those van gogh sunflower fields really do exist in southern france. we would pass them occasionally, and would always get out of the car just to gaze at them rocking in the wind. so comfortably and typically french. all ripening into what would eventually become sunflower oil for crisp vinaigrettes with the local wine vinegars. but of course what we were looking at were all north american natives. there isn’t a single indigenous european sunflower. they just found their way across the atlantic, loved the sun and the soil, and went a little bit native. we keep trying to find a way to follow suit.

wild sunflower in winter

swede hollow, saint paul, minnesota