Sunflowers

I have noted that I didn't have much luck, initially, with sunflowers.  Oh, they sprouted all right; fairly easily, in fact; but there seemed to be a lot of attacks on the sunflowers.  I tend to blame the squirrels, but little boys with sticks probably bear some responsibility as well.  In any case, at one point, it seemed that none of them would survive.

So, it's a little bit of a surprise that a number of them *have* survived.  At least two have survived in Northside gardens.  (Mind you, I planted at least 30 in there, so two of them surviving isn't a terrific survival rate.)  There are five sunflowers that have survived in the corners of the community garden, and two of them have actually flowered so far.  There are at least five sunflowers that have grown, some of them to eight feet high, in my patio garden although, of course, they are now under threat from the management.  I even have one sunflower in one of the pots that is still alive, although it's only two feet high, and I really wonder if it is going to ever get to the size where it might produce a flower.

It is rather pleasing, that some of the sunflowers have survived.  I'm not quite sure why.  All flowers are nice, and it's nice that these have produced flowers.  Eventually, if they're allowed to continue to survive until the flowers are fully developed, I might get some seeds out of them.  But I'm not particularly looking forward to seeds as produce.  I might want to try replanting some of the next year, and seeing if I can't get the sunflowers to reproduce and germinate, although next year I will probably be limited only to pots.  But I am pleased about the sunflowers.  I'm glad they've survived, and I hope they continue to survive, until they actually produce their seeds.  It will be a kind of a victory of sorts.