Summer Sun on the Farms

Labor Day, yesterday, is oft referred to as the end of summer so I offer up these photos from late August as a way to remember small trips in the summer of 2016.

 My own garden is somewhat bedraggled after the heat of this August. But a happy surprise while on a roadtrip to various quilt shops was finding Burnside Farms on route 15 in Haymarket. In August they have glorious fields of sunflowers. On the blistering hot day it was I had to make quick choices of what to admire and photograph because I could not tolerate the heat too long.

 Unlike some sunflowers farm fields these ones are sown with a wide variety of types of sunflowers so you get a wonderful patchwork of yellows. You can wander at will and choose to pick the sunflowers to take home with you. I decided to pick with my camera.

 It was crowded with families on this particular Saturday and all seemed to be enjoying their day out.

I will have to remember this place because they also have tulip and daffodil fields in the spring time.

 Moving over to route 7 in Vienna is Potomac Vegetable Farms. Surrounded by subdivisions of homes PVF has hung on to their traditional farm style with many retired pieces of equipment to attract the camera of the curious viewer. They did not have rows of sunflowers but a few plants pop up here and there.

 I really must research what this flower is as I also have a few in my own garden (the latter arrived as volunteers from places unknown). Aha, it is the wild version of ageratum. PVF also sells pick your own flowers but by this time of the season grasses and wildflowers are sharing space in the carefully planted rows.

 This whimsical piece of garden decor caught my attention and brought a smile.

 In the open sheds a few old timers remain.

 I seriously doubt that there will be any speed limits broken by these two!

 The textures and weathered colors took my eye for this one.

 Again, it is the color that attracts me - the purple of those bean flowers playing happily with the green of the old shed.

 Another of the random sunflower plants among the rows of flowers.

 Ah, zinnias, always a happy flower.

And to close out we had a spectacular sunset cloud display on September 3.