Of Sunflowers, Helen Mirren says “I don’t think there’s anything on this planet that more trumpets life than the sunflower. For me that’s because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky. A satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it. And that’s such an admirable thing. And such a lesson in life.“
Sunflowers, “Tournesol” in French range in size from 2 feet to 6 feet and comes in different colors. No matter the size no, matter the color one thing they all have in common, they all follow the sun. The seek the light!
Their varied seizes means that you don’t need a yard to grow Sunflowers, they make great container plants. Place them on your balcony deck or at window sill.
***Trim away spent buds to encourage new blossoms.
Although they bloom best in full sun, they will grow in partial. You will potentially get a shorter plant with smaller flowers but you will get flowers and they will brighten your day.
It is said that the Sunflower follows the sun even on an overcast day.
The Sunflower is seen as a symbol of positivity.
Have you ever driven by a field of Sunflowers? Fan of the flora or not, you can’t deny it’s beauty. The direction the flowers face at any one time is totally dependent on the location of the sun.
The simple Sunflower can teach us some important lessons in life. Sunflowers can be found in many inspirational quotes, stories and poems simply for based on the fact the follow the sun.
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do” – Helen Keller
As if their beauty wasn’t enough, the sunflower also a great food source. It provides a feast for our pollinator friends. Get ready to welcome the birds and the bees and all in between.
If you plant it, they will grow. They require no maintenance other than normal fertilizing… AND!!!! They self-seed, there’s no need to buy new seeds/plant every year.
If your bird visitors are as messy as mine are, they will spread those seeds for you😊. You can also just take a spent bud and sprinkle those seeds where ever you want your sunflowers to grow.
They can be planted at any time , over winter very well , just drop ’em, leave ’em and they will grow.
As for us humans, we bake them, roast them, fry them and we eat them raw.
So go on add a sunflower to you garden
Who’s Your Dahlia – Do something that makes your soul glow