You have to be as old as me or older to remember that song from the late 50's,
"This Could Be the Start of Something Big".
In fact, when I titled this post I couldn't actually place the song, itself,
but remembered it as a jingle on an old TV commercial advertising......um......
....something else I can't remember!
When I saw these sunflowers coming up in my planter box,
that crazy song came rushing into my brain for some odd reason...
...can't even tell you long it had been since I'd thought of it, let alone heard it!
(Click on the video for a blast from the past)
In an earlier post I shared how the sunflowers had evidently been planted by the backyard critters...
...birds or squirrels...I'm thinking squirrels.
Those ornery squirrels had dug up and devoured every single seed I had planted in my pots.
I'd say they must have been putting a few away for a rainy (or snowy) day.
~
You see, I was conducting an experiment...
...trying to grow sunflowers in pots since there was not enough sun in the yard.
So when I saw these popping up among my other flowers,
I dug them up and transplanted them in the pots the squirrels had gotten into.
These are the few that survived the attack of the squirrels.
And they grew...and they grew...
...and they grew some more...although they were mighty spindly!
And when I started seeing these appear,
surely you must know how excited that made me!
They are just so beautiful...
...and hairy :)
The buds are nearly as gorgeous as the opened flowers.
Well, maybe not.
I loved how this one decided to open up.
It stayed in this winking pose for a whole day.
The tallest one is well over six feet, although the blooms are only about 4-6" in diameter.
The seed packet said these were the Mammoth variety although I doubt it.
And I realize that growing them in pots surely will stunt their growth...
...and no doubt the Dollar Store seeds were not the best quality...
...hmmm...I wonder...
...it could also be the same reason one of the packets was completely empty!
Note to self:
BUY SEEDS ELSEWHERE
They are still beautiful, regardless how big they get or where the seeds came from.
If they grow any larger the pots will tip over anyway, right?
I could just look at them all day.
~
So I have come to the conclusion that my experiment was a just so-so success.
As you see, growing sunflowers in pots can be done, if you like skinny, spindly ones.
Will I do it again next year?
That remains to be seen :)
"If I were a flower... I would be a sunflower.
To always follow the sun, turn my back to darkness,
Stand proud, tall and straight even with my head full of seeds."
To always follow the sun, turn my back to darkness,
Stand proud, tall and straight even with my head full of seeds."
~ Pam Stewart
~
I hope the rest of your week and weekend is awesome...
...I'm off to Nashville!
