Sunflower patch to bloom in Modewarre

A LOCAL initiative based out of Modewarre is ready to bloom again with tens of thousands of sunflowers to offer a once-a-year opportunity for residents and visitors.

Surf Coast Sunflowers, grown by Modewarre Flower Collective, is the brainchild of three Surf Coast women Abbey Galbraith, Anna Loughnan and Amy Brady.

Their sunflower patch will be in bloom around the New Year period for the second year running.

Located near the corner of Cape Otway Road and Considines Road, next to the Modewarre Public Hall, an estimated 10,000 sunflowers will be out in all their glory, providing a chance for locals to see them up close.

“We’re really excited to welcome people back to our location, particularly after the success of last year’s crop. It rained when we needed it to rain and we reaped the rewards from that,” Ms Galbraith said.

“We thought this idea would only appeal to young families, but we found it appealed to all ages.

 

“It really opened our eyes that our idea appealed to everyone and we’re looking forward to seeing that again.”

It will be the third year the sunflower paddock will attempt to bloom, with the first attempt only yielding barely a handful of flowers.

The three-acre paddock does require an entry fee, charging $5 for adults and free entry for children. Stems are $3 each to pick or 10 for $25.

A portion of the proceeds raised during the bloom season is then donated to two charities.

Last year, $1,250 was donated to the local CFA station and $1,250 was donated to the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Ms Brady said she and her two friends were very proud of what Surf Coast Sunflowers had blossomed into.

“Having a collective idea, then running with it and turning it into a business has been really fun to see that come to fruition,

“It’s a full-year job and all three of our families put work into making it happen, but it has been super rewarding since we started.”

For more information about Surf Coast Sunflowers and updates, head to @surfcoast_sunflowers on Instagram.

Photography at “The Patch” is strongly encouraged, but pets are not allowed into the farmland.