Drooping

The heat is really taking it's toll on the sunflowers.  There is a noticeable difference today in how many of them are starting to hang their heads.  It's 100 degrees at the moment.  All I can say to that is "yuck!"

Yellow Carpet

This picture from yesterday is as yellow as it's going to get.  From here out, the heat will quickly make the flowers wilt.  Remember,I tend to do more updates on Facebook (because it's faster).  You can check that out at https://www.facebook.com/GrinterFarms.  Plus, it's fun to see pictures that others have taken and share with us.

Sunflowers!

The field is gorgeous right now.  Enough said!

Yellow!

This is the field tonight.  The flowers have really popped in the last week.  

This weekend they should be just gorgeous.

Update 8/15/13

Still no blooms but the buds are getting bigger.  The weather forecast says it will warm up sometime mid next week.  I'm betting that will make a lot of the buds pop.  I just can't remember an August where it's been this cool.  Hopefully we will have some flowers by next weekend.  I'll keep you posted.

I've received many questions, so I'll try to answer a few of them here, and add some insight:
>Our field is located at 24154 Stillwell Rd., Lawrence, KS  66044.
>The field is surrounding our house this year...they aren't in the same location from year to year.  Chances are good that if you are at the field and not parked on the road, you are parking in our neighbor's driveway.  They are super understanding, great, lovely, gorgeous people, but please try not to block the drive in case they actually want to get out and go somewhere that day.
>We are a working farm.  We don't have picnic areas or a gift shop.  All we have is a field of sunflowers that people enjoy stopping at and taking pictures of...and we are happy to let them.
>We do allow people to take sunflowers.  We have a couple of "on your honor" money boxes set up at the field, and would appreciate $1 per sunflower.  (If you want to buy a whole acre, I'm sure we would love to negotiate with you.)  ;)
>We have had suggestions that we make T-Shirts.  An interesting idea and I'll never say never.  I'm just crazy enough that I might do it...at some point...in the future...maybe.
>Once the sunflowers start to bloom, you usually have about two weeks before they are done.  What this means is that you have a finite number of days to take pictures if you want beautiful yellow flowers.  When sunflowers start to wilt and die, they are one of the ugliest crops you'll ever see.  (And I mean UGLY!!)
>PHOTOGRAPHERS:  We get more and more professional photographers out every year wanting to do photo shoots for people.  We are okay with this, but we can't tell you exactly when the flowers will bloom.  It's all up to Mother Nature.  We are pretty good guessers, but we've been wrong before...a lot!  We could never have predicted all the rain we've had in the last couple of weeks anymore than we could have predicted the 17 days of 100+ degree weather we had last year.  Farming is a gamble.  If you are a professional and do photo shoots in the field, please feel free to leave a monetary donation in the money box...whatever you think is fair.  It would be greatly appreciated.
>THE FIELD IS MUDDY RIGHT NOW.  No idea (at this point) what it will be like when the sunflowers are blooming.  You may need muck boots.  It all depends on the weather between now and then.
>The sunflowers are tall this year. The rain is really making them bolt.
>After sunflowers bloom, they look east!  They will not follow the sun anymore.  If you see a flower in the field facing any other direction, it's a non-conformist.  Either cherish it's individuality, or spurn it...it's up to you.  (I tend to like the rebels, myself.)
>Bees and bugs love sunflowers!  If you are allergic, you may want to avoid them or bring an EpiPen.  (Just sayin'...)
>Farmer Ted cuts the sunflowers to sell for bird feed at places like the local Farmer's Market or the local feed store.  What you see in the field are "Black oil" sunflowers.  They have a higher oil content than the confectionery sunflowers that we humans eat.  You could eat these, but they might give you a belly ache or have a laxative effect.  You probably don't want to try it.  (Just sayin')
>I could go on and on, but this post is already way too long.  Above all, we hope that you get to see the sunflowers and that you enjoy the beauty...for as long as it lasts.  Whoever said "beauty is fleeting" must have had a sunflower field in mind.