Teddy Bear sunflower

I saw some beautiful sunflowers this summer, in fact numerous varieties. My favorite — name wise was a variety called teddy bear sunflower (I have always been partial to bears). Looking at the bushier ones (you can see them in the background), the name is most appropriate. Some of the other varieties of sunflowers were both taller than my son Patrick and myself, and we are not exactly garden gnomes. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers of summer. Their name in French — tournesol describes them aptly: turning toward the sun. I have tried planting them in the small yard I have here, but there has never been enough sun. When I did plant some in a planter box on my former landlord’s car port where there was more sun, the squirrels took delight in never letting them reach their proper height, by trampling on them, or chewing off their heads, as well as breaking them off, before they had had a chance to unfold their beauty. My fondness of wildlife — squirrels in particular — at that point was rather diminished by such crude behavior. My cat Calvin can’t keep an eye on them either at all times unfortunately, so sunflowers have been off the summer garden planting list in Oakland since then.

Have a blessed week