(6 Sep 2012) I planted the seed on 2 September 2012. 4 days later, it had already become a little seedling.
(30 Sep 2012) This was how it looked like about 1 month later. It was only this tall, quite slow. But growing well.
(5 Nov 2012) At 2 months, it had grown much taller and stronger.
(25 Nov 2012) When it was almost 3 months old, I noticed something different. Yes, a sunflower is forming! Excited!
(22 Dec 2012) It took another month for the sunflower to develop. Do you know that the sunflower follows in the direction of the sun, turning from east to west everyday? Yes, it is true. The flower head will face east in the morning and then slowly turn to west in the evening. Then next morning, you will find it facing east again. Amazing! That's why it is called 向日葵 in Chinese, which means "facing the sun".
(26 Dec 2012) Waiting to bloom!
(27 Dec 2012) Very soon!
(30 Dec 2012) Finally fully bloomed, just before the New Year.
(8 Jan 2013) The sunflower started to dry up. I was eager to collect the seeds. I read that you have to wait for the seeds to mature first, that is when it is completely dried up.
(18 Jan 2013) While waiting for the sunflower to dry up to harvest the seeds, a baby sunflower started growing below the main sunflower! Can you spot it? Never expected this little surprise!
(22 Jan 2013) The baby sunflower! :)
(5 Feb 2013) After the baby flower wilted, the main sunflower head had also turned brown and dry, so we cut off the flower head, let it dry up further. This is how we harvest the seeds. Just rub the flower with your fingers and the little seeds will drop out. I was expecting a lot of sunflower seeds. But to my little disappointment, I only managed to collect 7 seeds. But I'm still happy about it. I have learnt more about sunflowers and watched them grow from seeds to seeds (harvested). Always remember the joy that the bright sunny sunflower gives us!
