Sunflowers will brighten up Wick as mum and daughter encourage others to join in
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SUNFLOWERS will be helping to add a splash of colour in Wick during the days and weeks to come thanks to the bright idea of a local mum and daughter.
Keen to find something to keep seven-year-old Mae occupied while stuck at home during the coronavirus restrictions, childminder Denise Whitelaw decided to see who could grow the tallest sunflower and set about making kits so other children could could join in.
"We are just trying to keep busy and we saw people were making rainbows so we thought we'd make up some sunflower kits and put them at the gate," Denise explained.
She said they had enjoyed taking part in the rock campaign in the town a couple of years ago and thought people would also like to join in with Wick sunflowers.
Denise said she had seen someone else doing these sunflowers as an activity and thought it would be a good thing to do locally, especially to see them all in bloom in the summer.
She pointed out that the free kits, which contain soil, seeds, a compostable pot and instructions, were made up while wearing gloves and aprons, keeping contamination to a minimum.
The box they are stored in is also sanitised regularly and can be found between 9am and 6pm outside the garden gate of the family home which is located at the top of Mowat Lane.
It has been quite boring for the kids and this is something that is not TV or computer-related. Mae is loving it.
Information on how to link to the newly set up private Wick sunflowers Facebook group is provided in the instructions. People with their own seeds are also welcome to join in.
So far they have made around 70 of the kits, with about 18 already picked up – and Mae, a P3 pupil at Noss Primary School, has been enjoying going out to check how things are going.
Her mum pointed out: "It has been quite boring for the kids and this is something that is not TV or computer-related. We were kept so busy on Sunday afternoon making up the kits. Mae is loving it.
"Once everything starts growing she will enjoy seeing the posts on Facebook. It is difficult when the kids cannot see each other."
Mae has a younger sister, Lily, who although only one year old has also been busy getting her own sunflower seeds put in soil.
It will be a while before the sunflowers are in full bloom and ready for measuring – germination will take from seven to 21 days and the young plants will not be able to go outside until after the last frosts, around the end of May.
When Noss primary did a similar project the tallest sunflowers reached about seven feet in height.
