A friend of mine in Seattle area is part of an interesting group of organic gardeners. Their chosen symbol is a sunflower, and they are trying to gather together people of all ilks who care about the earth. Seattle is a pretty "green" part of the US-- lots of activity in various liberal (and some conservative) camps. My friend is 93 and is certainly an active spokesperson for peace, green concerns, multiculturalism, and such concerns. He manages to surround himself with an array of people who have causes. I can wholeheartedly support his interest in growing things, and in honor of him and his group I have allowed a single sunfower to grow in my very small kitchen garden.
I have nipped off the side shoots, allowing only one bud on only one plant. I had a lot of them starting themselves up this spring-- spawned from the active bird feeding station outside the living room window.
It's always hard to rip out living plants, but I have to steer away from corn, giant pumpkins, sunflowers and the like. About as big as I want to get is the canteloupes I grew with success last summer. I ended up supporting them on a trellis with "hammocks" made of cut off panty-hose sections. They climbed up the side of the house and would have done damage if I had not trimmed them back!
Now my sunflower is frozen facing east. Massive tendon-like ridges have surrounded the core of the stalk and it looks like a steel sculpture out there. Will I allow it to go to seed? Haven't decided. It is shading my tomatoes.
Might have to go.
Meanwhile it reminds me of a good friend in Seattle who spreads friendship around a lot.
Green Thumb
