Midwest Gardening 2020: Sunflowers

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It's been so hot, I only stay outside long enough to water pots and pick a few vegetables and then there is the weeds. Today I decided to only take photos of the sunflowers.... Boy, do we have sunflowers.

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I'm always amazed opening my photos to edit. 

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Why is it the eye doesn't see the finesse of the light or the details captured by the camera's eye? The veins in the leaves, the hairs on the stems, the sunlight caressing the edges...and bouncing across the stems. 

I'm always amazed. This little sun face stem hides under some giant brothers next to our flagpole in the front yard. 

The subject today is simply SUNFLOWERS and boy do I have some HUGE sunflowers. Many of these were grown from seed in the greenhouse, but I also sowed directly into the ground. Not everything germinated...just as well...wait until you see!

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These look tall and straight, as I am taking the photo 12 feet below. These Mammoth Sunflowers are in a raised planter by our stairs. It has been so dry---here...even with watering everything droops, but the flowers heads are huge and heavy also.

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From up 6 feet from the last photo, you can see the heads as tall as the garage. You

can see how they have drooped over. 

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I'm surprised a raccoon hasn't discovered these, heavy and full of seeds and accessible from the porch railings.  

Strolling to the backyard garden...another Mammoth Sunflower. 

I planted two giant varieties, one ....up to 12 feet, and this Mammoth up to 15 feet.

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This big baby is planted next to the cucumber trellis with some smaller versions underneath.

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Here's are our Better Boy tomatoes in front of the north wall of sunflowers and trellised green beans.  I ran support wires and ropes between the trellises to support the very tall sunflowers.

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I planted this smaller variety of Sunset Sunflowers, some are just now starting to form heads. This area has sun all day, and it's very hot. The blossoms don't last very long.

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Here's how pretty this flower head is, only the size of your palm.

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Okay, here is where you say OMG! That is a 6 foot tall step ladder, I'm using to pick beans...Yes those flowers are almost into the power/telephone/cable lines. Easily 15 feet high or more?

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Photo taken from directly underneath...!

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See the power lines?

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Lower are the 6-8' foot basic Sunflowers and they are still very tall.

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Above the Mammoth heads drooping again!

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Another angle, with the smaller flowers on the left are almost kissing the power lines.

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Here you can see the Fibonacci sequence of the seed patterns. Fascinating, spiraling in prime number sequence. 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, ....etc.

        

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We lost a few tops last week from a windstorm, our last rain. I've hung them up for the birds to feast on. Birds can't hang upside down on those huge swaying heads fifteen feet in the air. I'm sure these two on the grill canopy will gone soon.

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Hope you enjoyed my smiling sunflowers. Just waiting for the raccoons to figure out they are ready to eat! 

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Smiles, and have a great week!

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Sandi