Midwinter Sun and Sunflowers

While I wouldn't say it was overly warm here in Melbourne, the sun has been shining for a couple of days straight! Although very windy it is a refreshing relief to the usually grey days of winter. Luckily as I am on leave from my thesis I am free to indulge in the more fun things to do in the sun, like afternoon wanders around the greener parts of the neighbourhood.

The yellow sunflower would have loved this weather. Except for the wind, which was his biggest enemy. Alas his indoor days were also numbered and today he went the way of all balcony garden plants (I wish I could say he was composted, but no, I am ashamed to say he just went in with the rest of the rubbish, the difficulties of high density apartment living.)

Let's retrace the life of the yellow sunflower, and his friend the orange sunflower who called the balcony garden home for so many years. I originally decided to grow a sunflower after seeing one in my Mum's garden, and after assurance from Fern at LOTB that it was possible. I potted up a few seeds and low and behold, all 5 took! I gradually gave three away but kept two in my garden. At first they grew together, then were separated into their own pots (I can't quite work out the size for you Chandramouli but they were not too large, maybe 20 x 20cms for the square one comtaining the yellow sunflower and about the same diameter for the round which held the orange sunflower.)

The orange one was the first to flower. For details see this post dedicated to that event.

But his friend, who ended up being yellow, waited and waited and grew and grew (here's some musings on that little epic adventure.) Eventually he looked like this

Fearing he would not last the wintery winds I cut my losses, and his hears and put them in a vase inside.

All thise for a $1.25 packet of seeds. And there are still so many more to grow! Will try and include one agian this spring, maybe two, we will see. Now to go enjoy the sun, with a stroll around Royal Park.