Sunflowers

Sunflowers are so fun to grow!  We grew a single plant three years ago but it didn't perform like these giant specimens.  They are amazing.  They are far taller than the 9-foot hollyhocks now.  Their bright heads turn and follow the sun each day.  They are impressive and fill us with a sense of marvel at the power of a single small seed.  As you can see from the close up of one of the flowers, it's going to be quite awhile before they set and mature their famous edible seeds.  Meanwhile, the hollyhocks are mature and their seeds are beginning to drop from the bulging pods.  That's not good as the hocks can take over an area very quickly.  So, the hocks are coming down this week.  That will expose the sunflowers to the brunt of our upcoming wind event later this week.  Maybe we will tie them to a car bumper or something to keep them from blowing over.  We'd sure hate to see them collapse this late in the season.