Field of sunflowers

This is a special time in the Charente- Maritime region.  The sunflower fields are in full bloom.  I look forward to the sunflower season in this area, as you drive around you can see acres of sunflower fields.  It is a fairly flat region and you can see the yellow fields stretching off to the horizon to meet up with the blue sky.  The main crop is still the grape vines but the grape vines are overshadowed by the display of sunflowers just now.

There is a small sunflower field, nestled in between the vines,  just 200 metres from the house and I decided to keep a record of it flowering.

I started on the 10th. of July

14th. July I decided to take the photographs in the evenings

16th. July I think I can see some colour

20th. July – the flowers are starting to open

27th. July The sunflowers are not turning to face the sun!

27th. July I’ve got to go round the other side to get a shot

30th. July – I thought sunflowers turned towards the sun…well, not exactly

The sunflowers are very popular with the butterflies

…and with the honey bees

There is lots of pollen to be had for the bumble bees

Some of the flower heads are huge

The sunflower, Helianthus annuus, or tournesol in French, turns towards the sun.  Well, sort of, they had me fooled.

Seemingly they do follow the sun as they are growing and while the shoots are flexible enough.  However, once they are in flower their stiff stems are too inflexible to continue the motion and the heads point towards the rising sun.  Certainly mine turned their backs on the setting sun and are facing a constant SE.