Saving sunflower seeds.
The clouds and sun put on quite a drama this afternoon, and we even had a few particles of snow during a sunny, blustery moment. An invigorating afternoon. When the Green Chillis met, we rolled up the soaker hoses to put away for the winter (more easily said than done), and harvested some of the veggies that have tolerated the recent colder weather – carrots, kohlrabi, cabbage, and a few mustard greens. As usual, the orange, yellow, and purple carrots stole the show; buried treasure of the first rate.
Back inside, the Chillis worked on harvesting sunflower seeds. After the flowers had faded, while the flower heads were still on the stalks, we put nylon stockings over them to protect them from the birds and catch any seeds that might fall as they dried. Then, we cut the heads. Today, the Chillis rubbed the seeds out of the dried heads. They still need to be winnowed, but we have quite a store for next year’s planting! We enjoyed exploring the textures of the dried sunflower stalks - the sponginess of the de-seeded flower head drew quite a bit of interest.
Back inside, the Chillis worked on harvesting sunflower seeds. After the flowers had faded, while the flower heads were still on the stalks, we put nylon stockings over them to protect them from the birds and catch any seeds that might fall as they dried. Then, we cut the heads. Today, the Chillis rubbed the seeds out of the dried heads. They still need to be winnowed, but we have quite a store for next year’s planting! We enjoyed exploring the textures of the dried sunflower stalks - the sponginess of the de-seeded flower head drew quite a bit of interest.