Blue skies and yellow fields: Sunflowers in Hawke’s Bay to help Ukrainian children

Debbie Dixon with daughter Ingrid Hayden. They have grown 30000 sunflowers to sell and will donate a portion of the proceeds to support children in Ukraine. Photo / Warren Buckland

Yellow fields of sunflowers under the blue skies of Hawke’s Bay are blooming - and some of the profits from their sale will go to children affected by the war in Ukraine.

Hastings woman Debbie Dixon and her daughter Ingrid Hayden have grown 30,000 sunflowers as part of a family business venture, Ditey Sunflowers, and they plan for 10 per cent of the profits from them to go towards a cause supporting Ukrainian children.

Sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine, while “ditey” means “children” in Ukrainian.

Dixon said they had a family member who was volunteering in Ukraine and they wanted to do something to help with the plight of the children in the country.

“We’re a very children-oriented family, I am an ex-primary school teacher, and I just loved the happy faces.”

She said the money will go towards supporting an outdoor education programme, similar to Outward Bound in New Zealand, for Ukrainian children displaced by the war to help build confidence, strength and stamina.

She said the flowers were planted in two lots two weeks apart starting Labour weekend, after waiting a month due to the heavy rain Hawke’s Bay had experienced.

“The first group of 15,000 has just bloomed beautifully,” Dixon said.

“It has been a family affair, our son has spearheaded the tilling of the soil and that side of it, our little grandsons were down there checking on them every day so it has been quite a lovely experience.”

Flowers are $5 per bloom, five for $20 and 12 for $40.

The sunflowers are available for purchase from outlets along Havelock Rd and just before the Evenden Rd roundabout on Pakowhai Rd and they will be available for purchase at the Black Barn Growers Market on Saturday mornings.

Dixon said she expected sales to be running for about six weeks.