In 1996 and 1997 they tried to have sunflowers blooming on 1 May, shortly after the ranunculus begin to fade, but in both years they actually began blooming at the end of May, just as the Fields closed. 20,000 sunflowers were planted in the shape of a large sun with lines extending out like rays. The nearly 50 acres that are devoted to flowers are owned by the Carltas Co., a development firm controlled by the Ecke family of Encinitas, better-known for the wildly popular Ecke Poinsettia. The surrounding acres were devoted to flowers in the past, but are now being developed for, among other things, Legoland. The Flower Fields are open daily from 10 a.m. to dusk, except during rain, from around the beginning of March through mid-May.
Parking is free.
I don't know if that attraction has returned in 1999. If they cut their prices by a factor of 4, yet sell 20 times more flowers, they would make 5 times more income and visitors would walk away with wonderful bouquets of ranunculus. In 1997, the peak bloom was expected to begin the weekend of 22-23 March 1997, and last about four weeks. I visited the fields on 22 March, and the color was really just starting. As of 15 May, only the northern end was still in bloom.