Karen Wils photo A sunflower smiles from the garden.

ESCANABA — A sunflower’s smile is hard to resist.

The sunflower season is a time of warm colors and contentment. There is a sense of completeness when sunflowers bloom.

A natural cycle is almost done. Goodness springs forth.

Sunflowers are very popular right now. One reason is that they are the national flower of Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion of the Ukraine in February of 2022, sunflowers have been worn in support of the Ukrainian people.

Even First Lady Jill Biden has been wearing a white face mask with a pretty yellow sunflower embroidered on it these days.

The news had pictures of the Russian embassy building in London surrounded by sunflowers.

Sunflowers of peace are what the plant now symbolizes.

In 1996, Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. defense ministers planted a field of sunflowers at the Pervomaysk missile base to mark Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons.

Certainly something to smile about.

It is interesting to note that the sunflower, or “Helianthus,” is a plant native to North America, but commercialization of the plant took place in Russia.

Native Americans in the Deep South domesticated the plant first. They used the seeds as food and also ground them to be used like flour for cakes, mush and bread. The oil from the seeds was used in cooking paint making and ointments.

Sunflower seeds found their way to Russia, and by the early 19th Century, Russian farmers were growing over 2 million acres of them.

They developed the two main types of sunflower plants, the one for human consumption and the one for oil production.

Today there are dozens of varieties of sunflowers. Some are ornamentals for in the flower garden. They come in a wide range of colors from yellow, orange, red, rusty brown and golden. Some types stay little and some are mammoth giant plants that tower overhead.

Sunflower oil has become more popular as a healthy alternative to animal fats or corn oil in recent years.

Sunflowers are like the grand finale of the spectacular summer flower show. In a blaze of glory the sunflowers bloom and ripen as summer draws to its end.

On the edge of the garden, beyond the red tomatoes and the stalks of sweet corn, a few yellow heads bob in the August air. The tall sunflowers stand there like country folks enjoying the lush view.

It is fun to visit sunflower farms and get lost in the brilliance and have our photos taken with this famous flower. Artist Vincent Van Gogh recognized the natural beauty of the sunflower when he painted his masterpiece of sunflowers in a vase.

The crickets sing at night and the bees buzz during the day in sunflower season. If you spot a sunflower smiling at you… smile right back. Let peace and contentment fill your days.

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Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.