Sunflowers in the Cotswolds, not France!

I noticed on my last visit to the farm shop on Saturday that they had some more leek seedings, which I should have bought to plant a second batch in our raised beds. The first ones went in more than a month ago and have grown enormously already. So I drove up to Bisley again before lunch to catch the shop as it is only open in the morning on Tuesdays.

On Saturday I had met up with Keith, who suggested I photograph in his honey bee shed. When I was leaving the shed I also met his brother Ashley and he asked how the sunflowers Helena had bought the week before were doing. Today, as he was about to go for lunch, he found a small tray for my little plants, and took some money, (an incredibly reasonable amount, I have to say, for 50 leeks, and nine brassica seedlings as well as six eggs!). Then he asked if I had my camera with me. He told me that I must go and photograph the sunflowers growing in the field, as they were looking particularly good.

I couldn't resist such an opportunity, so headed off towards the village, and turned into the field by their Dutch barn, and parked. A short walk into the next field and there beside the potatoes, cabbages and various other crops that will appear in the shop quite soon, was this fine display of sunflowers. I normally associate such a fine sight with the open fields of France, particularly in the north of Provence, an area I have loved since first visiting in childhood holidays in Southern France.

Sadly the weather today wasn't quite so similar, as it was drizzling when I arrived and raining by the time I packed up a few minutes later. But I think you get the right idea. The sunflowers are for sale in the farm shop now – six flower heads for £1-50. I'm going to go back for more as our first ones are beginning to flop. The bees have loved as they were doing in this picture. Hardly any were flying; they just had their heads down, putting their proboscides into the hundreds of little opening on each head! (The correct Greek plural is proboscides, but in English it is more common to simply add -es, forming proboscises, as I have just learnt today)

I wonder if Keith has some hives near here? Mmmmm.