Mexican sunflower! Isn't it beautiful? At a festival at the Monastery a couple of years ago, a local nursery owner was selling flowers and plants. AS USUAL, I didn't have any money but that does not stop me looking! She had a bowl on her display table that said, "FREE SEEDS". I didn't want to take any, after all I felt those should be for those who had bought something from her but sweet lady that she was (and is, I am sure!) I walked away with the seeds! The nursery is Pixie's Gardens in Conyers, Ga. but since my computer is slow today, I am unable to link to it!
I planted my seeds in May into a small container and it grew very well. Richard transplanted them into another pot and they grew more. He transplanted them into ANOTHER pot and they grew even taller! (I was thinking I would hear, "Fee Fi Fo Fum" any minute!) AND when the plant bloomed, it was a fairly small bud for such a huge plant! HOWEVER, the deep orange of this flower is really pretty and the butterflies love it! Interesting thing, the orange part is really the bracts, much like the red on a poinsettia...the flowers, just like the poinsettia, are the middle yellow part. Can you see in the photo below where the orange has fallen away and you are left with the flowers? Those will be become the seeds for future plants!
Thanks everyone for all your comments on my last post for our dear friend, Henry! I appreciate you all! You would not believe how busy I have been lately, but it means that I have not had much time on the computer!
Today is November 11th and it is Veteran's Day...I am remembering Louis Zamperini, W. S. Connor and Col. Ben Purcell today and all other veterans. Much respect and honor to them all.
Have a blessed Veterans Day, Kayl
ReplyDeletePretty Mexican sunflower.
Hello Sylvia! And today is sunny in Georgia, YAY!!
DeleteI don't think I ever saw a Mexican sunflower---or if I did---I didn't know what it was. That is interesting about the connection to the poinsettia (center).
ReplyDeleteHappy Veteran's Day to you. I am so honored to be part of the VA! xo Diana
I had never seen this flower either! I only planted the seed and it was a great surprise to me!
DeleteGreat honor is due to all our vets. x
What a pretty flower, I don't think I've ever seen one before.
ReplyDeleteYou must look out for them! It is such a gorgeous bright deep orange, we love them.
DeleteI didn't know about the Mexican sunflower. It's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHey John!
DeleteIt really was fun to watch this plant grow and then, to be rewarded by the bright orange flower that the butterflies loved!
What a beautiful flower! You will have many more with all of those seeds! xx
ReplyDeleteYes, you know I will save the seeds! xx
DeleteI am honoring veterans today too. Without one in particular I really would not be here. My father was a veteran of World War II.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad is a veteran too. He was in Germany just after World War II. I am thinking of him today too! xx
DeleteYour flower is gorgeous, Kay. And I love that you remember Louis Zamperini, today.
ReplyDeleteI will remember Louis Zamperini for always.
DeleteThe other gentlemen that I mentioned were all vets, they are both from Georgia and I have written posts about them before. xx
Such lovely flowers, it's nice to see them growing so well for you. Share about the castle when you can!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mimi, I will as do so!
DeleteThey are beautiful and I'm going to be looking for them for next year.
ReplyDeleteYes, please do! It would be great for the butterflies!
DeleteLovely flowers, and the "antidepressants" made me laugh out loud :-D
ReplyDeleteHa! Glad you liked it too! It was a card that we bought in England, and it made me laugh too!
DeleteI love the photo of the flower and the butterfly in particular.
ReplyDeleteIt was my birthday...11th November...how could I forget!
Oh! Belated happy birthday to you, keep celebrating for the rest of the month, I think that is the best way.
DeleteLovely flower!
ReplyDeleteOkay then, I saw this flower in England, have you seen in Scotland? Keep an eye peeled and let me know!
DeleteThat sunflower is absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you have it in Hawaii? I know you have lots of flowers!!
DeleteBeautiful flower and butter-fly.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love Richard's photo of it, I might have used the same one before, but it is a good one!
DeleteThe Mexican Sunflower is so beautiful! And I love the picture with the butterfly sitting on it. Gorgeous! I'm so happy for you you got to grow them in your garden :) Such a sweet lady to give you those seeds.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having an amazing week :) Lots of hugs to you,
Beate
Yes! She is a very sweet lady to give me the seeds! I MUST make sure I buy something from her nursery and tell her that I wrote about the flowers that I grew on my blog!
DeleteI hope you are having a great week too, you sweet gal, hugs to you and your hubby! x
It looks like a hardy flower. If you save your seeds and they grow as well as the ones the kind nursery owner gave you, you'll have a garden full to pass along to others!
ReplyDeleteA garden to pass along to others, that sounds wonderful! :-)
DeleteJust lovely and gorgeous colors with the Mexican sunflower and the butterfly. I have loved the combination of yellow and orange since I was in second grade and suggested it when we were choosing class colors. Everyone laughed at me. We ended up having scarlet and grey. But I love the happy sunny feeling of orange and yellow.
ReplyDeleteOrange and yellow together ARE like sunshine, how can that be a bad thing? On Friday, a customer of mine told me that we had had rain for 21 of the past 26 days, and I am certain that it was a correct statement!
DeleteHi Kay
ReplyDeleteSlightly off message but did you know that a battle just outside Lewes in May 1264 gave rise to the first English parliament?
It seemed a good idea at the time.
Yes! I did read about that in my reading about Lewes. I will do a proper post about Lewes soon, or as proper a post as I am able to write that is. I really liked Lewes, very much.
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