Escape the city and discover this lovely field of golden sunflowers in Maryland!
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” American author Helen Keller wrote. Indeed, sunflowers are a remarkable flora that blooms in the brightest yellow you have ever seen. Now, you can visit a whole field of them only 45 minutes away from DC, in Poolesville Maryland at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area.
These 50 acres of blooming sunflowers spread across four fields are home to many little critters like mounting doves, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, songbirds, and waterfowl. Planted each year in the spring so that they flourish in the summer, these magnificent sunflowers are a food source for all the wildlife of the park as well as pollinators like bees and butterflies. So it’s very important to not pick the flowers, it’s also prohibited. The field is also lush with poison ivy and inhabits like ticks and mosquitos, so visitors are recommended to wear long pants, shirts, and closed shoes to stay protected.
The McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area has a cool tool where you can see the blooming status of the sunflowers so you can plan your visit according to when they start wilting for the season.
If you’re a sunflower lover, you must be familiar with Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings, since he too was enthralled by these beautiful yellow flowers. Now in DC, you can immerse yourself in his paintings and experience his art in a new way! The Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a best seller event taking place at the Rhode Island Center. Experience Van Gogh’s sunflowers like you have never before at this amazing experience.
[Featured image: @sheseesdc / Instagram]