I adore this sunflower. A few weeks ago I took a photo of it in full flower. It really was magnificent, by far the largest one in the garden, and happily it was in the front yard. One or two people commented on it, and that just felt really nice.
This planting of the sunflowers was part of a project that never really worked like I had envisaged. It wasn't my idea originally, my friend Stacey (whom I suspect gets her ideas from Dirt Girl World) suggested I plant a ring of sunflowers, leaving a space in the middle for the boys to play in. I did very much like the idea, I thought it would be exciting for the boys, kind of like another little hidey hole world for them. Unfortunately, they didn't see it that way, and didn't actually want to sit in the middle of all the sunflowers. I am not really sure why, I am so sure I would have enjoyed it as a child.
I had to bribe them for the photos below, and even then they would only sit at the edge.
The flowers are all finished now, and you can see that I have snapped them over to make way for the new vegetable beds I want to put in the front yard. I am trying out a new setup this year, hopefully I'll be able to show you some of the progress I've made over the next few days.
Oh, I wanted to say that I had pushed all the sunflowers over bar one. Even thought it's past its prime, I still think it's magnificent.
I can't decide whether I think it looks like a person or an outdoor shower.
14 comments:
I think if your boys were girls they would of loved to play in the middle of a circle of sunflowers and I'm sure they would of found some fairies too. Maybe you should of sat in the middle and got the boys to take a photo instead :)
Outdoor shower.
I made a den for my children when they were little. They complained there were slugs under the boards there to sit on and that was the end of that.
Esther
It's a person...and it is a bit sad because the boys didn't like it. I love the second picture of your boys. They are gorgeous. What are you going to use the seeds for? If you don't use them, the chookies will love them. (Warning: I am blogging about you tomorrow)
Wow! That is a LARGE sunflower! Precious children! I know what you mean about sunflower plantings that do not quite work out the way we plan. I once planted a spiral of sunflowers for my son to play in. More or less it did work. Once I planted over two hundred mounds of sunflowers only to have them become dinner for a woodchuck! I think the green hearts are sweet next to your children and when they look up it must be awesome to them. It is so great for our kids to have a connection to the garden and nature in this way.
Why did the boys not like the sunflower "arbour" I wonder? Perhaps they thought it sinister? The looming shape of that big one does look a bit daunting. Or maybe it's as JCS suggests - just that it was yours, not theirs.
Wow what a plant glad it has given you so much joy. My preteen daughter never played in the places I expected her too and now I am lucky to get her in the garden at all9 scared she will be nabbed to do a job). Make the most of these special times.
It could be that I made it and it was mine rather than theirs, but usually when something is "mine" they want it even more! My toast, my cup of tea, my apple, it's all very appealing. I will try again, and perhaps the boys can choose the shape and where to plant the seeds.
It is true that Felix has his own little carrot garden, and now eats carrots.
Hazel is there going to be pole dancing in your blog post? I'm still waiting for that :p
Hi Ali, Just found your blog and it's so lovely! will be back often. Mine's a bit more cooking focussed at the moment but I have plans to reveal my garden soon! I've got a 5 month old boy and seeing the photos of your boys in the garden gets me excited about our future garden adventures too! all the best, Angela
Maybe the trick is to have them plant and water the seeds so they belong to them from the start, but then maybe you wouldn't have such magnificent sunflowers. I'm sure there are lots of special places for them to play in your garden.
Hi, Ali.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Now my blog have some server problems so many photos are not available till full recovery in this weekend.
How will you deal with sunflower seeds? grill or roast them to eat?
Thanks so much Angela. I'll be sure to come take a look at your blog too :)
And you are right Missy, although I am thinking that next time I will just plant a whole lot the way I like them because they really are for me!
Hi Takaeko, Elaine (who comments here regularly) suggested I grow them into sprouts for salads and sandwich fillings, this is my favourite idea so far. I hadn't thought of roasting them, I could always give that a go too :)
Recently I bought some organically-grown and hulled Sunflower seeds. I 'toasted' them by dry frying as I do with blanched almonds and sesame seeds. We both found the flavour and effect on our tongues quite weird. It was as if the heat had released some corrosive substance and spoiled the meal since it took some hours for the taste to pass. I'm interested to see if your roasting-in-hull results in something delicious or something you could have done without.
Weeeeee, that doesn't sound fabulous Elaine. If my small brain can remember, I'll try roasting some and also sprouting some. I'm looking forward to the sprouts, and yes, to the toasties as well now.
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