A very thoughtful post from Heronswood Nursery, about sunflowers and linking it to Independence Day:
“And, oh, the sunflower’s large and happy face! Is this not the face of the American people? Bright, cheerful and full of wonder? See how it stands sturdy and tall, its flowering head a beacon of sunshine. Regard this radiant floral friend, aglow with American warmth and happiness.
Ladies and Gentleman, on this day of national celebration, let us all salute the sunflower, the Great American Flower. Let us give praise to this native species that gives us so much beauty, happiness and practical benefit. This land is your land. This flower is your flower.” ~George Ball
July 4th has a special significance for me now, as it was the day my mother died, 4 years ago. She so loved this holiday. And as it turns out, she came to love the sunflowers I was growing in the yard, that were visible from her window as she was becoming more confined and ill. She watched them, day by day, as they grew, and as they kept their happy faces to the sun. She was sad with me when a wild storm blew through and severed the large sunflower stalk that was growing closest to her window. At her funeral, a friend sent a lovely floral arrangement with a big fat sunflower head in it. I almost fell over – coincidence? My friend did not direct the florist who made that arrangment.
This year, I decided to take a break from growing sunflowers, as my one bed is fuller than last year, and I don’t quite know where to put them. But, after reading this essay about the joyous sunflower, how can I now refrain ? How can I let myself NOT be a food source to the birds and squirrels who the seeds will feed in the fall? How can I let the memory of my mother live on in a beauty way?
Into the garden I go, right now, hoping they will still grow with this cooler weather and with this late planting.
