There’s something about the big, bright yellow petals of a sunflower that make people happy.
The blooms also can add a cheery, warm, sunny feel to a yard or garden and help attract pollinators, including birds and bees.
So why not plant more of them? That’s the question Seymour District 3 Councilman Matt Nicholson is posing to the community.
After having a conversation with his oldest daughter, the two decided what Seymour needs is lots and lots of sunflowers.
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“While letting my oldest, Jozie, drive for time on her permit, we discussed how to make the area brighter,” Nicholson said. “Several ideas later, we ended up deciding sunflowers were the answer.”
Nicholson said he remembered the sunflower field owned by Jackson County Sheriff Mike Carothers near Reddington and how people would stop just to take pictures of the flowers and admire their beauty.
With support from READ Jackson County, the literacy coalition Nicholson runs, and B2 Bikes and Boards, the business he owns, the Jackson County Sunflower Thing has begun.
The goal of the project is to provide 10,000 sunflower seeds to individuals, organizations, schools and churches in Seymour and the rest of Jackson County for people to plant this spring.
He’s not aware of any other community doing anything like this, he said.
If planted around the first of May, all of the flowers should be mature and blooming by the first weeks of August when students are going back to school, Nicholson said.
Seeds will be distributed to all fourth-graders in the county and will be available at the annual Kids Fest at Seymour High School in April.
“I think if we put them in the hands of kids, they will make it to the ground,” he said.
Nicholson said he plans to reach out to school principals to arrange the best way to get the seeds to students.
“I can’t imagine them saying no to something fun like this,” he said.
It doesn’t cost to participate in the project, and anyone can get involved, Nicholson said.
Besides being pretty, Nicholson said another reason he and Jozie chose sunflowers is because they are hearty and easy to grow.
“All you have to do is plant the seed and watch them do their thing,” he said.
He hopes when the flowers bloom, people will take pictures and share them by posting them to the Jackson County Sunflower Thing Facebook group page.
Since there will be plenty of seeds to go around, Nicholson is inviting anyone wanting seeds to plant to contact him at 812-528-6319 or email [email protected]. Texts or emails should include the person’s name, group or organization and how many seeds they will need.
“I am not sure what impact they could have, but it will be fun,” he said. “I hope by the end of summer, we are seeing sunflowers and sunflower pictures for weeks.”
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Plant sunflower seeds
Matt Nicholson is inviting anyone wanting free sunflower seeds to plant as part of the Jackson County Sunflower Thing to contact him at 812-528-6319 or email [email protected]. Texts or emails should include the person’s name, group or organization and how many seeds they will need.
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