LIFE LIST:GROW SUNFLOWERS

“There are not too many fables about mans misuse of sunflower seeds”  Richard Brautigan 
Where: Originally I planted these in my back yard but my dad didn't realize they were there and mowed over them. He was trying to be nice doing us a favor when we were out of town, I didn't say anything about it but I had been watching them grow for about 6 weeks and was a little bummed, but I decided even though according to the instructions, it was a little late in the season (late June) I'd try replanting anyhow and this is what they looked like by the middle of August!

When: I planted these in June and they bloomed in August.

Cost: Less than $5

Why this is on my list: I just like sunflowers. I love passing a large field of bloomed sunflowers and always knew that when I had a house one day I wanted to plant my own.

That's one happy little bee right there.

Something I'd recommend? Yes, in fact, I read this article in Time Magazine after mine had bloomed about the possibility of the Bumble Bee going extinct and it made me feel so fulfilled about my contribution to their food supply. "One thing we can all do to help is by planting bee friendly flowers in backyard gardens and keeping them free of pesticides." Not only do I recommend planting sunflowers but I'd like to encourage you to plant just a few seeds each year in an effort to help save the Honeybee!! Honeybees were all over my sunflowers, so it's a win-win, they get to eat organic pollen and you have the pleasure of watching these enormously beautiful flowers grow right in your yard.

Will I do it again? Absolutely. Not only is it a fun thing to do with my daughter, they are beautiful to look at but now that I know what I know about bees I will plant more this year just for them! Some people like to feed the birds...I'm gonna feed the bees. The annual value of the Honeybee to agricultural farming is over $15 billion and unfortunately they are dying off in extreme numbers most likely due to the large amounts of pesticides used on our foods today. Without the Honeybee we will start to see our fruit and vegetable supply diminish rapidly, and there are some foods like almonds which are completely dependent on Honeybee pollination. Hannah Nordhaus wrote a book called The Beekeepers Lament and  says that "Honeybees are the glue that holds our agricultural system together". So, who's with me?

“The sunflower is mine, in a way” Vincent Van Gogh 

If you have pictures of sunflowers you have grown please post them to The Ultimate Life List's facebook page!

Have you grown sunflowers? 
Will you this year to help save the Honeybee?