Sunflowers are about to bloom by the millions at these farms in Ontario
Yes, it's late July, but that doesn't mean the best of summer is behind us.
By next weekend, farms across the province will be completely transformed into picture perfect summer havens, courtesy of one of North America's most stunning natural phenomena, the annual sunflower bloom.
Just like the pumpkin patch in October, taking a trip to one of these sunflower farms is a staple of the Ontario summer bucket list, and the good news is, you barely have to leave the GTA to do it.
Just north of Toronto, the Sunflower Fields of Markham will be one of the first to open for the season, kicking things off on Friday.
Every year the farm sees a bloom of as many as 400,000 sunflowers across their 20 acres of fields.
Another local favourite is Campbell's Cross Farm, found in the northern reaches of Brampton. Their season starts a day later, on Saturday July 29.
Turning the bloom into the focal point of a host of different wellness activities like meditation sessions, yoga, and picnics, it could be the perfect place to take that special someone for a wholesome outing outside the city.
A little further north, in Caledon, Davis Family Farm boasts one of the province's most impressive sunflower fields in terms of size, if that kind of thing matters to you.
Spanning 40 acres, the expansive fields have been the venue for the Farm's annual Sunflower Festival for the last 10 years. This year's festival will take place between July 29 and August 14.
However, if the plain old sunflower field isn't enough to spark your interest, a more stimulating experience can be found at The Hanes Corn Maze, where a surprisingly tricky sunflower maze is grown every summer.
Located just west of Hamilton, it's worth the drive if you want to take your sunflowers with a twist.
We would also be remiss not to mention the Sunrise Sunflower Farm, with locations in both Hamilton and Newmarket.
Venture deep enough into their fields and you'll find another charming sight worthy of a photo, a giant yellow duck.
Part of the beauty of the annual sunflower bloom is its ephemeral nature. The flowers burn bright and fast, with peak bloom rarley lasting longer than a few weeks, which makes it an easy spectacle to miss.
Luckily, there are plenty of places to experience the bloom across southern Ontario, and most are priced affordably, with tickets around $10, so get planning!
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