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In This Issue Vol. 6, No. 2 Just click below to read the article you want. The Edible Garden Summer Chocolate Mimosa Sunflower Folklore Honey, I'm Home! Tomato-Planting Time Seasonal Products Something to Sing About Contain Yourself! |
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Sunflower Folklore
| For thousands of years, the striking sunflower has remained an enduring symbol of the power of the sun. This hardy Central American native was long prized by many cultures for its oil-rich seed and mythical properties, while early Christians and others revered the sunflower as a symbol of religious obedience. |
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| The sunflower was a popular subject of common folk wisdom. It was thought that cutting a sunflower at sunset while making a wish would ensure that the wish would come true the next day. A person wanting to know the truth in any matter might take to sleeping with sunflowers under the bed. Seeds would be worn about the neck in hopes of protecting the wearer from smallpox. And growing the flower in one's yard was thought to bring good luck to the gardener. |
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Eventually, the practical benefits of the sunflower overshadowed its mythical lore. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, sunflowers found a home in Russia. According to Ernest Small (1999), sunflowers are an excellent rotational crop for wheat, as the amazing flower appears to weaken common wheat diseases. Today, the cheery sunflower is valued for its beauty and its nutritional seed. Striped seed is used as snacks and in bakery items, while black seed is used for oil and bird food. You can easily grow your own sunflower garden. Just consult our How-To column in this issue, or stop in to your local Navlet's for helpful, customized advice. |
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