The sunflower

‘I want to be like a sunflower; so even on the darkest days I will stand tall and find the sun.’ Unknown

The sunflower, with its beautiful yellow petals, made famous by that most renowned of paintings by Van Gogh, has artists and observers alike in rapture, although personally, I prefer the real thing. According to Friends of the Earth sunflowers are fascinating plants and a valuable food source for birds, butterflies, bees and insects. They are also very easy to grow apparently, so why not give them a try. Sunflowers can grow to astounding heights – the world record for the tallest stands at a staggering 30 feet. Amazing. It would tower over our home.

Vivid and intense, dazzling and beckoning, sunflowers bring a garden to life. They really do turn their faces toward the sun. A subtle and earthy smell, sunflowers are an amazing addition to a beautiful, wild-life friendly garden. Did you know, there are over 70 different varieties of both annual and perennial sunflowers. So come on, there must be one you can grow.

Sunflowers have many uses. The seeds are a rich source of nutrition, think of sunflower oil and sunflower seeds. It’s also used in cooking, baking, and in the making of beauty products and massage oils. They are also used in wedding bouquets. Placed in vases help bring your home to life.

My husband Mike, and I decided to give it a go. There were 10 in the packet, we managed to grow three, but one simply disappeared; never to be seen again. Perhaps eaten by the many munching, flower loving creatures found in our garden.

And then there were two. When in full bloom sunflowers may only survive a few weeks; a month at most. We simply don’t know what ours will do. Nevertheless, these flowers with their rays of glorious sunshine are so precious to me; to our family, because they were the sunflowers given to us at my auntie’s funeral. They are the very last new memory we will form of her. Everything else came before. I think that’s rather special. And with a bit of luck and good timing, I may even continue to grow sunflowers in the future.

Like the rose bush we have in St Cross Church garden, which commemorates the life of my dad, I plan to have a rose in our garden next year, as a symbol of the love of family who have gone before us. I hope, with a lot of love and perseverance, sunflowers, with their beautiful smiling faces, will too become a main feature. Roses are often seen as a symbol of love. I once received 36, one for every year I had been on the planet. Soppy!! It hasn’t happened since.

We grow poppies. I absolutely adore them. They are, by far, my favourite flower. Our poppies with their bright red leaves, make our garden look absolutely amazing, and they could make yours amazing too. They grow wild and can be seen scattered across the countryside. They put a smile on my face every time I see them. We planted some more recently. I hope they grow

Did you know that poppies are associated with trench warfare on Flanders Field, Belgium, and have become a flower of remembrance for soldiers who have died ever since. Who remembers the very last scene in Blackadder Goes Forth? A more moving moment on a TV screen I have yet to see. There are 4 colours of poppies that I know of; red, white, black and purple. Each depicting an aspect of war. They adorn many a photograph, canvas, picture, poem and card. I have several photographs of the poppies in our garden. I just can’t resist them. They are so beautiful.

This poem called ‘In Flanders Field’ written by Major John McCrae a Canadian Medical Doctor during the First World War, reminds us of the horror of war. It might be that we don’t need a reminder, after all we witness war and the impact of war every day on the news, in the newspapers and on the internet. Though we can never truly know the devastation of war if we have not lived through it, we can at least show our respect for those who have.

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.