Chocolate Delight

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Planting Sunflower is really rewarding! This flower is the first to open and it's from the shortest of the three plants I am growing in a pot.


The flower attracted lots of ants.



My only regret is that I did not give enough thought on the staking. I mean a nice one. I just used a three-tiered tomato cage and a rafia string criss-crossing in the middle to hold the stems. I have tied haphazardly before a heavy downpour earlier. But it is definitely a secured stake for the plant's 'safety'. Nonetheless, I am glad that the heavy rain did not crush the skinny plant. Now that a flower has bloomed, I bring in the pot whenever the rain comes. I want this flower to stay forever... it's a cool sunflower to have :-D


Meanwhile, my Amaranthus Flying Colours have flaunt its striking colours. The new leaves are no longer green and chocolate brown. They are now yellow and scarlet. Suddenly the plants look so cheerie and bright :-D



Happy gardening!

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19 comments

  1. Wow ... your Amaranthus is beautiful. It's great to see the yellow and scarlet ... makes me even more certain that my Amaranthus is definitely not 'Flying Colours'! Will have to post a photo soon.

    I just adore your sunflower ... this is the sort of sunflower I'd love to have in my garden. I think I'll have to try a pot or two of these gorgeous rich chocolate delights!

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  2. Your sunflower look so cute. I first thought it was a zinnia or a mexican sunflower.
    Hope they bloom more and give that sturdy stalk to support more blooms.
    And yes, its truly a unique flying colours.

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  3. I think the amaranthus is special too, especially with the red designs on the leaves that makes it look like flowers on the top. The chocolate sunflower really lives up to its name, sweet in appearance and taste. No wonder ants are attracted to it.

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  4. Your Amaranthus looks very lively, and the sunflower is gorgeous. So far I have only seen yellow sunflowers. It's nice to learn new things on your blog :)

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  5. Wow brown sunflower! How i wish to have them in my garden! How big is it?
    Your Amaranthus looks very colorful!

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  6. Hi Steph, how funny you write about sunflowers. Today I got a catalogue from my favourite nursery, Diggers Club. They had a whole page of different sunflowers, different colours and heights (some don't need staking). They said it attracted bees and other beneficial insects and birds. cheers, catmint

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  7. Steph, I have never seen an orangey-brown coloured sun flower. Yours look so unique.

    I saw some beautiful sunflowers at Perbadanan Putrajaya's garden, at the side of the lake next to the Millenium Tower. They look so lovely. I wonder where to get sunflower seeds. I don't see them on sales. Would you know?

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  8. Malar, this flower is about 3 inches in diameter only.

    JC, you can buy sunflower seeds at home centres and certain nurseries. But this choc sunflower seeds were given by a friend. Probably not available here.

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  9. Stephanie,
    You're the second garden blog buddy I've visited to find they've revamped the look. That's what I get for not checking in for so long. But, I'm back now.

    Your sunflower is a beauty. It looks to be a brownish color. Nice. I actually planted a "giant sunflower" this year, too, and it just got a huge bud, so hopefully mine will bloom soon, too. I put a hoop over mine for support as well, so I hope it protects it.

    Cheers!

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  10. Hi Steph, i've really known you as a gardener of unusual flowers and plants! And this is another case, do you know that i haven't seen a sunflower of that color, hehehe! I saw the branching type of that color as my batchmate friend is its breeder in Mexico. However, in real life i haven't. Very lovely, although it looks like the stems are not that strong maybe not well fed, seems spindly and soft, or maybe lack of sunshine which makes it etiolated and elongated. That amaranth is beautiful too.

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  11. Diese Schokoladenblume ist wunderschön und sie riecht wirklich bischen nach Schoki. Ich habe sie einmal gepflanzt, leider hat sie den Winter nicht überlebt, nun freue ich mich an Deinen Fotos.

    liebe Grüße Dörte

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  12. At first glance I thought it was a dahlia! An unusual colour for a sun flower. Pretty.

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  13. Hi Stef, your brown sunflower is a refreshing and unique look for the garden, rather than the normal reds and pinks! And your amranthus just adds color too ... I just love visiting your blog and looking at the plants and flowers you have - it just UPlifts me when I am down! I'll update my blog soon with my garden stories ...

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  14. Beautiful sunflower! I love the colors of it! N surely like how you titled this post ;)

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  15. Unusual yet attractive color for a sunflower. The Amaranthus Flying Colours sure is putting on a show, I like the contrast of bright new leaves against the darker older ones.

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  16. This amarant is realy beautifull. So is the sunflower. Hope you have a wonderfull summer.

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  17. I like your new template! :) Very interesting and unique brown flower...gives your garden a rustic look.

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  18. Thanks all! I appreciate your comment and advice :-D

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