The littlest Bumbumbee was so excited to bring a sunflower seedling home from nursery the other day. There’s something wholesome and so symbolic about the way our two come bearing gifts of nature, clutching leaves and flowers, or cradling seeds as though they are a highly prized treasure, that must be kept safe in their hands at all costs. It does inspire the hope that perhaps the environment may be safe in the hands of our children if we as parents and teachers can find a way to spark the magic within.
Teaching kids to care about the environment is a responsibility we should all take seriously but the ‘lessons’ don’t need to be serious. I find kids love nothing more than a big mess, whether that’s in squelching paint or getting their hands (and clothes) dirty in the mud. True to form, it was with great glee that Rosie got stuck into planting her sunflower seedling.
We showed her pictures of what her sunflower would look like and how tall her plant was going to grow, almost as high as Jack and the Beanstalk, we promise. Her eyes wide, and her muddy fingers gently press the soil again as she whispers incantations to her magical seedling. We, meanwhile, cross our fingers behind our backs – oh the pressure on this sunflower to bloom!
Sunflowers attract wildlife, birds, insects and pollinators – our beautiful bees love them – and these all have a positive effect on the environment. The seeds are also edible and can be roasted with Paprika or any other seasoning you care to try. But all that good stuff aside, who doesn’t love sunflowers? They have such beaming happy faces and you can’t be sad when you spend time with a Sunflower.
I think I must have been feeling inspired because the next thing I knew I was lost in the creative process, playing with lines, shapes, and patterns before delving into the blissful world of warm, buttery yellows.
I do hope you enjoy the latest sunflower inspired stationery creations. I’ll keep you posted on whether Rosie’s Sunflower is a success