Fields of sunflowers grace the secondary highway between Kenora ON and Selkirk MB at apparently random intervals. With the car obligingly pulled over at one such spot, I step out onto the shoulder. The field lies on the other side of a ditch filled with grasses, reeds, and thistles, but, thankfully, no water. I silently bless the recent drought-like conditions. Wearing sandals, I take each step deliberately, not to say gingerly, trying not to think about Class Insecta, Order Rodentia, or Suborder Serpentes.
Note to self: The pursuit of iconic photos might go better with walking shoes.
You mean some people actually grow sunflowers — on purpose? Mine are all volunteers, nurtured — nay, fertilized — by passing through the digestive systems of birds that gobble up about 100 pounds of black sunflower seed every winter. This year’s crop is so exceptional that I have trouble finding the roses, the gladioluses (gladioli?), the oriental lilies….
Have I thought of pulling up the sunflowers as I do other weeds? Yes, but I like a few of them to brighten up the later days of summer. I just failed to estimate how many of these damn things there would be, and how big they could grow.
Jim T
Jim T – đŸ™‚ It might not be too late to weed them out now . . .
Isabel – a good pair of hiking boots in lieu of sandals will also handle 2 or 3 inches of water.
John – Yup. There’s a lot to be said for boots.
They remind me of wind farms, their “faces” to the sun or wind.
Barbara – Because you can find everything online, I checked to see if there was a video of sunflowers following the sun. There are several. But I also learned that mature sunflowers don’t follow the sun – as their priority shifts from growth to see production. Check it out, here.