Sunflower celebration a blooming success

THE Surf Coast Celebration of Sunflowers has wrapped up formalities for this year but is encouraging people to keep posting the results of their efforts online.

Last month, the celebration held a gathering on the Torquay foreshore for the judging of a light-hearted competition featuring sunflowers both large and small.

Cute little sunflower prizes were given for designated categories, such as: tallest, shortest, most colourful, and best multi-headed sunflower.

Organiser Bronwyn McNamee said growers could also nominate their own categories, which proved a wonderful way for everyone to win a prize.

“Such self-nominated categories included best small sunflower in a red pot, best sunflower without a head and the yellowest sunflower.

“The Grand Prize was taken out by Queen Vera of Jan Juc for her ever-amazing display along her front fence, for all to enjoy.”

A sunflower picture storybook reading by Dianne O’Dwyer also proved a delight for the children.

“The backdrop of the Norfolk Island pines and the ocean proved a picture-perfect setting for photos under the sunflower arch, a gift created by Paul from Ryan Woodworks.”

Since the event, several sunflowers are continuing to come into bloom around town.

“The Facebook page, Surf Coast Celebration of Sunflowers, continues to offer opportunities for folk to share their photos and experiences,” Ms McNamee said.

“Unique inventive methods of protecting their beautiful blooms from the ‘cockies’ is proving an interesting and amusing topic of conversation.

“The sowing, growing and sharing of information and delight in sunflowers, together with the community sunflower competition event, has proven to be a great community experience for all involved, leaving everyone enthused that it can all start again next October, when the sowing season will start again.”

She said organisers would like to thank all of the individuals who made and packed more than 2,000 seed envelopes, the people who placed free sunflower seed envelopes outside their homes for neighbours to take, the cafes and shops that had them on their counters, the library for the display of photos, and those who helped before and on the day of the competition.

“Special thanks to the following cafe organisations who allowed seed envelope baskets on their counters: Swell, Mavis Mavis, Big Things Little Things, Torquay Library, Amitié, Lightbox, Feed Me Surf Coast, Evokes, Ocean Grind, and Peachs.”