David is a keen gardener and so he spends a lot of time pottering in his polytunnel, listening to songs by his favourite bands - "The Osmonds" and "Westlife" - as he splits plants, repots them or sows seeds. There is always something to do in the polytunnel and a bonus is that gardening gets him well away from his nemesis - the dreaded vacuum cleaner!
Should you wish to visit David's blog, "Northsider" - please go here.
The other day, David remarked upon plants that flower out of season and indeed plants that have been hanging in there since summertime here in The British Isles. In passing, I mentioned a particular plant that we have noticed on our top decking. It sprouted from a pot that contains a little hebe. It is very likely that a bird accidentally dropped a sunflower seed there.
The sunflower germinated and a plant rose up in the early autumn - too late for summer and then a small flower emerged. Not the plate-like flower that usually forms but a stunted yellow flower the size of a child's fist.
David requested photos of said flower so they are here with this blogpost. A sunflower in mid-December? It may be perfectly normal in Florida or Australia but at this latitude and in this northern clime it is pretty unusual. I guess it helps that we have not had any significant frosts this winter - not yet anyway!
Define 'hebe' please. I have a guess. I wonder if I'm right. Hello, Northsider!
ReplyDeleteHebe is a genus of plants native to New Zealand, Rapa in French Polynesia, the Falkland Islands, and South America. It includes about 90 species and is the largest plant genus in New Zealand. Apart from H. rapensis (endemic to Rapa), all species occur in New Zealand. This includes the two species, H. salicifolia and H. elliptica, that have distributions extending to South America. The genus is named after the Greek goddess of youth, Hebe.
DeleteWellup, I was wrong. I was thinking more along the lines that it was a volunteer flower, a random gift from a passing bird. I was thinking about Hebrews wandering in the wilderness.
DeleteWhich mushrooms have you been eating Debby?
DeletePoor confused flower. I saw pussy willows a couple of weeks ago, a very confused shrub.
ReplyDeleteFortunately the mild weather we've been having has passed and we're back to cold temps again.
We need proper winter weather to reset Nature's clock.
DeleteIt's a sign of hope! stunted but happy and alive
ReplyDeleteA sign of hope in the dark brexity coronavirus darkness - shining like a star over a stable.
DeleteI feel like I know David as I have seen "Northsider" on many of the blogs I read. You say his nemesis is the vacuum cleaner? If so, I wonder if he is part cat? Most cats feel the same way about vacuum cleaners.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting flower but it looks rather lonely. We have already had some snow and weather much too cold for flowers here but it is always nice to see one.
David could be part cat as he enjoys licking his nether regions.
DeleteIt didn't take much to guess what a polytunnel is. Fields of huge bobbing sunflowers is a wonderful thing to see here when driving in the countryside.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to have a collective sense of where the sun is - their faces all turned to it like believers.
DeleteIn my Third Room, I have a potted azalea, a gift from my favourite neighbour. She gave me this plant years ago, and it was really lush and beautiful first. Over the years and under my "expert care" (think black thumbs instead of green), it has turned into a straggling, sorry-looking little shrub. BUT it is alive, developing new green leaves all the time, and pink flowers at the most unexpected times. At the beginning of this year, in January, it was full of flowers, and only recently, at the start of December, it has begun again, a new blossom opening almost every day.
ReplyDeleteYour small yellow sunflower is a bit like a symbol for not giving up, for doing what one thinks is right against all odds.
I never thought of it that way. Under your "expert care" you might be better off with an artificial plant. They tend to keep going forever and do not require watering.
DeleteA sign of hope. Struggling against the odds. I still have a few roses in bloom and more buds forming for Christmas Day hopefully.
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that our yellow-headed sunflower is like our superhero prime minister battling against the dark forces of Europe? I might have to yank it up.
DeleteTo me sunflowers mean late summer early fall
ReplyDeleteAnd never in pots! Oh no !
Fields of yellow/ orange heads, for what seems miles and miles
It's the same in southern France - in the rural area where my brother lives.
DeleteAre you the new Yorkshire Van Gogh, YP? He painted Sunflowers. You could also decorate rooms with woodchip, five Pounds a roll? Thanks for the mention and "Hello Debby."
ReplyDeleteCan I be your blogging agent Dave? I will only charge six guineas for each new referral.
DeleteIs this what they call companion planting only done without help. lol
ReplyDeleteThey look so happy together.
Briony
x
Like Tom and Briony or two peas in a pod.
DeleteWe have a struggling hollyhock still standing and flowering.
ReplyDeleteSolidarity with Yorkshire hollyhocks!
DeletePerhaps it is your sunny nature that has brought that flower into bloom YP?
ReplyDeletePossibly. Bringing joy and goodwill wheresoever I roam. Just like Santa but without the long white beard. Ho bloody ho!
DeleteEven in Florida a blooming sunflower in December would be quite unusual. All of our cold-sensitive plants have been nipped by the frost already this year. But then- this is North Florida which is nothing like the tropics south of here. Florida is a very long state.
ReplyDeleteI love Dylan's relatively new song - "Key West" but the more I listen to it the more it sounds like a state of mind rather than a reference to the teardrop at the very end of Florida. Have you been there?
DeleteThe flower may be very small but I'm amazed at the growth of the plant at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteShame there are no pantomimes this year - "Jack and the Beanstalk"!
DeleteWe have banana trees in pots that are putting out new leaves, still, although veeeerrry slowly compared to the summer. We brought them onto our covered and screened porch for the winter and so far they're doing fine. We've had a couple of nights with temps below freezing and I've honestly been kind of surprised.
ReplyDeleteBanana trees? Just shows how sultry South Carolina is in the summer months.
DeleteWhat is a poly tunnel?
ReplyDeleteIt's like a big greenhouse or a tent covered with thick polythene (hence - poly).
DeleteWow! That's quite an impressive sunflower, especially for one so late in the season. Some of our summer flowers have hung on a surprisingly long time, too.
ReplyDelete