Add a special touch to your home with a few seeds

 I wanted to plant some flowers in the vegetable garden to add color and maybe bring in some bee's. I planted some marigolds and  zennia's and "sunflowers". Stop and think how important sunflowers are to us not only for beauty but part of human consumption.

Even though it is the state flower of Kansas , we certainly have our share here in Texas.

Sunflowers were primarily used as a decorative plant until the mid-1900s when they  began to cultivate them as an oil crop.

I had always heard sunflowers were easy to grow, correct, also some grew quite large, correct, sunflowers are used in bouquets and a good food source, correct. Sunflowers grow extremely well in Texas. Carl gets excited when he sees a sunflower field because the birds love sunflower seeds and he and Brutus are bird hunters.

Here is some additonal information:

Culinary

Sunflower seeds are a popular snack. (we buy the little packets in the grocery store that are salted and roasted)

Sunflower oil is a healthy  cooking oil and often used in salad dressings and an ingredient in some margarine product.

Medicinal

The sunflower's seeds and oil are high in vitamin E, anti-oxidants, and polyunsaturates (especially linoleic acid).

Sunflower oil can also be used in lotions and shampoos.

Now if you go to buy sunflower seeds here is some things you need to know:

Buy the right seed. Tell your garden center helper you're looking for a sunflower that will produce "confectionery" or "non-oil" seed. These are the familiar black and white seeds used for human snacks (like we see in the grocery store). Some are salted or roasted.

. All black, "black oil seed" is used to produce sunflower oil, animal feed and bird seed. Hybrid varieties change from year to year but choose varieties spotlighted as suitable for human from seed catalogs and display racks.

These big, rough-leaved giants can grow six to eight feet tall and their blooms (which are actually a system of flowers) can measure from eight inches to more than a foot and a half across, depending on variety. Plants will mature after about two months. Plants should stand until the seed-heads turn completely brown. If the bloom droops in the heat of day don't worry they will pick that head back up and look chipper before the day ends.

Something new has been added to our vegetable garden and the birds think I planted them just for them. They are colorful and easy to grow and love this Texas heat.

___________     Moving to Comal County TX, plant a vegetable garden and add some flowers ________  If you are selling your home a vegetable garden and flower garden will certainly enhance your property.    If you are looking for a home inspector, please call Complete Inspection Service, Carl Winters, License #3630. Carl is an Advanced Inspector and has been in business since 1994. 830-660-0131. TREC Certaified, TRCC Registered for new home phase inspections and NAWT for Septic Systems. We live in Comal County but also serve San Antonio, Boerne, Seguin, Wimbely, Blanco.

    home-inspection4u@yahoo.com    Web: www.home-inspection4u.com  www.Facebook.com/carlwinters

Blog: June 13, 2009 Localism Comal County Texas.

                                                          Thank You Carl & Ceil Winters

                                                                   God Bless Texas