Bobaul was the first sunflower to show its pretty yellow face in the Bull-Knox Sunflower Contest 2017. Bears followed, revealing a beautiful orangey red flower.

As gorgeous as they are, the early bloomers may have peaked too soon (putting their energy into displaying their flowers rather than reaching for the sky) to be able to catch the tallest competitors. However, they are both still in with a chance of winning the new award for 2017: The Indie Award for the prettiest flower.

With 10 days to go the tallest flower is hard to call with Em&Em, Shmelling, Pears and Gibbles all striving towards the sun.

Sad news for Steclaire who, although the plant still looks healthy, was found to be headless. The perpetrator of this horrific attack has not been found but a trail of slime was found on the upper leaves. I’m not sure if it’s scientifically possible but I’m rooting (sorry about the pun) for Steclaire to grow a new head and get back in the race.

The official judging takes place on 5th August 2017.

Indie, the chief sunflower slayer, has passed away. Indie has been a big fan of the sunflower contest since it began and can be seen below hopping past the first flowers as a baby in 2014.

The next year she realised how tasty the flowers were and, along with her sister Pongo, fought through all defences to devour the plants.

Indie gave the competition an element of danger and will be hugely missed. But don’t worry, Pongo is still waiting to pounce on any sunflowers should they get too heavy and fall from their current safety on the fence.

Despite the sadness, the contest goes on and Gibbles has reached above the rest.

Shmelling has enjoyed a growth spurt and is  now neck and neck in second place with previous leader Em&Em.  Pears, Gramps, Bears, Steclaire and Choltman are hot  on their heels. Although slightly shorter, Ricarah, Bobaul, Bull-Knox, Moomins and Amme are all looking strong and could make a late burst. Judging takes place on 5th August. Who will be the tallest?

An unidentified creature has been snacking on the sunflowers overnight. The worst affected flowers are Bears and Shmelling:

Meanwhile, Indie the sunflower slayer, has been hoping the pots will become too heavy and fall from the fence:

Em&Em and Gibbles are still the tallest with Pears and Gramps close behind. But will the night-time nibbler strike again?

The sunflowers in the Bull-Knox Sunflower Contest 2017 are loving this sunny-one-minute-raining-the-next weather. All the flowers are reaching for the sun and drinking in the rain but three have shot into the lead.

All plants are looking healthy and the pots have all managed to stay attached to the fence so far.  But will the pots fall when the flowers get bigger and heavier?  The bunnies hope so.

One flower that’s not in danger of falling  is Shmelling:

Come on little one. Reach for the sun!

The competitors in the Bull-Knox Sunflower Contest have moved from the safety of the Moomins’ greenhouse to the Bull-Knox garden fence.

To prevent the carnage of the 2015 contest, when all the sunflowers were eaten by bunnies, pots have been attached to the fence out of the rabbits’ reach.

Le Bowd’s plant, maybe deciding the competition was too risky, failed to show up. This opened up a spot on the fence for substitute number one, Bobaul.

The competitors (from left to right) are Pears, Gramps, Ricarah, Em&Em, Bears, Steclaire, Choltman, Bobaul, Bull-Knox, Moomins, Shmelling, Amme, and Gibbles.

Early leaders are Em&Em, Gibbles and Amme but all plants are looking healthy.

Substitute number two, Dojo, will return to the Moomins’ greenhouse and prepare itself to join the competition should another flower perish.

Resident cuties, Pongo and Indie, destroyers of the 2015 sunflowers, are fuming about the new tactic to keep the flowers out of their reach. Will they find a way to get themselves a sunflower flavoured snack?

After just a week in the shelter of Dad’s greenhouse, the competitors in the Bull-Knox Sunflower Contest 2017 have sprouted. Well, most of them. Le Bowd is yet to show itself and Steclaire is only just starting to peek out. Meanwhile, substitute number 1, Bobaul, is growing well and preparing to compete in place of a non-surviving starter.

After a year off, the Bull-Knox sunflower contest is back! And this time it’s bunny proof. We hope!

Demand for a seed in the 2017 contest has been higher than places available  so some people have teamed up to cheer on a seed together.

The competitors are Bull-Knox (me, Knoxie and Fozzy), Moomins (my mum and dad), Bears (Knoxie’s mum and dad), Gramps, Shmelling (Lemming and Carly), Choltman (Abi and Lauren), Em&Em (the two Emmas), Le Bowd, Gibbles, Amme, Steclaire (Steve and Claire), Ricarah (Richard and Sarah), and Pears (Kirsty, Helen, Mark and Kayleigh).

The seeds will be nurtured in Dad’s greenhouse until they are ready to take their place in the sun along the blue fence.

The aim of the game is to grow the tallest sunflower. Measuring will take place at Knoxie’s birthday barbecue in August. But the flowers have to survive first! And life won’t be easy. As well as the usual threat of snails, and stem rot, further danger awaits these sunflowers in the form of the Bull-Knox beasts.

Protective netting proved no match for the Bull-Knox resident bunnies, Pongo and Indie, in the 2015 sunflower contest. The rabbits breached the defenses, slayed the sunflowers and devoured them before they bloomed.

The competition didn’t take place in 2016 as we couldn’t think of a plan to keep the flowers safe. But genius o’clock has struck! This year the plan to safeguard the sunflowers is to keep them out of the rabbits’ reach. Instead of going in the ground, the flowers will go in pots attached several feet up the fence.

We’re hoping this new tactic works. Come on sunflowers. We’re rooting for you!