I came home from Florida to find my sunflowers in bloom. I didn’t pull in the driveway until 12:30 AM but I was still alert enough to see them in the moonlight. It’s amazing how much a garden can change in just 5 days of being away. After a 5 hours plane delay, the one I was to fly on had a mechanical problem so they brought in a bigger plane, than they needed to find a pilot and crew, once that was arranged a rain storm started and there was another delay.
Luckily the airport is only 40 minutes from my Moms place so I waited until the plane left Detroit headed for West Palm before I left for the airport. I knew I would actually get a flight out then. So many of the passengers had sat in the airport all day, but not me, I only had about an hour wait before take off. The sunflower blooms were a welcoming me when I returned.
I’m quite surprised they even bloomed at all, they hardly had a chance with the deer feasting on them every night. Just about the time they would form a flower head the deer would come through and have a midnight snack. I did notice more will be blooming any day, so I’m so excited to do a little decorating with them. They’re quite expensive to buy them in the stores, that’s why I like to plant my own seeds every years.
Last year I did giant blooms and had a hard time keeping them upright. This year I planted the 4-6 ft. variety and they’re doing much better. I know it seems a little early for the fall flowers to be blooming, but our days are already getting shorter and the sign that fall is near is ever present.
Does anyone else have sunflowers in bloom right now, or any other fall flower?
I do not plant sunflowers due to our deer population around here!….frustrating….but so glad that some blooms escaped the jaws of the deer to greet you when you returned home! I usually get my sunflowers from Trader Joe’s where they are pretty reasonable…
Shirley, The deer are horrible here to but I gave it a try and they finally left them alone. I’m so glad I did now. I wish we had a similar store near me, but I would have to drive about 1.5 hours to find a Trader Joes 🙁
I have a hard time keeping anything that blooms. The deer seem to eat everything. Now before I take the time to put plants in the ground I leave them out and check them the following morning. If they survive then I plant. Just can’t seem to find flowers they don’t like.
Martha, me too they will eat anything. The sunflowers are planted right up against our home and that doesn’t seem to bother them, they still get close enough to eat them.
Dawn,
Love your sunflowers. Sorry the deer love them too. I usually have to get mine at the grocery store!
Kris
Kris they are expensive at our grocery store and the farmers market so for a packet of seeds I try and remember to plant them every year.
I use to plant sunflowers against my fence, but they turned towards our neighbors yard! They sure enjoyed them:) I’m glad you didn’t wait long for your flight back home and very happy you a great time with your family! Days are getting a bit shorter and I wish though, it was feeling cooler here in Phoenix. Kathleen in Az
Kathleen 🙁 yes sunflowers do follow the sun with their bright faces. It’s getting dark here earlier now and it was 60 today. I had to wear long sleeves.
My sunflowers were planted in June by a grandson. They were huge and grew flowers
about 15 inches across. Bees and other pollinators have been around the flowers.
Trouble is we dried one and there are no seeds in the pods? Anyone have any other
problems with that? We tried another flower (seed) from another flower and it
was the same!
Now we are planting gourds. We live in Southern California on the coast to they
will mature. I’ll keep you posted. They are coming up now.
Lorraine
Lorraine, I’ve never heard of them not having seeds I wonder if it’s common for that variety. They sound huge! I know the decorative kind I have this year won’t produce seed.
I didn’t get any sunflowers planted this year…yours are so pretty Dawn…
Darn Nancy, last year I was late in planting them but they seem to have bloomed about the same time, so I guess they caught up.
Hi Dawndie! Oh, I’m so glad you arrived home safely! Glad you didn’t have to wait on the tarmac! Now your sunflower is gorgeous! I wish I had enough sun in my yard to grow some. We’re almost all shade, the one thing I regret about our house. My neighbor however has some and she cut a couple and brought them to me. I just love them. Thanks for popping in to see me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Shelia how nice of your neighbors to bring you flowers. We just looked at a house to flip that is totally surrounded by trees, and I told hubby some of them would need to go so the sunlight could get in.