I planted sunflower seeds for the first time this past spring, and wonder why I've never done it before! The flowers were enormous -- over 10 feet tall -- as they grew along the side yard that is fenced. They have brought such beauty and joy to the outdoors for the past three months and I'll be sure to have them every summer from now on.
The trick now is to figure out how to harvest the seeds. I have lots of huge flowerheads and, after researching online, realize that they aren't yet ripe since the seeds don't have any black stripes. As soon as they appear, though, I am going to cut off the heads and allow the seeds to dry and fall off. Then I'll boil them in water and roast them in the oven. It will be wonderful to have sunflower seeds on my salads this winter from the gorgeous flowers that brightened my summer.
Sunflowers are also the flower of my zodiac sign, which makes the fact that I have finally discovered the joy of growing them even more meaningful. The photo above is one of my flowers that I captured in the early morning just as the moon was setting.
