Located in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, Sunshine Farm and Gardens is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 20 km (12 mi) SSE of Richwood.
Sunshine Farm and Gardens (60 acres) is an Arboretum, Botanic Garden, garden center, retail and wholesale nursery located at 3,650 feet (1,110 m) altitude near Falling Spring / Renick, Greenbrier County West Virginia. It is open to the public. The gardens contain over 10,000 different varieties of perennials, bulbs, trees and shrubs. One of the main focuses is a breeding program, breeding new varieties in the genus Helleborus, with 6 acres (24,000 m2) of the nursery devoted to more than 168,000 hellebores. The other main focus is on the cultivation and propagation of east coast native plants with several acres dedicated to woodland perennials and wildflowers.From the Wikipedia article “Sunshine Farm and Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sunshine Farm and Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 59° ENE | 8:49 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 120° ESE | 5:06 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 31m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 32m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Sunshine Farm and Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 4:02 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:35 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (78%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 69 | 71 | 78 | 81 | 98 | 92 | 97 | 95 | 94 | 91 | 77 | 74 |
| Low °F | -6 | -5 | -4 | 19 | 26 | 38 | 48 | 45 | 36 | 25 | 13 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sunshine Farm and Gardens, closest first.
Cave
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
Covered Bridge
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hopkins Mountain Fireman'S Cabin21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Blue Bend Rec Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Blue Meadow22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Big Rock Campground27 km (17 mi)
- Cranberry Campground29 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sunshine Farm and Gardens?
What time is golden hour at Sunshine Farm and Gardens?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sunshine Farm and Gardens?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sunshine Farm and Gardens?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sunshine Farm and Gardens?
How far is Sunshine Farm and Gardens from Richwood?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.