Floratopia

“I find comfort in contemplating the sunflowers.”

—VINCENT VAN GOGH

Vincent van Gogh, the 19th-century Dutch artist, is famous for his paintings of sunflowers. He loved them so much that he painted a total of 12 sunflower still life paintings. What was the aspect of annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) that enticed van Gogh? He admired their vibrant yellow color, their bold form, and the fact that they are sturdy, common plants (he called them the “rustic” sunflower). But there was another reason that made him paint depictions of cut sunflowers in a vase.

Vincent van Gogh saw the sunflower’s floral solar disc as something of a symbol. According to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, he wrote that the sunflower paintings communicated “gratitude.” He felt that the simple, sun-like image of the common sunflower conveys the powerful idea of Nature’s bounty and beauty itself. Indeed, the National Gallery in London, England, reports that its sunflower still life by van Gogh is one of their most popular paintings. It is this artwork that is most often reproduced on cards, posters, mugs, and stationery in their store. It seems we all respond to the happiness of sunflowers and their message of Nature’s glory!

There are many varieties of annual sunflowers, including dwarf and tall varieties. The bloom colors range from bright yellow to lemon yellow to orange, pink, and even burgundy. And there are those that are grown especially for seed harvesting, like ‘Super Snack Mix,’ which has a solitary 10-inch-wide flower on a 5-foot-tall plant.

Annual sunflowers are easy to grow from seed if you have full sun and growing room. Sunflowers are warm-weather plants, so wait until the soil has warmed to at least 55 degrees before sowing seeds. Sunflowers do best in a spot sheltered from the wind. For a longer sunflower bloom period, plant a row or group of sunflowers every two weeks for four to six weeks during the early summer. They make a great cut flower. Grow a lot of them and you can have a vase full of sunflowers, just like Vincent painted.

Sunflowers are easy to grow, and are a perfect flower for a children’s garden.