the sunflower runt

When we moved to Portland, we knew we wanted space for growing things. Everyone here gardens in their yard; flower beds full of artichokes, window boxes bristling with basil. We built two raised beds, one four feet by nine feet, one four feet by seven feet. We planted lots of vegetables and herbs, and some sunflowers.


The sunflowers we grew from seed and planted in the front bed to be posts for our pole beans to climb. (It worked quite well until the heat wave charred the beans). There was a runt, a little seedling slightly crooked and drooping, that we planted in the backyard just to see what would happen, expecting nothing.


The runt is now a massive tree, which shades Bible as he lounges about. It is twelve feet high and at this moment has at least thirty blooms. It leans slightly but looks stable. The stalk is a good three inches around. I can smell the flowers from the kitchen window. So much for runts.