Towering sunflowers frame the walkway to David Dorr’s front porch at 420 Main St. The flowers offer a spot of bright color and welcome visitors to his home — sometimes, he said, they even attract the attention of neighbors and other passersby.

“I can’t tell you how many people have stopped and wanted to take pictures or wanted to know who grew them,” Dorr said. 

Dorr said he and his partner, Michael, maintain the sunflowers. It’s a way to brighten up Main Street, he explained. Along with the sunflowers that almost create a tunnel for people to walk through, the rocks along the walkway were painted and small globe-lights were set up. 

Dorr has been growing sunflowers for four years, he said, but he’s been gardening for much longer. 

“I’m 67 years old and I’ve been gardening for 57 years,” he said. “My father taught me how to plant and fertilize.” 

The seeds for his particularly tall flowers come from overseas, he explained. The Lithuanian seeds can produce flowers up to 22 feet, but because he didn’t have the proper soil this year, his tallest sunflower was 12 feet. 

“Next year, I will have the soil,” he said, already thinking ahead to another eye-catching display.

He said the storms this year were a bit hard on his flowers. His 12-foot sunflower broke when tropical storm Henri passed through Wareham.

For Dorr, tending to plants is an important tradition. 

“Every year I have to grow something,” he said. “That’s my thing.”