Sunflower Strong
by Kathy Bassett
Title
Sunflower Strong
Artist
Kathy Bassett
Medium
Photograph - Photography - Digital Fine Art
Description
The strength and vibrancy of sunflowers reflect the full force of life from its very source, the sun. Lovely gathered in a vase, as seen in the photo. Digitally textured. To grow best, sunflowers need full sun. They grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with heavy mulch. In commercial planting, seeds are planted 45 cm (1.5 ft.) apart and 2.5 cm (1 in) deep. Sunflower "whole seed" (fruit) are sold as a snack food, raw or after roasting in ovens, with or without salt and/or seasonings added. Sunflowers can be processed into a peanut butter alternative, sunflower butter. In Germany, it is mixed with rye flour to make Sonnenblumenkernbrot (literally: sunflower whole seed bread), which is quite popular in German-speaking Europe. It is also sold as food for birds and can be used directly in cooking and salads. American Indians had multiple uses for sunflowers in the past, such as in bread, medical ointments, dyes and body paints.Sunflower oil, extracted from the seeds, is used for cooking, as a carrier oil and to produce margarine and biodiesel, as it is cheaper than olive oil. A range of sunflower varieties exist with differing fatty acid compositions; some 'high oleic' types contain a higher level of monounsaturated fats in their oil than even olive oil.
Detail of disk floretsThe cake remaining after the seeds have been processed for oil is used as a livestock feed. Some recently developed cultivars have drooping heads. These cultivars are less attractive to gardeners growing the flowers as ornamental plants, but appeal to farmers, because they reduce bird damage and losses from some plant diseases. Sunflowers also produce latex, and are the subject of experiments to improve their suitability as an alternative crop for producing nonallergenic rubber.Traditionally, several Native American groups planted sunflowers on the north edges of their gardens as a "fourth sister" to the better known three sisters combination of corn, beans, and squash. Annual species are often planted for their allelopathic properties.However, for commercial farmers growing commodity crops, the sunflower, like any other unwanted plant, is often considered a weed. Especially in the Midwestern US, wild (perennial) species are often found in corn and soybean fields and can have a negative impact on yields.
Uploaded
May 5th, 2013
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Viewed 1,644 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 04/17/2024 at 8:01 PM
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Comments (46)
Luther Fine Art
Congratulations! Your fantastic photographic art has been chosen as a Camera Art Group feature! You are invited to archive your work in the Features Archive discussion as well as any other discussion in which it would fit!
Don Columbus
Congratulations Kathy, your work is Featured in "Photographic Camera Art" I invite you to place it in the group's "2019 Featured Image Archive" Discussion!! L/Tweet
Bob Lentz
Congratulations! on this unique image’s being Featured in “The Artistic Aperture” group, and also Liked, Favorited, and Facebooked.
Robyn King
Congratulations your beautiful work is being featured in 500 Views Share Group & Shared :-)
John Bailey
Congratulations on being featured in the Fine Art America Group "Images That Excite You!"
Rebecca Glaze
Featured in Fabulous Art Boutique! Congratulations, what a fabulous work of art! Well done, bravo! Be sure to view how your image is displayed on the feature page, looks Fabulous!