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Summer Flower Season |
As the sun comes out, it beckons the flower buds to awaken from their slumber across Mt. Hood Territory. It's a beautiful sight to see when spring turns to summer and, over the course of those months, a plethora of fragrant flowers show off their colors.
Several delightful gardens and farms cultivate a stunning variety of summer flowers just outside Portland. These dedicated spaces offer the opportunity to wander through vibrant blooms, take in fragrant scents and often even bring some of the beauty home with you.
Each August, acres of gorgeous sunflower fields in 32 different varieties burst to life at Yesteryear Farms in Wilsonville. Take advantage of 35 different photo ops for the entire family on the property and get a free bloom with your ticket purchase. Stafford Acres Sunflower Festival is another event with kids' activities and stations to view farm animals like chickens, peacocks and goats.
In August and September, vibrant colors appear as if a rainbow has bloomed from the ground at Swan Island Dahlias in Canby. Stroll through their fields, or even pack a picnic for a lunch with stunning views. They have virtually every kind of dahlia and new varieties they've cultivated themselves. Bonus: You can bring some of the beauty home with you, as they offer pre-cut flowers and bouquets. In Estacada, Mama's Dahlia Farm is a family run farm with u-pick dahlias for a buck a bloom until the first frost of the season. They also sell tubers.
EnChroma color blind sunglasses help those with red-green color blindness experience the full spectrum of breathtaking colors in select flower fields. Rent a pair for no cost at the Swan Island Dahlia Festival and the Wooden Shoe Farm Summer Flower event (as well as their annual spring tulip festival).
Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, known for its breathtaking tulip displays, transforms into a haven of summer flowers, including sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias and more for a short time in late July and early August. Capture the magic of the flower fields during the golden hours of sunrise/sunset, or fill a glass jar with beautiful u-pick blooms. Fees apply. Bucolic, family owned Fiala Farms in West Linn offers a lovely u-cut flower experience in late summer.
In June and July one of the most beloved floral scents of them all, the tranquil notes of lavender, manifests in row after row after row of deep purple gloriousness. Fields at Barn Owl Nursery have extras like gift shops filled with lavender scented goodies and all sorts of other treasures. Whispering Lavender Farm offers u-pick lavender and a great farm store. Willamette Valley Lavender Farm is a family owned lavender farm in Canby featuring the best of hand-harvested English and French lavender. They also have a charming greenhouse that they rent out as a photography studio in the fields.
While these flowers are in bloom at the Rogerson Clematis Garden in Lake Oswego all year long, they extend their hours May through October, so there's more time to enjoy the real showstoppers of the warm season. Known as "Queen of the Vines," you can check out their What's In Bloom page to see which of your favorite majesties is in full color. They also offer special events and often have docent-led tours over holiday weekends, such as Mother's Day and Memorial Day. The gardens at Luscher Farm nextdoor are a stunning sight in the late summer and early fall.
