streetsurfer
08-09-2009, 12:45 AM
I had a nice productive, but hot day in the garden, and thought I'd share a few pictures.
The sunflowers with the wild petals are baby bear, growing about four-five feet. the centers look much better in natural light. It was too windy to day to get a good shot without the flash. I grew some of those to about 3'6" under T-5 flourescents, indoors last winter. The taller one with the bee (these are in the six to seven foot range) is from the bulk bin at whole foods. I'll have some more mammoth blooming soon, as well as a honey bear. The mammoth and bin seeds were both sprouted before planting. For some reason I only got one honey bear to come up. I think I mistakenly cultivated in more compost into that area after they were planted.
That has turned out to be a good combo; cucumbers at the base of the sunflowers. The cuc's are also climbing the tomato stakes and pulling down some beautyberry shrubs but that is working out well too, as the shrubs are filling in thicker as a result of being splayed out.
Gosh, I remember eating sunflower seeds since about 5 y/o when they cost a nickel a bag. They are still a part of my diet, and I am grateful I never became sensitive to them, as I have so many other foods. I've been sampling some of the seeds and they taste so much better right off the plant. The seeds all seem small though. I'm thinking that's due to the late warm up and heavy rain of early summer. Speaking of small seeds, can anyone name the cereal grain between the two sunflowers?
Last night I was watering out there and watched two goldfinches pick sunflower seeds and hull them, eat, and feed a juvenile for ten minutes or so, from about eight feet away. The juvenile was flapping his wings full speed and bopping up and down on the next plant over, trying real hard to wait patiently for his treat. It's moments like that, that are why we garden, isn't it?
Well it's past midnight and a skunk just passed by...it's been feeding on grubs in the lawn for the last few nights.....I'm rambling now.
Good night and enjoy. Brighten your day tomorrow, go plant something or tend to some plants.
The sunflowers with the wild petals are baby bear, growing about four-five feet. the centers look much better in natural light. It was too windy to day to get a good shot without the flash. I grew some of those to about 3'6" under T-5 flourescents, indoors last winter. The taller one with the bee (these are in the six to seven foot range) is from the bulk bin at whole foods. I'll have some more mammoth blooming soon, as well as a honey bear. The mammoth and bin seeds were both sprouted before planting. For some reason I only got one honey bear to come up. I think I mistakenly cultivated in more compost into that area after they were planted.
That has turned out to be a good combo; cucumbers at the base of the sunflowers. The cuc's are also climbing the tomato stakes and pulling down some beautyberry shrubs but that is working out well too, as the shrubs are filling in thicker as a result of being splayed out.
Gosh, I remember eating sunflower seeds since about 5 y/o when they cost a nickel a bag. They are still a part of my diet, and I am grateful I never became sensitive to them, as I have so many other foods. I've been sampling some of the seeds and they taste so much better right off the plant. The seeds all seem small though. I'm thinking that's due to the late warm up and heavy rain of early summer. Speaking of small seeds, can anyone name the cereal grain between the two sunflowers?
Last night I was watering out there and watched two goldfinches pick sunflower seeds and hull them, eat, and feed a juvenile for ten minutes or so, from about eight feet away. The juvenile was flapping his wings full speed and bopping up and down on the next plant over, trying real hard to wait patiently for his treat. It's moments like that, that are why we garden, isn't it?
Well it's past midnight and a skunk just passed by...it's been feeding on grubs in the lawn for the last few nights.....I'm rambling now.
Good night and enjoy. Brighten your day tomorrow, go plant something or tend to some plants.