Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Sunflowers Everywhere

Hopi Branched Sunflowers:
Branched Sunflowers are mainly for aesthetics, although they should attract a fair amount of pollinators; helping boost production in our food crops. This planting is up against the house between the Three Sisters Garden and our main garden.





Hopi Black Dye:



Our biggest Sunflower so far:
I am going to collect seed from this sunflower for next season.





White Striped Sunflowers along the dog's fence line.
We are hoping these grow tall, feed our hens and give us some privacy and shade. They are planted in a trench fed water by the overflow (as seen on the top right of the photo above) from two rain barrels.



Plantings of Miriam Edible Sunflowers around the chicken run:
it might seem a little late to plant a 60-70 day crop but that is what keeps gardening fresh; constant experimentation.


the sticks help to see where the plantings are but also might protect young seedlings from these heavy spring winds we are still having.


eleven plantings half way around the front of our side:


The soil was really rocky/sandy but I planted three seeds each...so when they come up we can fertilize with some fresh chicken manure. My plan was to water them with the spent water from the hens every day...

The chicken run today:
the top is completely fenced off, and it all seems predator proof but we are still going to put boards up along the bottom of the fence. Just in case.

1 comment:

  1. The sunflower sprout shot is an off-the-hook photographic marvel! I am imagining someone with their ear in the dirt taking that shot?

    It's Heferweizen season. Inquiring readers want to know: what's the homebrew report?

    Here's to the farm!

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