Sunflowers...does a Body, Mind and Spirit Good!!

I can't help thinking that sunflowers might be the most versatile plant out there. Not only are they beautiful, and make just about anything brighter in their presence, but they are great providers for us (humans) and critters alike. Bees get pollen for their hives, squirrels and chipmunks and birds for their nests. Such a wonderful plant!

My dog kept barking today, at what must've been the wind, because everytime I looked out there was nothing...or nobody. After she barked again, I looked out and this time I saw something...these gorgeous sunflowers outside my window just waiting for me to appreciate their sunny, carefree smiles. So it became clear, sort of, what the dog had been making all the noise about.

This cute fella (the honeybee on the sunflower) doesn't have a care in the world...he's 'nectar drunk' gathering all the pollen his body will carry for his queen.

I kind of look at this picture as two old time sisters on a breezy summer day saying 'Let you hair down Mary...it's gorgeous out here today. Race you to the swimming hole!' Okay, I'm thinking 'Little House on the Prarie" here. These girls actually sit atop the tallest sunflower that has ever grown in my yard (I think)...about 14 ft. tall!

A 'mutant' flower? One central flower bud with two distinct 'halves'. The twin flower? Or is it saying: 'Hey baby...want to hang out?' Sorry, I have a weird sense of humor. Sometimes I just can't help myself, but hey, I enjoy my flowers!!

Goldfinch food

I plant sunflowers every year around my windows~ kitchen, living room, and back porch especially. Some people think I'm crazy to grow 10 foot giants in front of my living room window, but what some of them don't know, is that I can sit on my couch and watch goldfinches feed almost anytime of the day. They are such a shy bird that sometimes the best way to watch them without spooking them is from inside! I don't usually buy specific seed, I usually transplant what grows around the bird feeders in the spring. I've tried to grow "Moulion Rouge" and "Fantasy", among a few others, but the birds have ALWAYS picked the seeds right from the ground. And after I take such good care of them all winter!! After seeing some great sunflowers through the neighboorhood of smoky brown and reds, I've decided to try again next year to grow some red beauties much to the delight of my girls, who let me know how much they love the reds everytime we pass! Okay, maybe I'm not crazy. I've noticed quite a few houses in the area growing sunflowers in their front yards too. Maybe great minds think alike, and find not only the flowers, but the feathered friends that visit too, to be a great addition to the house!!

Not only do goldfinches visit my sunflowers, but we've also seen ruby throated hummingbirds, and not suprisingly, tons and tons of bees and butterflies! I was quite suprised when my daughter ran in the house and while jumping up and down, telling me that a hummingbird was just buzzing around her head. Sure enough, watching for a few days in a row, it returned every day to get a drink from our sunflowers. That might be the most pleasant suprise we've gotten so far this summer. I always planted red or purple to attract the hummers, and now, to know that they love one of my favorites is wonderful, so I guess we'll start a quest to try to catch one of these beauties in picture.