Picking sunflowers

Today is a dreary day. Luckily, I have a bright spot in the house, and it’s not Chester. He’s just lying around like a lump-o-hound.

Saturday we went to Rogish Farms and picked sunflowers. Sunflowers are the kind of thing you love… or not. They inspire fear in my husband. He adamantly states they are planning to replace him with a pod.

If you have seen “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” you have to admit this was one of Donald Sutherland’s best moments!

He does not trust the sunflower. My friend looks at them through a bird-watching lens, reminding me that the birds will love them after they are done blooming. Me? I love them now! They are so bold and glorious! They are the “Leo” of the flower world, proudly facing the sun.

My gracious husband put aside his reservations about becoming a pod and found a sunflower farm near us. In fact, it is next door to where we pick apples in the fall. We arrived and after driving down a winding driveway while humming the theme from “Deliverance” we found the fields. We paid $15 for a mason jar with water, and we could fill it with sunflowers.

A few tidbits…do you know how fat sunflower stems are, and how heavy? Wow, I did not. Another fun sunflower fact, the round dome in the center changes depending on the age of the sunflower. As it gets older (see the lighter dome below) the dome expands. The darker domed flower is younger.

Bees and hummingbirds drink the nectar from the sunflowers. These are “empty” seeds, so they aren’t pollinating, just having afternoon tea.

We picked about 6 flowers but picked isn’t really the right word. We needed a clipper that we brought from home because the stems are so thick. My husband found this place right in time, because the guy said they’ll probably only be there a week or so more.

The sunflower fields made me so happy! I smile whenever I see my bouquet. I love extrovert flowers, and these are perfect. I will look at the rain as a necessary factor of good sunflower growth.

The little flowers are from our yard, they make me happy too!

Now I have to motivate Chester to go for a (short) walk.

He is totally ignoring me in this picture. He ignores me when it’s nice out and when it’s raining….this was yesterday.

I know we’re going to get wet, but I’ll feel better after singing the Nippersinker song and enjoying of a cup of tea when I get home.

Doesn’t this look like “Little Shop of Horrors” Audrey? It’s just emerging. Look at the thickness of the stem!

Have a good week!