DEERFIELD TWP. — Natorp’s Garden Stores’ sunflowers are standing tall again this summer, providing plenty of joy — and photo opportunities — for area families.

The business first planted the botanical beauties at the corner of Irwin-Simpson and Snider roads last year as a cover crop for buckwheat, which is a nutrient for the soil, according to CEO Kyle Natorp.

Natorp initially labeled the sunflowers “a one-time thing” but decided to bring them back on a smaller scale, providing a blooming backdrop for throngs of budding shutterbugs.

“We planted shade and ornamental trees (this year) but we had a little extra ground, so we decided that everybody enjoyed them so much last year that we’d take that extra ground and plant the sunflowers in that spot,” Natorp said.

Traci McReynolds of Hamilton Twp., who won a photography contest Natorp’s offered last year on its Facebook page, returned to the field Friday, July 16, with 12-year-old daughter Maggie and 10-year-old son Tommy to snap some more shots.

McReynolds she didn’t expect the business to bring back the sunflowers, but is thankful that it did.

“It was a nice surprise that they re-did it and I just thought it was very generous of them,” she said. “It’s something that they’re giving to the community because people really enjoy it and it’s neat that they brought it back.”