SUNFLOWER

l Sunflower belongs to the Asteraceae family, it is a plant annual whose name derives from its beautiful habit of always facing the sun. The flower is unmistakable and appears from July to September, resembles a large yellow daisy with a large central button, reminiscent of the radiant sun.

The Sunflower blooms in summer, flowering is generally at its peak from August to October. The flower has yellow petals with edible seeds in the center.

The Sunflower is perhaps the flower more cheerful than nature gives us and is also very easy to grow. It can therefore also be bred by those who do not have a green thumb but want to make their garden or terrace sunny and positive. It can be grown in the ground, in pots, in borders, it can color hedges. It is highly recommended to introduce the little ones to the world of gardening because it boasts a great ease of germination.

CARE

It is good to opt for large containers as the sunflower needs a large amount of land. The ground ideal for the Sunflower must be rich in nutrients. It is not demanding but the best results are obtained in soils rich in organic matter and with a good amount of clay, which is able to stay fresh for a long time watering that they will have to be very frequent. Obviously the Sunflower must have always available the sun. When we put the plant home we must consider what the path of the sun is, avoiding that the flowers are facing the wrong side for most of the day. In the Center-South the Sunflower grows well even in light shade. The Sunflower does not require special fertilizing interventions.

CURIOSITY'

The legend tells that the nymph Clizia was very much in love with the god Apollo, the god of the sun, and she admired him, following him with her eyes, bewitched as she crossed the sky with her fiery chariot. But Apollo, who was not interested in the love of the beautiful nymph Clizia, after nine days transformed her into a Sunflower. Pre-Columbian civilizations celebrated the Sun God by decorating their temples with sunflowers