Who doesn't love sunflowers?

Well, birds certainly love them. They love them so much that they plant their seeds around my yard every year. Since I love them, too, I let the bird-planted summer flowers stand whenever they are not in an inconvenient spot.

I plant some sunflower seeds every year, too, but, in the race to get the first bloom of the year, the birds win again.


The first sunflower bloom in my garden this year is from this planting by the birds. I don't know the variety but it is a lovely thing, and it is a multi-bloomer, so there will be more blooms to come.

Sunflowers are really the quintessential bloom of summer, aren't they? It's no accident that Van Gogh found them to be fit subjects for his canvas. They are beautiful and they express the carefree essence of the season.

Honestly now, what's not to like about sunflowers?