Comments on: Where the Corn came from, and gardener’s porn http://besidethestream.com/where-the-corn-came-from-and-gardeners-porn/2008/01/14/ Country life at 7,000 feet Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:33:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: toodie http://besidethestream.com/where-the-corn-came-from-and-gardeners-porn/2008/01/14/#comment-140 toodie Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:41:32 +0000 http://besidethestream.com/where-the-corn-came-from-and-gardeners-porn/2008/01/14/#comment-140 ....except 'Torch' isn't a sunflower. It's a Tithonia, so-called Mexican Sunflower. Not closely related at all and doesn't bear the plump, meaty fat- and protein-packed seeds typical of common sunflowers. Why so named? I think because it's a Central American native that has a daisy (composite) flower. Other than that, it bears no resemblance to a common garden sunlfower. The flowers are a dazzling deep orange, and the plants, with their velvety, staunchly upright stems are a great addition to a garden, especially when you need some sturdy height. The seeds, if left to ripen, are a favorite of smaller seed-eating birds like bush tits and gold finches in my California garden. I agree with you on the catalog porn--one year I bought about 6 varieties of dent corn. Just had to have it. But our water bills were too high so never grew it again. Did get just enough to grind a little and it was good. A visitor by way of PW, I like your style and your eye. Look forward to returning again. Dear Toodie, I'm just putting in my seed order, including too many varieties of tomatoes. Thanks for the tips on the Tithonia--I used to grow it years ago and your descriptor of them as velvety and staunch... that's exactly it. I ordered them too. Alice ….except ‘Torch’ isn’t a sunflower. It’s a Tithonia, so-called Mexican Sunflower. Not closely related at all and doesn’t bear the plump, meaty fat- and protein-packed seeds typical of common sunflowers. Why so named? I think because it’s a Central American native that has a daisy (composite) flower.

Other than that, it bears no resemblance to a common garden sunlfower. The flowers are a dazzling deep orange, and the plants, with their velvety, staunchly upright stems are a great addition to a garden, especially when you need some sturdy height. The seeds, if left to ripen, are a favorite of smaller seed-eating birds like bush tits and gold finches in my California garden.

I agree with you on the catalog porn–one year I bought about 6 varieties of dent corn. Just had to have it. But our water bills were too high so never grew it again. Did get just enough to grind a little and it was good.

A visitor by way of PW, I like your style and your eye. Look forward to returning again.

Dear Toodie, I’m just putting in my seed order, including too many varieties of tomatoes. Thanks for the tips on the Tithonia–I used to grow it years ago and your descriptor of them as velvety and staunch… that’s exactly it. I ordered them too. Alice

]]> By: Anne http://besidethestream.com/where-the-corn-came-from-and-gardeners-porn/2008/01/14/#comment-5 Anne Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:19:11 +0000 http://besidethestream.com/where-the-corn-came-from-and-gardeners-porn/2008/01/14/#comment-5 How interesting to know about the corn. Beautiful varieties. What a thrill! How interesting to know about the corn. Beautiful varieties. What a thrill!

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