A Symbiotic Harvest

Is there any flower more heartwarming than a sunflower's bloom in late summer/early fall? This sunflower bloomer was an optimist in my garden this summer.  In spite of harsh circumstantial reality, it chose to sprout up inside a small pot planted with potatoes. In true symbiotic rhythm, the potato and sunflowers grew happily together all summer, amazing me, and all who witnessed it! When the potatoes were ready to harvest, we found the potatoes nestled into the roots of the sunflower.  After pulling out the potatoes, I repotted the sunflower, and it has grown happily since, after a time of readjustment. 

A sunflower growing in the same pot as a potato

I had to bring in some of the sunflowers to enjoy inside! 

I've thought about the volunteer sunflower that took up residence in the potato pot and wanted to share my thoughts...  

How often do we find ourselves in unfamiliar new places and feel like we don't fit in? 

Many times I've seen "volunteer" seeds in the garden sprout up in unlikely places and at unusual times.  Whatever causes them to believe they can survive, they pay no mind to the improbabilities and grow on, anyway. 

WHAT THIS SUNFLOWER HAS TAUGHT ME: 

1. It is possible in our own lives that we may find an unlikely place to not only survive, but to thrive. 

2. It may be in a setting we are uncomfortable with, or don't even like, and with no one else to whom we can relate. 

3. I don't know if sunflowers and potatoes complement each other in the garden, as I've never planted them together before! But what I do know is that in this case, and in this pot, they made room for each other.  The potatoes continued to grow, as did the sunflower, as they worked out their "symbiotic" agreement together. 

4. I had to look up the word "symbiotic" as that word came to mind as I was describing the sunflower and potato growing together for this post, and I decided I really needed to know the definition! Symbiotic means "involving interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association." Exactly what the sunflower and potato were doing! 

5. The potatoes could have shriveled up and refused to grow. The sunflower could've bowed its head and called it "game over", but instead the two thrived together, with the sunflower growing to be the largest in my garden, and the potatoes filled the pot with abundance! 

Some of my potato crop this year! All grown in pots too :) 

Some questions that I've pondered, and maybe you can ponder them too, after I witnessed the interaction between the sunflower and the potato. 

• Do you feel that you may be a sunflower, seeking growth in an unfamiliar environment?
• Are you in a place that doesn't feel right, and you wonder if this is where you need to be? 
• Is it possible to not just survive, but even thrive in the unlikely or unusual place you may be in?
• Can I look to the sunlight physically and SONlight spiritually in my current "garden" and continue to thrive and bring forth a harvest? 
• Can I (like the potato) learn to nestle and find comfort and even growth among an uncomfortable root or place (like the sunflower)? 

Well, I'm sure there are more lessons we could learn from this spunky sunflower and persistent potato!  Do you have any more "lessons" that the sunflower and potato could teach us? Please share in the comments below if you do :) 

Having considered all that, we can see that unified growth is possible with a sunflower and a potato, as my garden has shown! There is always room for growth; we just need to look to the sun if we're a sunflower, or to the SON Jesus as Christians, to the ONE who has called us to be different, to be a light in the darkness, and to shine where darkness abounds. 

Today I'm determined to be a sunflower in a world of potatoes. How about you? You might just find that there is a beautiful "symbiotic" harvest about to take place in a most unexpected way! 

You can be a sunflower in a world of potatoes (and tomatoes!)
Stand out from the crowd.
Lift your face to the sun (SON) and let your light shine :) 

A peek at my garden after we harvested the potatoes. 

After we harvested the potatoes, I had to prop up the sunflower, but it is still standing, and still growing, with even more sunflowers! Thriving - not just surviving!

After we removed the potatoes, the sunflower went through a bit of a difficult time. But with some watering and sunlight, it began to thrive again! 

Even though we had some rough moments after removing the potatoes, the sunflower soon adjusted, and many new sunflowers began to grow on its stem. 

I love how the colors in the sunflower match the colors in the darkening sunset sky! God's paintbrush in the skies and in the blooms reminds me each time how much I am loved by Him to be showered with such abundant blessings! 

I hope you enjoyed my sunflower and potato "symbiotic" harvest pictures and thoughts today... and I'll have another post soon to share with pictures of a fun birthday outing with my daughters and granddaughter, and pictures of harvest/canning taking place. 

Many blessings to each of you!