The Many Faces of Sunflowers
SUNFLOWERS OFFER BEAUTY AND ALSO BUILD SOIL HEALTH
As summer winds down we celebrate the sunflowers that fill the landscape at the Farm Hub
They turn their faces towards the sun as if smiling and saying “Hello!” While widely known for being bright yellow, they come in a spectrum of shades and colors—maroon, orange, auburn, and even dark velvet. As with people, they also widely vary in height.
At the Farm Hub, we are growing 19 varieties of sunflowers this season ranging from the canary-colored Teddy Bear at 2 feet tall and Lemon Queen at 7 feet tall, to the Mongolian Giant that towers over the fields at 14 feet. Sunflowers epitomize summer with their beauty here at the Farm Hub they are also grown as cover crops to promote soil health. Their robust root system provides nutrients to the soil and are known to attract beneficial insects.
While some sunflower seeds didn’t survive a rainy July and storms, the majority of sunflowers thrived. By mid-August, many had emerged.
“They are so showy, they make you happy,” says Paige Cranfield, Assistant Farm Manager, who has a passion for sunflowers.
After their peak sunflowers begin passing and the flowers and seeds begin drying down.
–Amy Wu
