Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Sunflowers - the garden workhorse

There was a bouquet of sunflowers on the counter at my local coffee shop, Drip, today and they reminded me how much I love sunflowers. Long before I started gardening and growing my own I have loved the sunflower. There is just something about the large yellow/orange blooms and the dark brown center that brings a smile to my face.

There are many different kinds of sunflowers as well with names like Ring of Fire, Teddy Bear and Claret, each one with its own uniquie coloring and size. From the small one inch bloom on a multi stalk plant that almost resembles a bush, to the elegant Mammoth almost one foot across.

These gentle giants help break up hard soil with their deep root system, provide visual pleasure for cut flower arrangements and in the garden and provide food for us and the birds. Sunflower seeds are a great addition to our diet and sunflower oil is a healthy alternative to other kinds of oil as it contains high levels of vitamin E. In fact this great plant even has it's own national association!

There is still time to plant the last of the seed pack in the ground for a fall color show. You know where you can find me early Sunday morning!
Happy Digging, The Garden Goddess

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