'The Special One'
- Scones & Sunflowers
- Aug 9, 2020
- 3 min read
A phrase that captured the hearts of many a 'blue footballer'! I loved 'the special one', brought an interest to many a post-match review!
Ever thought of your garden as a football pitch? Goals, Sidelines, Dug-out, Off-side! Who is the manager, who is the coach, how many team-members will feature within the transfer windows? How many plants will be given the red card? I always think the month you are in now should be the month you plan for, so who will be your special one in 2021? Who will shout above the others? Who will stand out and be counted?
Try New Varieties
With more than 70 varieties of sunflowers it is so difficult to decide on next years team members. It will very much depend on the size of your 'pitch' as to what you choose but you won't really know how successful they will be until you try them.
“Young players are like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100% sure that the melon is good.” Jose Mourinho
Annual or Perennial
I have been under the illusion that all sunflowers were annual, however, there are perennial sunflowers aswell 🌻 😁.
Helianthus x Multiflorus - yellow heads, double centres, larger rayed segments, height 1.5m, spread 60cm
Helianthus Capenoch Star - slightly smaller at 1.2m in height
Keeping with the #football theme cast your eye over the stadium, the 'dwarf' varieties being those on the pitch, ducking, diving (!), popping up all over the place. The 'intermediates' being the linesmen, keeping order to those in front and behind. Whilst the 'tall' are the fans in the stands, loud, singing the tunes!
What kit #colours will you choose, obviously it will be a home game every week, but perhaps ring the changes from the usual yellow to reds, oranges, a basking bronze, a winning white - a colour for every garden #theme and mood.
Then there are the decisions on who holds a permanent place in the #squad, the border line-up. Well when we say permanent it will depend on their performance over the growing season, out of line can still resort to being red-carded! Those who are on the bench will be all the plants grown in pots, they may have a prominent role in the garden from the start or they may be the substitutes - filling gaps and holes as the manager feels fit.
The 2021 Squad
Having looked at this years performance and the talent around (helped by the RHS' Award of Garden of Merit Scheme), I have decided upon my 'A Team' for 2021, it is as follows:
'New signings'
'Pacino Gold' - Dwarf, bright yellow, grow to about 60cm tall and branching multiple flower heads from a single stem.
'Vanilla Ice' - Ideal for cutting, creamy-white, long-flowering,150cm in height
'Colour Parade' - Many colours from just one plant - yellow through to bronze, reaching the dizzy heights of 180cm.
'Black Magic' - The darkest maroon multi-header, 1.2m height
'The Special One' - this years 'golden boot' I award to ....#drumroll ..... 'Teddy Bear'
Sunflower 'Teddy Bear'
Cute, cuddly, multi double blooms
Get Inspired with #Sunflowers
Why do I think sunflowers are 'special'? Why should they be the subject for my garden 'mid-season review'? Here's why:
Great for pollinators 🐝
Ability to use colour to create 'garden moods' yet keep continuity of style and form within 'helianthus'
Good for flower arrangements
Nutritional Seeds
Perfect for border or pot planting therefore large or small gardens
Easy germination - easy for everyone
Hardy, and brings in late summer flower interest
Extended garden options by leaving dead flower heads to attract and feed wild birds in the Autumn.
Round flowers - a sense of wholeness, infinite, perfection
Sunflowers symbolise adoration and loyalty.
In the meantime
'Just Pottering' - Alan Titchmarsh
As August motors on, I love this time for being grateful for the here and now, for 'just pottering' as #alantitchmarsh would say. Being thankful for what I have. But also to focus upon the plan and the vision for the future. Attracting into my life what I wish to have.
#scones_sunflowers #sunflowers #justpottering #specialone #varieties #annual #perennial #helianthus #rhsawardofmerit #mygardentoday #mygardennextyear #sunflowerseeds
Sources:
Comentarios