Sunflower Harvest & Heist
It was a beautiful July day. All was looking nice in the Courtyard. Well, except for the sunflowers.
The once stunning sunnies were now a bit unsightly. But no matter; that just meant it was time to harvest them!
Sunflower: Harvest me!
Me: Okay
Since this was my first time growing and harvesting sunflowers, I didn't even know that the tiny flowers in the middle of the head were to be removed. I thought those would fall off, and the center would turn black with seed, and that's when you'd know you could harvest them.
But I watched a video and learned that you brush away the small flowers. It is a simple process akin to popping bubble wrap. Just brush your fingers along the surface to remove the flowers, and then do the same to remove the seeds but with more pressure. Like kneading dough but with your fingers.
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Date harvested: July 27
That's all you got?
A couple days later, a couple more sunflowers were ripe to harvest.
The Leaning Tower of Sunflower
Between the two days of harvesting, I had a big crop.
But then...
I woke up the next day to this sight:
I couldn't believe it. And there was no trace of any clue that could lead me to a suspect. What criminal could have carried all those sunflowers out of a high fountain overnight?
Wasn't me.
The Suspects
Lately, I've been seeing a squirrel that searches for and steals BJ's stashed peanuts. It might also have been the raccoon, who may not be a wanderer after all. Could a bunny have been the mastermind of such a crime? Or perhaps a skunk? I haven't seen one, but I sure have smelled one a couple of times at night. It may have even been the infamous Cantina thief.
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I scavenged what was left and saved the seeds.
About a week later, I harvested the remaining sunflowers.
This time, I served a feast to the well-respected Cantina customers.
Now this is first class service.
On the bright side, one of the potted dwarf sunflowers finally bloomed!
Date bloomed: August 6
BJ: I'm more interested in this peanut.
Bee: No way. This sunflower pollen is the best.
I moved it from the middle of the Courtyard to under the Cantina for a pretty view from my desk.
The next day...
it was taken.
I guess it is as the saying goes:
Don’t put all your sunflowers in one fountain.
And maybe not even near the fountain, for that matter.
The End
On a side story
You may have noticed the "fountain" is empty. I took the water out early in the summer because of too many mosquito wrigglers. One day I'll get a solar-powered pump to keep the water flowing so they won't gather there, and to make a nice water feature. That's a project for another day, so subscribe via email or RSS feed to follow along on my Cantina & Courtyard adventures – and to find out if I catch the Sunflower Thief. 🕵️♀️