Sunflowers for Sunday

Posted on August 27, 2017 by joey

I enjoyed my sunflowers so much last year, I planted even more this year: giant 10-12 foot, 4-6 foot, and dwarf varieties. I was never a big fan of sunflowers before I grew them. Their bright, happy faces are such a cheerful sight, they won me over. Nothing like being welcomed home by smiling sunflowers.

This time last year, a tornado came and thrashed them, causing an early death. Still, I got two volunteers in the tomato bed. One much smaller and one empty.

The dwarf variety opened first, and they’re butter yellow. They produce 2-3 blooms per stalk. They’d make for a great rear border in a sunny spot.

The middlin sort are about face-to-face with me and are much easier to photograph.

The size of the seed heads on both those varieties truly vary, but with the giants, the dark seed heads are enormous and the petals are more of a fringe. When the birds and bees are done with the seeds and pollen, the center is orange.

The giants are my favorite, almost as tall as the basketball rim. I included a photo of my hand reaching up to one, and to get the scale right, I have to tell you, the stakes that gird them are only six-feet tall, so those alone are over my head — their heavy heads make them droop almost another foot. They’re amazing, towering over us. Not all of them have opened yet, but so far, the tallest three have.

I hope even if you’re not a garden geek, you can appreciate their glory.

 

Next year, I plan to plant EVEN MORE.

About joey

Neurotic Bitch, Mother, Wife, Writer, Word Whore, Foodie and General Go-To-Girl
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74 Responses to Sunflowers for Sunday

  1. eschudel says:
    August 27, 2017 at 3:09 PM

    My father used to plant giant sunflowers. I planted a couple of big ones last year, but completely forgot this year!! I don’t know what was wrong with me. Yours are gorgeous!!

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      August 27, 2017 at 3:44 PM

      Well, every year you show me your hellebore and I say I will plant them, and then I don’t. I keep thinking I need to get the astilbe established first… and I keep not doin that…
      Here’s to next year! *raises choccie milk*

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Ellen Hawley says:
    August 27, 2017 at 3:09 PM

    Gorgeous. We can’t plant the tall ones here. Or we can, but it won’t do any good–it’s too damn windy.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Deborah Drucker says:
    August 27, 2017 at 3:15 PM

    Beautiful flowers. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  4. IreneDesign2011 says:
    August 27, 2017 at 3:26 PM

    Your Sunflowers are really beautiful, Joey 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Victo Dolore says:
    August 27, 2017 at 3:26 PM

    A couple of years ago there was an entire field of them on my way to work. Made my heart soar every single time I drove past it.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. ghostmmnc says:
    August 27, 2017 at 3:39 PM

    Those sunflowers are magnificent! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Dan Antion says:
    August 27, 2017 at 4:11 PM

    I just told my wife she has to go back to planting these next year! These are beautiful! I love the ones against the deep blue sky the best but they are all wonderful !

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Judy E Martin says:
    August 27, 2017 at 4:13 PM

    Wow, these are just gorgeous, Joey. How can anyone not be cheered by the sight of those sunny beauties! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  9. circadianreflections says:
    August 27, 2017 at 4:36 PM

    Those are wonderful and beautiful!!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. loisajay says:
    August 27, 2017 at 4:41 PM

    They are sunshine every day. Beautiful, Joey.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. bikerchick57 says:
    August 27, 2017 at 4:56 PM

    I am smitten, IN LOVE, with the pastel yellow sunflowers. They are beautiful, Joey. Thanks for sharing a piece of your garden and the awesome photos.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. evelyneholingue says:
    August 27, 2017 at 5:02 PM

    I’ve always loved sunflowers. Yours are glorious, Joey. It’s a splendid gallery.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. marianallen says:
    August 27, 2017 at 5:03 PM

    Beautiful! When the kids were little, we tried making one of those natural playhouses by planting sunflowers and sweet peas in a circle. In the picture, the sunflowers grew up and the sweet peas bound them together and you bent over the sunflower heads so they met in the middle. It didn’t work. Plus: bees. BUT SUNFLOWERS.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      August 27, 2017 at 5:48 PM

      Thanks! I can’t imagine how it would work. So much of that, “these here plants will hold up these other plants” crap doesn’t work. Like Three Sisters, still have to stake and string the beans, I don’t care what they say or how many pretty pictures they share!
      And yeah, BEES. :/ Not ideal in playhouses.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. coldhandboyack says:
    August 27, 2017 at 5:41 PM

    I like em. Good choice.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. wisewoodpidgeon says:
    August 27, 2017 at 7:29 PM

    They are absolutely beautiful!!! I always imagine a field full of sunflowers as my ‘happy place’. I too get a sense of joy from their happy, smiling faces. Lovely post 😊

    Like

  16. Jaded Jeni says:
    August 27, 2017 at 8:16 PM

    I love sunflowers and have always wanted to plant them around my home. Someday! Gorgeous display, Joey. I especially love the butter yellow ones. ♥

    Liked by 1 person

  17. sustainabilitea says:
    August 27, 2017 at 10:23 PM

    Love, love, love!!

    janet

    Liked by 1 person

  18. eatallofthis says:
    August 27, 2017 at 10:30 PM

    Good post. Beautiful photos 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Prajakta says:
    August 28, 2017 at 1:25 AM

    I saw some of these on Instagram 🙂 Fell in love with sunflowers all over again !

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Benson says:
    August 28, 2017 at 7:03 AM

    I have always liked Sunflowers. My Grandpa had them planted on the perimeter of his garden. It was the first thing I saw when we pulled into his drive. I never could understand how they got so big; towering over his corn. You are right about the effect they have on you. If you are still grumpy after seeing a huge yellow head then you just don’t want to be happy. Plus their seeds are great to snack on.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Maggie Wilson says:
    August 28, 2017 at 9:39 AM

    I love love love LOVE sunflowers. So happy to see yours, because up here, the season is not near long enough.

    I grew the Russian Giant variety when I lived down south. As it aged, the head drooped with the weight, so the seed face was looking toward the ground – it was fun to watch the birds adapt their feeding style to reach the seeds.

    What wasn’t so much fun, but then again, I laughed when it happened: one day after a storm, I was working at the base of the drooping giant. I knocked the stem and was doused by a mini shower that had collected in the “bowl” of the seed head.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      August 28, 2017 at 2:42 PM

      YES! Same! The birds practically perform squirrel acrobatics to get at the droopers! I love it though. So neat! Pity your season isn’t long enough, but that makes total sense.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. larva225 says:
    August 28, 2017 at 10:16 AM

    IKNOWRIGHT?????? I only had about a dozen small-middish this year. A couple of years ago I had tons. My favorites were actually these giant deep burgundy ones. I haven’t seen any like that before or since. And I never cared a bit for them until I had my own. Now I’m kind of obsessed. I’m even thinking about some ink….

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Laura says:
    August 28, 2017 at 10:40 AM

    I LOVE sunflowers. Don’t know if it’s their bright yellow color or because they’re the gentle giants of the flower family but they never fail to put a smile on my face.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. JT Twissel says:
    August 28, 2017 at 2:42 PM

    My husband feds the birds sunflower seeds and so I’ll find them growing in the oddest of places – not so much this summer because it’s been dry.

    Liked by 2 people

  26. bedlamanddaisies says:
    August 28, 2017 at 4:39 PM

    Sunflowers seems so glorious! I’ve admired field from afar, but I would love to be dwarfed by walking through a patch! Beautiful garden Joey! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Joanne Sisco says:
    August 28, 2017 at 9:25 PM

    What can I say, except ❤ ❤ ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  28. pluviolover says:
    August 29, 2017 at 1:08 PM

    I only ever planted one sunflower, a giant it was. Somewhere, I have a photo of 8-year-old Julie, standing on a ladder giving it a hug (of sorts). I’ll never forget it, cuz I did not know that got that big. Great topic and super pics. Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      August 29, 2017 at 10:21 PM

      Aw, that’s nice. I believe you’ll never forget it. Sounds precious!
      Thanks again 🙂
      I realized tonight when we got home, there’s a new giant rising. He’s 12 feet tall, easily. I’m excited all over again.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. reocochran says:
    August 29, 2017 at 11:56 PM

    I love all of your sunflowers but my favorites are golden instead of yellow, along with bumblebees enjoying them. 🌻
    I painted three five foot tall sunflowers in my laundry room. I stood next to them as I filled the washer and took clothes, etc out of the dryer. I like sunflowers on many different fabrics and wall hangings. So cheerful and bright!

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      August 30, 2017 at 10:10 AM

      Fun! I bet that’s quite cute! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      • reocochran says:
        August 30, 2017 at 10:30 PM

        It was on my laundry room wall in my last house, we unfortunately had to sell it but the owners told me they would keep all the art I painted on the walls. I took photos for my memories. 💐

        Liked by 1 person

        • joey says:
          August 31, 2017 at 5:57 AM

          Nice! I painted a mural on Moo’s wall when we moved here. She plans a redo on her paint and bedding. As you know, tastes change from 9 to 13 and I think she’s outgrown her wildlife motif. You can be sure I took pictures for my memories too!

          Liked by 1 person

          • reocochran says:
            September 1, 2017 at 2:53 PM

            Pictures help everyone to put a time and phase we were in!
            Good idea to have photos of Moo’s wildlife motif of her “age 9 to teenager time.”
            I wish I had some of my parents crazy, hot pink front door and the funky second floor deck my Dad added to our last big house. We always call the move to the lake cottage our counting backwards point, “next to last house,” “two houses back,” etc. 🙂

            Liked by 1 person

            • joey says:
              September 1, 2017 at 2:58 PM

              Same! You’ve mentioned that house so many times, I feel like I know it. I wish you had some pictures, too, but you’ve done well describing it, and it sounds so whimsical and cheery 🙂

              Liked by 1 person

              • reocochran says:
                September 4, 2017 at 10:05 AM

                This certainly was nice to hear, Joey! Words describing things, places and people are a skill. I am happy that the picture I described is memorable. Another summer past and not visiting! 😉 One of these days. . .

                Liked by 1 person

  30. Judy @ NewEnglandGardenAndThread says:
    August 30, 2017 at 11:50 AM

    They are like gigantic smiling faces that also provide food for birds or chickens – winner in my gardening book. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Jewels says:
    August 30, 2017 at 11:10 PM

    So bright and “sunny” I LOVE these Joey!!! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  32. paulasplacewheredreamsgotodie says:
    September 8, 2017 at 7:16 PM

    We have Mexican Sunflowers. The hummingbirds and butterflies love them.

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Skipah says:
    October 6, 2017 at 10:53 PM

    My sunflowers got extracted by the booming mole metropolis known as Madison, IN! Love the giant sunflowers!

    Like

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