Can you think of anything more iconic than a romantic gesture with sunflowers?

Neither can we—which is why, when we heard the story of 70-year-old Lee Wilson, we had no choice but to honour him.

Lee and his wife Renee have been together for over 50 years, and in celebration of their upcoming anniversary, Lee decided to surprise Renee in the most beautiful way possible: with a field of over 1.2 million sunflowers!

The farmer secretly planted the golden blooms across 80 acres of land back in May, with the help of his son, to keep the surprise a secret.

A farmer has surprised his wife with more than a million sunflowers for their wedding anniversary. Credit: Unsplash/Noelle Otto.

And what a surprise it was! When Lee finally unveiled his romantic gesture in honour of their special anniversary, Renee was overwhelmed.

'It couldn't have been a more perfect anniversary gift than a field of sunflowers,' she said in an interview.

So why sunflowers? It's a special tribute to the 50th anniversary. Also known as the 'Golden Wedding Anniversary', this milestone is traditionally celebrated with the gift of gold (or anything golden or yellow).

Lee decided to honour this tradition in his unique way, planting 15,000 sunflower seeds per acre to create a striking sea of blooms.

'We're celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary on August 10, and you know, what's a guy get his gal on their 50th?' asked Lee.

'I put a lot of thought into it, and she always liked sunflowers. I thought this was the year to plant sunflowers, so we planted her [323,749 square metres] of sunflowers.'

The sunflower field is exceptionally photogenic, which is why people from nearby towns and other cities are already lining up to take stunning nature shots of the blooming flowers.

But even though it's seen as a romantic gesture, the display is only temporary—sunflowers typically bloom for only two to four weeks.

Lee has no plans to make it an anniversary tradition, saying, 'It's been fun, but I think one time is enough for us. It's somebody else's turn next year,' which we understand!

Key Takeaways

• A farmer surprised his wife with over 1.2 million sunflowers for their 50th wedding anniversary.
• Lee Wilson, 70, secretly planted sunflowers across 323,749 square metres with the help of his son. His wife Renee said his gift was ‘perfect’.
• The vast field of sunflowers is drawing crowds due to the stunning visual effect.
• Despite the enormous effort and wonderful sight, Lee has said he doesn't plan to make it a tradition.

Lee Wilson's sunflower tribute to his 50th wedding anniversary for his wife Renee is truly heart-warming, no matter how you look at it.

The amount of effort, time, and dedication he invested in creating this special moment for his wife is incredible, and we are certain that Renee will cherish this romantic gesture for years to come.

What do you all think about this heartwarming story? Have any of you received or been given other memorable anniversary gifts? Share your stories with us in the comments section below; we'd love to hear them!

 

[Suzanne rose]

What a beautiful story .

I think best my hubby has done was send me 2 dozen long stem red roses to my work .

 

[Thecheesequeen]

We’re celebrating our Golden Wedding at the end of the month, and can’t decide what to do to mark the date. We’ve left it a it late to book travel, and don’t want a party, as I had a big party for my 70th birthday a few months ago. Ideas, anyone? (And no, my husband won’t be planning anything like a field of sunflowers! )

 

[Suzanne rose]

We’re celebrating our Golden Wedding at the end of the month, and can’t decide what to do to mark the date. We’ve left it a it late to book travel, and don’t want a party, as I had a big party for my 70th birthday a few months ago. Ideas, anyone? (And no, my husband won’t be planning anything like a field of sunflowers! )

Congratulations That is an amazing achievement.

 

[Thecheesequeen]

Congratulations That is an amazing achievement.

Thank you. I was 20 when we got married and 21 when we migrated from Scotland to Australia with our first baby. So next year we’ll be celebrating 50 years in this country, along with friends we met on the ship coming out.

 

[Suzanne rose]

Thank you. I was 20 when we got married and 21 when we migrated from Scotland to Australia with our first baby. So next year we’ll be celebrating 50 years in this country, along with friends we met on the ship coming out.

We would love to see photos of that event

 

[Judith1946]

Why not plant a tree for each year you celebrate an anniversary. You can give friends a native shrub to encourage the birds and insects especially bees even if you have limited space or no garden. Most council nursery’s will be able to help you find somewhere to plant them too. You could donate money to assisting with reforestation where terrible bushfires devastated massive areas. It’s not all about getting something for ourselves is it. We can show our gratitude for living in such a wonderful country by upholding native wildlife or maybe supporting our favourite charities. If we have love in our relationships and we want to celebrate that, then send out a loving thought for endangered species both animal or vegetable. With climate change decimating habitat and species give the gift of love to the land that supports us and consider if each of us planted a tree, shrub or flower how this will truly give back. Love is an action not a warm fuzzy self indulgent act but an outpouring, of generosity and compassion. Be a giver not a taker and enjoy the rewards as you watch your tree grow. Maybe grow a fruit tree from seed, planted in a pot. So simple and easy. Plant a tree in memory of someone, encourage our children to grow a tree each year on their birthday. Most of us don’t need parties or gifts, we have enough if we are lucky and if we are flat broke then take a cutting from a friends garden and plant that. You will get so much pleasure watching it grow just as a relationship grows over the years. JS.

 

[Julia TH]

Dame Judi Dench plants a tree for every friend or family member who passes away. She now has a small woodland on her property, each tree is marked with the name of the person it commemorates. The wonderful actress can now wander through it remembering her loved ones.