Sunflowers

Sunflowers are so bright and cheery that every garden needs at least one. They attract beneficial pollinators and seed eating birds. The problem I've had is getting them to grow to any size but this year I got a surprise. I've tried planting potted sunflowers but they have always failed so I've come to the conclusion that sunflowers do not transplant well. Over the winter I had birdfeeders out with black oil sunflower seeds. This year we have a lot of volunteer black oil sunflowers along with two volunteer huge sunflowers. Next year I'm going to plant sunflowers directly in the ground.

Lady Beetle on Sunflower

When I go to the garden it is always with camera in hand. The sunflower was magnificant with a seed head alone spanning almost 8 inches in diameter. The bright yellow petals had a depth to them that just attacted the eye. This unidentified lady beetle provided a wonderful contrast against immature sunflower seeds. I think the lady beetle may be a C-7 but I'm not sure. At any rate it did not appear to be doing any damage so it is more than likely a beneficial beetle.

Happy Gardening

Garden Gnome