The Summer of Sunflowers
This year has been an absolutely amazing year for sunflowers! I don’t think I could find a single flower that sums up summer as perfectly as a sunflower does. Their big jolly heads just scream summer and heat when ever I look at them.
This year, I am pleased to say, has been an exceptional year for them and they are putting on a stellar display of colour and interest. I don’t know if it is the fact we actually have sun to go along with our sunflowers here in Ireland but they seem to be even more radiant.
I had noticed this year too that any of the sunflowers I have seen have had mulptiple flowers on them. So not only have they been looking great but they have been working hard too!
I am not the only one to notice this, Miss Emma from Crafty Garden Hoe ( I just love the name of her blog!!) put up a great post about sunflowers. She too has noticed that they have been producing more than the one usual flower head and have instead been sent out flowers all the way down their stems. I don’t think either of us would complain about it but just found it interesting.
Of course it is not just the flowers that look attractive. I find the seedheads that are left behind just as alluring! When I grow them myself I like to leave the seedheads and just allow the birds and other wildlife in the garden to feast of the looth of seeds.
Some of you, who are able to look beyond the sunflower and its lovely petals, will notice the sunflower I took photos of is growing in a greenhouse! I would also like to point out it was also grown from seed by a very cool 5 year old boy! It also did its job of attacting pollinating insects in to the greenhouse to help with our tomato growing!
The seed heads are very interesting, especially since they follow the Fibonacci series.
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Gorgeous! We planted a few sunflowers out in our allotment and they did exceptionally well! One is over 6 feet tall! They initially produced a single giant head, but when that died, loads of smaller blossoms appeared. Sunflowers have to be one of my favourite flowers ever.
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Yay, how lovely! The sunflowers certainly have captured the sunshine of thr summer in their petals. Our largest sunflower of 7ft 6 is ablaze with flower heads all the way down its stem. The bees are attracted to it like a magnet too! Definitely growing lots more next season.
Thanks for blog plug too!
Emma AKA Crafty Garden Hoe x
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How do you go about saving the seeds of sunflowers and when do you sow?
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Great photos! Yes we have been noticing the cheer of these flowers all around. Ours are just coming out in the garden but there was a fantastic display waiting for us all in the school garden last Monday. Really big and cheery. As you pointed out these plants just keep giving… we love watching all the bird life the seed heads attract. Lovely blog for a dull day – thanks!
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