Sunflowers!

Each morning, after waking up, I head outside with Harley and check out the flower gardens.  I hunt (and obliterate) snails, do a little weeding, deadhead flowers, fill up the bird feeders, water the potted plants.  It's such a tranquil time of day, so quiet, not hot yet. It's one of my favorite times of the day.

This morning the sunflowers entranced me.  Most have bloomed now. They are so bright and cheerful. In the mornings they face east, by the time I return home in the afternoon they have twisted west. The bees were all over the sunflowers this morning which thrilled me, too.  There are problems with bees, they are dying off for unknown reasons.  Planting flowers that attract bees, provides them pollen, is my way of helping to keep them viable. 

These sunflowers will stay until late fall, when the stalks have dried as well as the seeds. We will have birds hanging all over the sunflowers trying to get to the seeds.  I cut off the flower heads and place a few of them, at a time, near the birds' regular feeding station. They love them and it's quite entertaining to watch them feast.  Sunflowers provide pleasure for humans and birds for many months!