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Desperate Help Needed - Re: Sunflower My Daughter Grew From Seed Destroyed By Neighbor Kids
Vanity | 8-10-2009 | jurroppi1

Posted on 08/10/2009 11:38:49 AM PDT by jurroppi1

Please help me out! My daughter grew a massive sunflower from seed in a wildflower garden that we planted late this spring. This flower was MAGNIFICENT, it had eight blooms and 3 or 4 more on the way! Neighbor boys cut it down with a tent pole this morning and Bachman's has told us that it will likely die.

We are in MN (twin cities area), so I'm trying to find somewhere, anywhere, that has sunflowers (mature ones preferably). Bachman's told us no dice - they don't have any.

My 2.5 year old is going to be crushed, and Mom and I are having a hard time trying to figure out how we will explain this to her. This is a brutal lesson for her to learn at 2.5 years old. She has been nurturing these flowers from seed - watering them herself, checking on them everyday, waiting for new blooms, etc...


TOPICS: Agriculture; Gardening; Hobbies; Outdoors
KEYWORDS: child; flower; sunflower; wildflowers
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To: Frantzie

Searched nurserys in MN.

Linders St. Paul 651-488-1927 open 7 days a week.
Knechts Northfield, MN 507-645-5015 7 daysa week 800-924-5015


21 posted on 08/10/2009 11:53:13 AM PDT by Frantzie (Lou Dobbs - American Hero! Bill O'Reilly = Liar)
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To: jurroppi1
Can you save the seeds, dry them & plant them in an egg carton with some really good, rich soil? Then when they sprout - move them to bigger containers - & then to the garden.

They are pretty sturdy plants, so there may be hope. If it's too late this year - hang on to the seeds for next year.

Maybe WalMart garden shop may have one in bloom. Call your local agriculture extension center or a 4H club member to see if they might know where you could find one.

If the seeds take - she will have a whole bed of beautiful sunflowers.

Hope you discussed this with the little hoodlums' parents.

22 posted on 08/10/2009 11:53:39 AM PDT by LADY J (Change your thoughts and you change your world. - Norman Vincent Peale)
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To: jurroppi1
If you know the neighbor boys parents, you could have a conversation with them and make it THEIR problem to replace. Some boys did something like this to one of my daughter's projects and I had a kind but firm talk with one of their parents explaining that I expected them to fully restore and replace what they had destroyed.

The mother must have took me very seriously because the boy was at the door late that evening with a greatly improved version of what he had destroyed that afternoon. We actually became friends with the family as a result of their willingness to go far beyond remedying the injury.

I don't think the boy did it out of the goodness of his heart, at least initially, as he tried to excuse himself during the initial confrontation by saying my daughter had provoked it. His mother would have none of that talk. If the parents are anywhere near as good as she was, you could be in for a pleasant surprise.

23 posted on 08/10/2009 11:53:45 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: jurroppi1
You could also call Cal's in Savage. They know all the distributors. Good Luck.
24 posted on 08/10/2009 11:54:21 AM PDT by Finalapproach29er (A woman will be the next President; I hope it's Palin instead of HRC.)
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To: jurroppi1

It is kind of you to want to shield your child from hurt.

But this may be a perfect opportunity to teach her how to deal with evil.

I don’t mean to be overly dramatic, but for her, this is an evil act.

Stand with her, explain what happened, explain what sin is and why we must avoid it. Tell her to remember how it makes other people feel when their possessions are destroyed.

The lesson may stay with her for life.


25 posted on 08/10/2009 11:55:35 AM PDT by Marie2 (The second mouse gets the cheese.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Ping.


26 posted on 08/10/2009 11:55:53 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Lazamataz

I suggest that she liberally apply weedkiller to the neighbor kids. . . . (evil grin)


27 posted on 08/10/2009 11:57:13 AM PDT by Salgak (Acme Lasers presents: The Energizer Border: I dare you to try and cross it. . .)
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To: jurroppi1

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4948


28 posted on 08/10/2009 11:57:31 AM PDT by FLAMING DEATH (Cash for Clunkers is proof that Obama is waging war on the poor.)
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To: jurroppi1

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/nursery/nurseries/minnesota.html

I tried to copy and paste but no go. Dozens in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Go to link page down. names and addresses but no phone numbers. Use the net to search for phone numbers. I count at least 2 dozen. in either Minneapolis or St, Paul.


29 posted on 08/10/2009 11:58:08 AM PDT by Frantzie (Lou Dobbs - American Hero! Bill O'Reilly = Liar)
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To: jurroppi1
It's an extremely unfortunate situation, but one I think you should probably let her carry through to the end.

I think your other move is to contact the parents of these idiot boys, and to suggest to them that a personal apology by each of them ... to you and to your girl ... is in order.

And as the person above noted, if you've got seeds you can harvest them for next year...

30 posted on 08/10/2009 11:58:30 AM PDT by r9etb
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To: jurroppi1

You might be able to find area farmers with sunflower fields. Call adjacent rural county UW Extension offices and inquire - they may help. I’ve seen sunflower fields on my treks around Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota.


31 posted on 08/10/2009 11:58:45 AM PDT by From The Deer Stand
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To: LizardQueen
Hmmm... you've got me thinking, LQ.

I happen to have a degree in Horticulture, and I have to say, I kind of think this won't work, but...

If you were to graft the stalk back to the base, which is actually pretty easy, just make a V shaped cut, facing down on the stalk and a matching one on the base (does that make sense?), then, wrap it with a strip of rubber, specifically, one of those thick rubber bands, cut into a strip.

It might work.

I've seen some really weird things with sunflowers in experiments. I once cut one at the base, flushed the soil with red dye, watched the dye ooze out of the cut, and put it back together again and the dye made it up to the flower petals.
Don't know if it'd keep the plant alive long term, but it couldn't hurt.

Oh, of course you'd need to stake it, like LQ mentioned.

Really hope it works or you find a solution.

You're a good parent to want to shield your daughter from something like this at her age.

32 posted on 08/10/2009 11:58:45 AM PDT by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my Dear Friend Henry Lee II)
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To: jurroppi1
a brutal lesson...

Desperate? Brutal? She's in for a rough life...

Rather than trying to protect her from every little thing, perhaps you can prepare her for the realities of life. Far worse things will come her way.

33 posted on 08/10/2009 11:59:14 AM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: FLAMING DEATH

Let me add that whatever remedy you choose should DEFINITELY include holding the child accountable by going to his parents. Otherwise, even if you fix that flower or plant another one, it’s just going to happen again and again.

People need to be held accountable. Just sayin’.


34 posted on 08/10/2009 12:00:21 PM PDT by FLAMING DEATH (Cash for Clunkers is proof that Obama is waging war on the poor.)
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To: fullchroma
It might help if the neighbor boys apologized to your little one and their parents took to the task of finding a replacement (but that’s just my 1950’s fantasy.)

That's a great idea!

35 posted on 08/10/2009 12:00:21 PM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: jurroppi1

You can’t handle this situation yourself without asking for help? Are you a liberal?


36 posted on 08/10/2009 12:00:37 PM PDT by notaliberal (Right-wing extremist)
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To: Drango
Far worse things will come her way.

Yes, like broken crayons and kid's tying her shoelaces together, while she's not looking, just to name a few.

37 posted on 08/10/2009 12:00:39 PM PDT by library user
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To: jurroppi1

That really blows. Try to make the best of it, teach yuor daughter the tough lessons. Also, teach her how to prepare teh heads for seed production for next year. I am assuming that they were far along enough to harvest the seeds for the next planting.

Then, buy her a slingshot and teach her how to hide behind the bushes and make that thing sting their little a$$es every time they walk by.

I really do feel for you and the little one.


38 posted on 08/10/2009 12:01:15 PM PDT by wxgesr (I want to be the first person to surf on another planet!)
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To: jurroppi1

That’s horrid, but an important life lesson that people are evil.


39 posted on 08/10/2009 12:01:22 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: jurroppi1

This is a lesson in life that your daughter will have to learn sooner or later. Don’t replace the flower, just tell her what happened. My parents never protected me from the bad things other kids in the neighborhood did. I know it may sound mean, but I think you are doing your daughter a bigger favor by just telling her what happened.


40 posted on 08/10/2009 12:01:42 PM PDT by detective
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