Visitors flock to ‘golden field’
OVER the past month, tourists, photographers and locals have been flocking to Rhossili to get the perfect shot of an increasingly popular sunflower field.
Social media feeds have been flooded with pictures of the tall yellow flowers, complete with the stunning backdrop of Worm’s Head.
It’s rare to see so many sunflowers in Wales, as the Royal Horticultural Society explains that countries with “long, hot summers” are better suited to them.
Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: “Most of the world’s sunflowers are grown for sunflower oil but in Britain the seed heads don’t ripen until October when the cool, damp weather causes them to rot and be useless.
“Countries with long, hot summers are better suited; Argentina, Ukraine and France, for example.
“A very little commercial sunflower production for bird food takes place in Norfolk and other dry regions which rather rules out Wales, a notably moist country.”
So why are the sunflowers in Rhossili?
Planted by the National Trust Gower team, it is the first time they have done it and as a result it has gained a lot of attention.
There are around 400,000 of the seasonal sunflowers in the field, located on the Vile walk, which will be harvested and dried in barns before being turned into bird seed.
The “golden field”, as it has been coined by the National Trust, has brightened up an already picturesque spot with Rhossili beach being renowned around the world for its natural beauty.