Growing Sunflowers To Produce Harvest Of Sunflower Seeds For Wild Birds.
From a very early age children can be interested in growing sunflowers. One youngster at the age of seven (me) was given a packet of sunflower seeds by his aunt. These were sown in five separate pots, and when the sunflower seeds germinated and sent up their first green shoots, there was no limit to the youngster's pride! When the weather was warm enough, the sunflowers were planted in the garden. The growing sunflowers then started to get taller and taller, and every time the youngster went to have a look at them, he rushed to tell his aunt what was happening to the sunflower seeds she had given to him. The youngster thought that the sunflowers would grow up all the way to the sky, and that he would be able to climb up them just like Jack climbed his beanstalk. By the time the head of the sunflower had developed, and the yellow petals were making it look like the sun itself, they appeared as if they were already halfway to the sky. The youngster thought they must have been magic sunflowers to have grown so much taller than him, but what he didn't appreciate was that his parents had done all the caring for him, giving water to the sunflowers, food, and support, as was needed.
Since that first planting of sunflowers in the garden, there have been many others over the years. Different types of sunflowers grow to different heights, even the heads of the sunflowers can be of different sizes, and the petals of different colors. Even a single sunflower growing in a small garden can give a lot of pleasure. On one journey by car in France we came across a whole field full of sunflowers, looking like a field of gold in the hot sun. Of course, the farmer had not grown the sunflowers because they looked attractive, but so that he could sell the seed for the production of sunflower oil, or some other commercial purpose.
Growing sunflowers can also be very useful for anyone interested in attracting the birds and the bees into their gardens. The bees are attracted to the colorful heads of the sunflowers, which they then help to pollinate, and during their visits may also help to pollinate the apples on the trees, the broad beans and the peas, and any other fruit or vegetable that depend on the work of bees and other flying insects, to produce their crop. What would happen to the world if there were no bees? When the heads of the sunflowers have matured and loaded with ripened seeds, they can be cut and stored to feed the wild birds, when winter comes. Of course, as soon as the sunflower seeds have developed, the wild birds will quickly start to feed on them, there may not be enough to put into store!
Going back to the seven year old youngster and his first try at growing sunflowers, he was so happy with the resulting harvest of sunflower seeds he decided to raffle some of them amongst his aunties, uncles, and his neighbours. He hand made some raffle tickets, all numbered, and gave them out, free of all charges. The first prize was 20 sunflower seeds, the second prize 10 seeds, and the third prize 5 seeds. When his mum had helped him to pick out the best seeds and count them, there were 100's of them, so the youngster decided that everyone who had been given a ticket, should have a first prize. Very strange behaviour, but after all he was only seven!
Since that first planting of sunflowers in the garden, there have been many others over the years. Different types of sunflowers grow to different heights, even the heads of the sunflowers can be of different sizes, and the petals of different colors. Even a single sunflower growing in a small garden can give a lot of pleasure. On one journey by car in France we came across a whole field full of sunflowers, looking like a field of gold in the hot sun. Of course, the farmer had not grown the sunflowers because they looked attractive, but so that he could sell the seed for the production of sunflower oil, or some other commercial purpose.
Picture Of Sunflower Being Pollinated By Bumble Bee Seeking Pollen.
Growing sunflowers can also be very useful for anyone interested in attracting the birds and the bees into their gardens. The bees are attracted to the colorful heads of the sunflowers, which they then help to pollinate, and during their visits may also help to pollinate the apples on the trees, the broad beans and the peas, and any other fruit or vegetable that depend on the work of bees and other flying insects, to produce their crop. What would happen to the world if there were no bees? When the heads of the sunflowers have matured and loaded with ripened seeds, they can be cut and stored to feed the wild birds, when winter comes. Of course, as soon as the sunflower seeds have developed, the wild birds will quickly start to feed on them, there may not be enough to put into store!
Going back to the seven year old youngster and his first try at growing sunflowers, he was so happy with the resulting harvest of sunflower seeds he decided to raffle some of them amongst his aunties, uncles, and his neighbours. He hand made some raffle tickets, all numbered, and gave them out, free of all charges. The first prize was 20 sunflower seeds, the second prize 10 seeds, and the third prize 5 seeds. When his mum had helped him to pick out the best seeds and count them, there were 100's of them, so the youngster decided that everyone who had been given a ticket, should have a first prize. Very strange behaviour, but after all he was only seven!
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Sunflowers are native to the Americas. There is some debate about where the sunflower was first domesticated. The earliest known examples of a fully domesticated sunflower were found at the Hayes site in Tennessee that date back to around 2300 B.C. There were also other remains found at the Olmec site of San Andrés dating some time before 2100 B.C. The Incas used the sunflower as an image of their sun god. Gold images of the flower, as well as seeds, were taken back to Europe early in the 16th century. Src: Wikipedia.com. '''''
Sunflowers are native to the Americas. There is some debate about where the sunflower was first domesticated. The earliest known examples of a fully domesticated sunflower were found at the Hayes site in Tennessee that date back to around 2300 B.C. There were also other remains found at the Olmec site of San Andrés dating some time before 2100 B.C. The Incas used the sunflower as an image of their sun god. Gold images of the flower, as well as seeds, were taken back to Europe early in the 16th century. Src: Wikipedia.com. '''''
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21st June, 2007
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