🌻 How cool are sunflowers?
In this Sparking Joy episode of White Strawberries, we explore everything there is to love about sunflowers — their ancient history, mythological roots, and the many ways they bring life (and light!) to your garden.
From Greek mythology’s Helios and the sunflower nymph, to modern uses like phytoremediation — where sunflowers help clean toxins from the soil after disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima — these plants are true multitaskers.
We also dive into how to:
🌻 Use sunflowers as living garden structures for beans, peas, and pumpkins
🐝 Support pollinators and boost biodiversity
🌿 Choose heirloom, non-F1 sunflower seeds for saving and replanting
🥗 Enjoy the nutritional power of sunflower seeds — packed with healthy fats, protein, and minerals
🐔 Feed your chickens homegrown, nutrient-rich seeds for a sustainable flock
Whether you’re a permaculture grower, a seed saver, or just love bee-friendly blooms, this episode will inspire you to plant a few giants of your own.
🌻 Sunflower suppliers mentioned:
Koanga Institute
Kings Seeds
Also- thank you Elena, a listener, for sending this link through. They do free soil testing in Aotearoa: Soil Safe.
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