Sunflower Buds at 52 days

In the morning of May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, I was doing my early morning mother hen walk through in my sunflower garden. Much to my surprise, FINALLY, I spotted the very first sunflower bud!! That meant I was seeing the very first bud at 52 days.

On May 4th, I was writing about how the sunflower plants were measuring 36-38 inches tall. However, it would take just one more day for a bud to be detected.

It is pretty exciting to see the buds because the sunflower blossoms are coming up next! I put together a little collage of the very FIRST buds! I didn't snap the photos until the next day.

The Very First Sunflower Buds at 52 Days ~ JaguarJulie
Photo Taken: May 6, 2014

Watching over the flower garden for the next couple of days, I lost track of which sunflower bud emerged next. It was getting to be pretty exciting.

SUNFLOWER HEIGHT MEASUREMENTS

The plants were starting to fill in and getting taller each day. I thought I might have to go on a diet so that I can fit through the four rows to water the plants. But, it's probably good that on my garden walk throughs that I rub off any bugs that might be hiding on the leaves.

Be sure to shake yourself off before you come inside! I've had a pair of love bugs tag-a-long and come inside. Boots the cat was giving me the stink eye when she saw them fly to a window!

Sunflower Bud on 38 inch Plant at 56 Days ~ JaguarJulie
Photo Taken: May 9, 2014

I am seeing sunflower buds on a variety of sunflower plants at different heights. Actually, there is one plant shorter than 38 inches that sprouted a bud!

Sunflower Bud on 46 inch Plant at 56 Days ~ JaguarJulie
Photo Taken: May 9, 2014

There's a plant that hit 46 inches with a bud. The buds are pretty interesting as they seem to be almost like fingerprints in that no two are alike!

Sunflower Bud on 49 inch Plant at 56 Days ~ JaguarJulie
Photo Taken: May 9, 2014

Now, 49 inches is my tallest sunflower plant at 56 days. Are you betting that at precisely 60 days I will see my first sunflower blossom? Thinking back to my first DIY sunflower garden, it was April 28th when I saw my first hint of a blossom which was around the 57-58th day.

Sunflower Garden at 56 Days ~ JaguarJulie
Photo Taken: May 9, 2014

This year's garden was planted about two weeks later and with seeds I harvested from my first garden. And, taking into consideration differing weather conditions, we won't match that timing for the first blossom. But, we are very close!!

BACKYARD GARDENER CONTRIBUTOR AT SQUIDOO

On May 4th, I became the Backyard Gardener Contributor at Squidoo! Bonnie asked me to take on this role since I had been writing so much about all my work in my backyard gardens!! For those of you who have followed my sunflower journey through my blog, you already know that I have a green thumb for sunflowers.

I hope to find more time to write on Squidoo about my projects and to work on developing my niche there.

BLONDES THAT DIY

And, that would be a perfect segway to tell you about this exciting new project. You'll have to read the blog post introducing Blondes that DIY to see how this germ of an idea unfolded.

Shout out to my readers! Thanks for coming along for this journey ... you know, I started blogging in December 2004? Can you believe I am coming up on a decade - ten years of blogging? How about that.