Newsflash- Laggan has flowers at last!

Click on the image to see it better...

And the Winner could be ...

And I still have one that has yet to flower and is making me consider changing my name to Jack just so that I can climb it and steal the giant's golden egg-laying goose.

andy

Some have got secondary flowers ...

Mind you, it's not all doom and gloom. Some have got these sort of little secondary flowers ...

Death

I don't come here for a month and suddenly everyone's flowers leap into life. As predicted a month ago, while you all have sunny blooms, mine are floppy and dying. I also forgot to take photos when they were in their prime. Enjoy their death throws though ...

Still Waiting!

Well I'm starting to feel a wee bit impatient as it would seem my sunflowers may well be the last to show any flowers. They have, however, been through alot and I'll be so chuffed if they make it to flowering.
They survived a major hail battering which left them with big holes all over their leaves a couple of months back, a bit of drought when I went down to visit my folks and the bearded-one was left with strict watering instructions which he forgot for a day or so and then thankfully remembered and "rescued" them, then I "rescued" them recently when a long, hot, sunny day left them rather limp again, a couple of their leaves have been attacked by tiny caterpillars plus a bit of rubbing on the walls (it's a toss up between wall damage or wind damage) plus various shifts to avoid Caithness winds. This weekend was the most worrying...They're now showing buds and I'm getting excited to finally see the flowers. But the wind got up and I had to keep checking them and trying to find the most sheltered spot, which I thought I'd done, but the wind shifted direction slightly overnight and when I went out yesterday they were horizontal on the ground. I moved them again and I'm hoping that they'll staighten out a bit in a day or two and then...glorious flowers (and maybe some starjumps to celebrate).

Anyhoo... the pictures show they looked before the weekend. (I'm holding the Dwarf next to the Giant).

Bigger than my starjump...

... but not as big or as healthy looking as RTL's!!

Having to use tree ties now.

Well the sunflowers planted in the open have been breaking the plastic ties that secured them so am now using tree ties. The one against the fence has taken a battering with the wind rocking it back and forth along the fence with the result that it has lost most of its lower leaves. Still --according to the independent witnesses--my next door neighbour and brother---it measures 9feet 3 inches to the centre of the flower bud.

There are four planted in the open---two Mammoth and two Russian Giants. On one of the Mammoths the flower head is hanging down ---top heavy. The Russian behind my brother --according to him--measures 2.7 metres--which I make to be 8feet 10 inches. The other Russian in that group hasn't achieved as much height and am beginning to doubt the seed I received from South Laggan!!! Have a similar problem with two ornamental gourds and a pumpkin that were also sent down---one of the gourds is developing more like a pumpkin. Is this deliberate horticultural sabotage?

The secret to suberb sunflowers.....

....why it's fresh Scottish air of course. Available at all good stores (and in some value ranges).


--Matt

Requesting permission to land...