SUNFLOWERS
by Theresa Farris
June 10, 2010
K/1 students spent time during the month of March researching the different types of sunflowers and deciding which ones we wanted to plant in our gardens.
We had decided that our seeds needed to be planted the last week in May to be blooming when we returned to school in September. Students used rulers to measure the garden plots and taped off the size in our classroom. We spent a lot of time laying out our gardens by size and color. The plan was in place, now all we needed was sunshine so the seeds could be planted. We were a little more than frustrated with so much rain the last week of school. On May 26, a few days after school was out, Mrs. Farris got to work planting the 16 different kinds of sunflower seeds.
The seeds were separated into two different gardens. The first garden consisted of sunflowers that make pollen.
The pollen sunflowers range in height from 14 inches to 14 feet. The pollen sunflowers include:
Elk (yellow), Tithonia (Sundance-scarlet orange), Jade Hybrid (lime green), Indian Blanket (bicolored red with yellow tip), Baby Bear (yellow), Lemonade Mix (dark yellow to pale yellow), Vanilla Ice (creamy lemon), Cappuccino (bright orange rust over yellow), American Giant Hybrid (yellow).
The second garden consisted of sunflowers that are pollen free. The pollen free sunflowers range in height from 18 inches to 6 feet. The pollen free sunflowers are good for cutting and using in flower arrangements. The pollen free sunflowers include:
Double Dandy Hybrid (red sunflower), Bashful (yellow with blushed pink), Fantasia Hybrid (variety), Chianti Hybrid (variety), Dorado Hybrid (yellow), Fun n’ Sun (variety), Strawberry Blonde (subtle lemon and rose)
We can't wait to see the different types of sunflowers. Keep checking back throughout the summer months for updated pictures of both sunflower gardens.
