots. Blueberries. Raspberries. And sunflowers. You knew it was time for the Annual Babs Young Sunflower Report. She writes, It’s sunflower season and unlike the cherries, they are as spectacular and prolific as ever. These are off Bates Road south of Elk Rapids.
OK, so those particular sunflowers are just across the county line in Grand Traverse, but we won’t hold that against them. We’ll just glory in them every time we head to Traverse City, and pull over and let the kids pile out of the car and take their pictures in front of the irresistible golden faces. It’s a tradition.
Posted in: Babs Young photos
Torch Lake Views 
shoreacres
July 30, 2012
They’re splendid! I’ve seen fields of them in Kansas – what is it about sunflowers that just makes a person smile?
Down here, the tradition is to pile the kids in the car and head out to the bluebonnet fields, where much photo-taking ensues. As with children, so with brides, high school seniors, anniverary couples and old geezers who finally don’t have the strength to resist their wives’ pleadings any more.
Gerry
July 30, 2012
I would like to see those fields of bluebonnets. There are things that find their way into nearly everyone’s memory books at a certain time and place. What do we love? Well, for starters, sunflowers and bluebonnets!
Fee
July 30, 2012
Sadly, we have no sunflowers this year – our little crop didn’t survive the two weeks of monsoon rains we had at the beginning of July, at least partly because we were away and couldn’t rescue them. I’ll just have to enjoy the pictures of other peoples’ flowers, instead.
Gerry
July 30, 2012
My condolences on the drowning of your sunflowers. We’re glad to share. Turns out we have plenty of ’em. (I wonder if there’s any percentage in experimenting with sunflower pie? Nah.)
Karma
July 30, 2012
I would be in photography heaven to come across a field of sunflowers – what a glorious sight that must be! (as long as the trifids keep their distance 😉 )
Gerry
July 31, 2012
I’ve concluded that every place has its seasonal glories. The trick is to show up at the right time in the strategic spot . . . and now that you mention it, I’ll bet there are Triffids hiding amongst the sunflowers just waiting for an opportunity–GAHH!
tootlepedal
July 30, 2012
One of the few things that have done well in our cold year has been the sunflower.
Gerry
July 31, 2012
Your standards are very high. I’ve been admiring Mrs. T’s roses, for example. Even in annoying weather it turns out that individual blooms and fruits may shine. (In spite of the general failure of the northern Michigan peach crop, Betsy King had a few delectable examples at the farm stand. Six or seven peaches on a tree cannot be called a crop – but they can be lovely things, and a nice surprise for the neighbors. They were delicious.)
Dawn
July 30, 2012
Sunflower pie? You ARE a crazy woman! But they sure are beautiful. I’m sending a blogging friend over who planted her first sunflowers at her new home this spring…and the deer ate them. She’s sad. I’m hoping she likes yours.
Gerry
July 31, 2012
I am put in mind of John King’s view of the deer that ate his little trees. Venison. I’ll be delighted if the sunflowers cheer your friend – and will be happy to send her a recipe for venison stew.
uphilldowndale
July 31, 2012
Stunning, like Fee I’m not holding out much hope for my plants either, they got off to a shaky late start as it was… I’ve just been looking at a friends images of the Olympic park and the flower and planting are absolutely stunning, not sure how they managed to pull that off given the weather. Poor cherries, poor growers.
Gerry
July 31, 2012
I would be willing to bet that the Olympic plants were being cosseted in greenhouses all over the U.K. just to be sure there would be a glorious display No Matter What. A London Olympics without spectacular landscaping would be like a Detroit Olympics without cars. Unthinkable.
At the moment my personal landscaping consists of the liverwort garden, knee-high ragweed and a carpet of invasive lamiastrum–all of it blessedly dominated by maple and birch and cedar and white pine.
P.j. grath
August 1, 2012
Someone in my bookstore on Saturday was going to be biking from Northport to Boyne City. Having loved the ride from Empire to Northport, he was concerned the other side of GT Bay, once he got away from the water, wouldn’t be spectacular. I told him he would see cattle and sunflowers. Shouldn’t that be enough for anyone?
Gerry
August 1, 2012
No “should” involved. I love mountains, but I can do without them – I cannot imagine living in a place where I could never see large bodies of water. (I can’t imagine biking from Northport to Boyne City, either – talk about different kinds of people in the world!) Some people have no eyes for rolling fields or gleaming hides. I can be brought to tears by fat bales of hay in the late afternoon light. Ah well.
sybil
August 2, 2012
I would love to see a field of sunflowers like that Gerry.
Gerry
August 3, 2012
Road trip! Road trip!
Stephanie P
August 7, 2012
may I ask where this is…we’re heading up this weekend and I would be in heaven if I came across this view!!
Gerry
August 7, 2012
The sunflower fields are spread out along the east side of US 31 between Acme and Elk Rapids. You can’t miss them. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
flandrumhill
August 7, 2012
Oh my! Babs has outdone herself this time. Those blooms are gorgeous. No mistaking these for triffids!
Gerry
August 7, 2012
On behalf of Babs, thank you. Sunflowers, like all living creatures, are subject to change and bear watching. We may yet encounter triffids.