Share the Wealth

As you know, I love to garden and I love nature. This year, thanks to one of my Garden Club friends, I was fortunate enough to get a new addition to my yard and gardens...Mexican Sunflowers! I started them from the seed that Dorothy gave me...not in pots but right into the good old earth. In fact, the day after I put the seed in in the Spring, I saw Dorothy and hubby, Harwell, that I had planted the seed all along the fence line. Harwell remarked, "oh, JP, what if we get a frost. It might be too early."

Sure enough, that night there was a frost and I thought my seeds were doomed. But, low and behold, good things come to those who wait. See for yourself!

And, what I absolutely love about this plant is that it gets tall, thrives in the direct sun and doesn't need to be babied.  And, as you can see the butterflies love it!  I had so many butterflies on these, it amazed me!  For seeds, I have learned are nature's little miracles.  Years ago, I would simply run to either a nursery or a store like Lowe's, Home Depot or good old Wal-Mart and buy my perennials.  Then I decided that since I was such a gardening enthusiast, I would give seeds a try.  So I spent a couple of bucks, planted some in pots so I could carefully monitor and nurture them, some directly into the soil as an experiment and voila!  There is nothing more gratifying than harvesting the seed from your plants, nurturing it along as seedlings, then watching it bloom.  I learned that seeds truly are itty bitty miracles, waiting to be spread...kind of like sunshine!

Anyway, this will be my first year that I will collect this Mexican Sunflower seed.  When I attend my "seed exchange", I can share the wealth and spread the sunshine with others...:)