Celebrating Summer with sunflowers -

OK, you know where I'm going with this!  

Another post on the sunflower 'procession' along the low brick wall
 between my neighbor Bob's front garden and ours. 

Yesterday the first BIG bloom opened - in celebration of 
the Summer Solstice.
I was out there with my camera to get this first photo - I waited until late
afternoon when the sun was not so blindingly bright - and it almost took my
 breath away looking at all those new seeds forming. Nature never ceases to 
surprise and thrill.
I'll definitely be collecting seeds again this year in late Summer for planting
 next Spring. These beautiful blooms last a long time and bring so much
interest to the garden due to their height and brilliant color. 
The bees love them and we must do what we can to help bees.
Also, I know the birds and squirrels will be feasting well once the seeds dry.

Looks like this sunflower patch will be an ongoing annual happening in the
 garden, and it all started with one small packet of seeds tossed along the wall
a few years ago!

This was the budding flower on Wednesday - didn't take long to
 open fully by the following day.

Hoping to have perhaps 15 large tall blooms this Summer, plus a few

 shorter ones - you can just see one of those on the far right.

The tallest have now reached about 7 feet, and I have to stand on the

 low wall to get my closeups of their sunny faces.

 No field of sunflowers as in Provençe, but this is is an ideal spot for my 

mini garden tucked at the base of the wall. Today I fertilized them with

 Miracle-Gro. There's been no rain to speak of for several days, so I also

 watered everything this morning as it's still in the 90's.

My own Bob, and my neighbor Bob, both know to stay far away from them

 when mowing and weed whacking!

Do you grow sunflowers?

Have a wonderful weekend - they seem to come around 

so quickly lately.