Monty Is Exhausted wi sunflower work

 

 Fun with Sunflower Community Growing

Spring has officially sprung, and our community is buzzing with excitement about our sunflower growing initiative! Inspired by, last years growing competition and  the sunflower celebration that Dan and Hillary from the amazing power station film we screened showed, we decided to bring that energy to our local area. Just think of it: a festival filled with sunshine, vibrant flowers, and a chance to connect with neighbours – who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

Last year, we kicked off a sunflower growing competition with Polmont Community Council, and it was! A learning curve, This year, we've taken it a step further with a full-fledged festival, complete with activities, workshops, and, of course, a spectacular display of sunflowers. The idea of embracing a "solar punk" vibe has us all buzzing – just imagine the creativity and community spirit we can foster!

With a 1-kilogram bag of super giant sunflower seeds in hand (yes, that's a LOT of seeds!), we are diving right in. It may sound a little crazy, but this is all about taking the leap, embracing adventure, and growing together. We’ve started planting in pots, and our seedling army is multiplying daily. It's incredible to watch these little sunburst wonders sprout and thrive!

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a curious novice, everyone is welcome to join our sunflower journey. Let’s make this community event a celebration of growth, connection, and of course, sunshine! Together, we’ll cultivate not just flowers but memories that will brighten our summer days. Get ready for a harvest of smiles, shared stories, and a whole lot of fun! 

Our sunflower giveaway began with the launch of KSB's Big Earth Double Donation Campaign. During this campaign, we distributed seedlings along with information about Keep Scotland Beautiful's initiative, which includes match funding for all groups participating in the "It's Your Neighbourhood" campaign, of which we are a part. It was exciting to start, but the seedlings quickly began to disappear, and our unpaid volunteers, who care for our garden projects, went into a bit of a panic about running low on seedlings.

The match funding initiative supports environmentally friendly groups nationwide. We at the hub felt that by the end of the first weekend, we had already made a significant contribution. We raised a considerable amount of money for the fund and, more importantly, increased public awareness that growing massive sunflowers can happen in every community.

So, where do we stand now at the end of this campaign? We still have plenty of sunflowers to plant, and we are looking forward to our end-of-August sunflower festival. We encourage the community to grow flowers in their gardens, and we aim to create a large wall of photographs showcasing our seedlings flourishing in gardens throughout the neighbourhood.

Community events like this demonstrate that when we care for even just one flower, it fosters connections among us. There is a bond in communities between water, soil, life, and the sun. What do we truly need? When we have each other, beautiful plants, and the power of the sun, as we at the hub would say, not much else!