The Dix Park sunflowers are one of the highlights of summer here in Raleigh. More than one hundred thousand happy flowers spread across five acres.
But they just don’t appear; it takes lots of planning. That’s where Raleigh Water and our Parks Department come in.
“We have to pick out the variety, look at days to maturity, and of course think about weed control,” Michael Gregory, senior fleet maintenance specialist with Raleigh Water tells us.
Then, there’s the spacing. Crews typically plant five rows, then allow for a six-foot walkway, then plant ten rows, and so on.
Gregory tells us each year, they hold their breath a little, hoping the weather cooperates and the flowers bloom at just the right time. The crew planted this year’s crop this week.
For James Bullock, who is the Horticulture Supervisor at Dix Park and other parks, it’s somewhat of a labor of love.
“It’s very gratifying. I grew up on a farm and I find it rewarding,” says Bullock. “To see people come here and look at them, and then to see how happy it makes people, that makes me happy.”
And if you’re wondering: this year’s variety is Barnburner and they’re expected to bloom in July.