My French sunflowers look so unhappy

@JudyEv (342145)
Rockingham, Australia
August 11, 2017 12:01pm CST
We’re heading towards the Bordeaux region again in our tour of France and I’ve been seeing more and more fields of sunflowers. But instead of the brilliant yellow blooms pointing towards the sun, I’m seeing sunflowers with their heads hanging and looking very downcast. They really do look sad at the moment. I guess within a short time they’ll be harvested and that will be the end of their bright, happy colours for another year. But the world keeps turning and no doubt it will seem like no time at all before they are once again presenting their bright faces to the sun.
19 people like this
18 responses
• United States
11 Aug 17
Those sunflowers do look a bit sad but it's still a nice picture. I'm sure it's magnificent when that whole field is in bloom
4 people like this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
We have some nice photos of whole fields full of bright yellow flowers but now they're ready for harvest and looking a bit sad. .
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
11 Aug 17
if you want to see a field of sunflower.Tuscany,Italy is the place .Wonderful
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
We have seen some lovely fields here too but now it is almost time for the plants to be harvested.
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
11 Aug 17
@JudyEv the time of the year.
1 person likes this
@youless (112583)
• Guangzhou, China
12 Aug 17
Try to think it in another way, perhaps they are shy or they want to be polite and nod the head to see you
1 person likes this
@youless (112583)
• Guangzhou, China
13 Aug 17
@JudyEv In fact we have a story about a Chinese beauty in the ancient time. She was just so beautiful that all the flowers were shy and bent and the moon was hidden.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
@youless That sounds a lovely fable.
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@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
Perhaps they are shy. They are now past their best and perhaps they know it.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112983)
• El Paso, Texas
11 Aug 17
I wish I could get sunflowers to grow repeatedly year after year but although I had sunflowers early last year the seeds did not produce a new crop for this year.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112983)
• El Paso, Texas
11 Aug 17
I thought so too @JudyEv but maybe the birds and wabbits ate all the seeds. I'm going to try again in fall.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
@rebelann My mother would plant sunflowers round her apple trees. She reckoned the parrots ate the sunflower seeds and left the apples alone.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
I would have thought they'd reproduce themselves each year in a garden.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472072)
• Switzerland
12 Aug 17
Mine look the same right now, they have to stay until they are fully dry, so that they can collect the seeds.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472072)
• Switzerland
13 Aug 17
@JudyEv I collect the seeds to give to the birds, so I do nothing.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
@LadyDuck That's a very good finish for the seeds - providing food for birds.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
Do you have to do anything to the seeds before using them? And do you eat them or have another use for them?
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
20 Aug 17
Those look ready to be harvested.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Aug 17
They do, don't they? I'm not sure what the criteria is for harvest but these certainly look very ripe.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
23 Aug 17
@JudyEv waiting for the GRIM REAPER - ha ha
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Aug 17
@Inlemay No wonder they are hanging their heads!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160978)
• United States
12 Aug 17
We often do not see the end part of the cycle.. Will these be harvested for seeds or for oil? I look to the other sidebar photos and see that we are having a lovely vacation along with you. Thanks for taking us.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
There seems to be different varieties but I don't know which ones are grown for what purpose. I'm glad you're enjoying 'our' trip.
@much2say (56088)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Aug 17
Awww . Or maybe they are all taking a bow !
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
They might be but it doesn't look much like a bow to me.
1 person likes this
@much2say (56088)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Aug 17
@JudyEv I was thinking of those head bows . . . I just remember my piano teacher used to yell at a fellow student for doing a head bow after her recital instead of a full bow .
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
@much2say It's funny what comes back to mind sometimes.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
11 Aug 17
The fact that these can be harvested for food is a wonderful thing @JudyEv
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
13 Aug 17
@JudyEv Oh, yes, it certainly is! That might be where much of the sunflower oil and the seeds come from then.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Aug 17
@PatZAnthony Sunflowers are grown commercially in the US too aren't they?
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
We have seen acres and acres of these throughout France. It must be quite an industry.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (13152)
• Ireland
11 Aug 17
@judyev They really do look most depressed in that state and I feel depressed looking at them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
I thought they looked sad and unhappy too. I had to eat chocolate to snap out of my doldrums.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
11 Aug 17
Poor things. It's like they are hanging their heads in shame for losing their color.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Aug 17
@HazySue They're really droopy aren't they?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
I'm surprised by just how unhappy they look. It's like they're hanging their heads and crying.
1 person likes this
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
11 Aug 17
@JudyEv it is. They do look quite sad.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (117146)
• Anniston, Alabama
11 Aug 17
I am learning about sunflowers and I think they hang down because of the heavy seeds. I wonder when I am supposed to harvest those seed? LOVE this photo.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
I guess these will be harvested by machine soon. I think they are ready to pick when they stop following the sun around and look like this.
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
11 Aug 17
What a happy sight a field full of sunflowers must be
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
When they are out in bloom they are spectacular.
@Kandae11 (55164)
11 Aug 17
You are right - those sunflowers are not looking very bright.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
Don't you think they look sad?
@snowy22315 (182204)
• United States
12 Aug 17
Aww, maybe their time has passed!
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Aug 17
It must be harvest time or a lack sunlight for them to be "sad."
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
It's harvest tine I'm sure. They were all perky and pretty a month ago.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
11 Aug 17
I'm not used to seeing them that way.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
I loved them when the whole paddock was yellow but now they seem to be hiding their heads in shame.
1 person likes this
@Adam211 (38)
11 Aug 17
yeah i think it will take some time but after that it will become good and color would be awesome some time this thing happen that the thing does not happen as we want but in future it will be ok.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Aug 17
That's true. I'm sure there will be lots of lovely fields of sunflowers next season.