SUNFLOWER POWER – Free Seeds Could Aid Populations Of Bees

Life used to be far less complex than it is today, a sentiment that I’m sure countless generations before me have uttered time and time again. My reference point is the late 70s and early 80s, which doesn’t seem that long ago (in my head), but considering the rapid-fire pace with which our society has advanced, it is downright antique. Still, it was a simple time – a wide-eyed childhood in which I played outside for hours on end with my friends, soaking up the never ending treasures that Mother Nature bestowed upon us. I think it’s safe to say that we were as carefree as the bees that endlessly zoomed past us. As we foraged in the grass for nonexistent four leaf clovers, stuck maple tree helicopters on the bridges of our noses and strategically positioned dandelions under our friends’ chins in order to analyze the intensity of the reflection (which, naturally, determined their preference for butter or margarine), we had absolutely no clue what condition the environment would be in just twenty years later. Of course, it was percolating under the surface the whole time, but we were certainly none the wiser.

In contrast, today’s children are far more in tune to the connection between the woes of our ailing planet and the survival of its infinite species. My 7 year old twin nephews recently asked me if I knew that our planet’s bees were dying, to which I responded, “I’ve read that many of them have been suffering from a mysterious disease in the last two years…” The sage elder of the two clarified, “It’s called Colony Collapse Disorder and we’re gonna have a big problem if we don’t figure out how to save them.” His equally bright-eyed bosom buddy interjected, “Cause they gotta go to all our fruit trees and vegetable plants and move the pollen so we can eat healthy stuff but they’re disappearing and scientists are wondering where’d they go?” All from the mouths of babes.

Here’s how we might be able to assist those scientists who are scratching their heads. If you are an amateur, hobby or pro-gardener, sign up at www.greatsunflower.org in order to receive one packet of free sunflower seeds provided by The Great Sunflower Project. The nonprofit organization is currently mailing out Lemon Queen sunflowers, an annual, easy-to-grow American native, to all enrolled participants through the end of May. Plant them in the ground or in containers around your home, and once they bloom, all they ask in return is that you offer a description of your garden (via e-mail) along with a few counts of the bees that visit your flowers throughout the summer. They hope that this citizen-generated feedback will enable them to better comprehend what is going on with local bee populations across the country and ideally help to solve CCD once and for all.

Let’s see…free seeds and the ability to troubleshoot our ecosystem via deputy-scientist-status? Bring it on! Whether you have children or not, this is a phenomenal opportunity to become part of the solution and have control over the destiny of nature’s most prolific, valuable pollinator! Please -- encourage your friends, family and colleagues to participate – our bees (and the food supply that they make possible) are dependent upon US becoming involved.

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DETAILS ON HELIANTHUS ‘LEMON QUEEN’ SUNFLOWER:

• Thrives in most soil conditions.

• Can be planted in pots or directly in the ground.

• Appearance -- lemon-yellow petals surround a dark brown center.

• Large blooms measuring 4 – 6 inches in diameter attract a wide array of beneficial insects and pollinators.

• Average height of plant is 5 feet (in 100 days).

• Each plant produces multiple brilliant blooms, great for indoor bouquets.

• Consider using sunflower stalks as a natural support in your garden for climbing plants.

• Mature blooms turn to seed which is highly favored by goldfinches and assorted wildlife.

Greenwalas, are any of you planning to sign up with The Great Sunflower Project? Please let me know -- I'm just curious. ;)

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For part two in this series, click here...and if you still can't get enough buzzy bee goodness, click here for part three!!

http://agricultureguide.org/sunflower-power-%e2%80%93-free-seeds-could-aid-populations-of-bees/