Crown of Flowers: A Celebration of Summer Blooms
Welcome to this week’s Crown of Flowers, where we celebrate the summer's most radiant blooms: Sunflowers, zinnias, shasta daisies, daylilies, rose spirea and fleabane. Each of these flowers adds vibrant colours and textures to our gardens, making them truly spectacular.
Monika Rekola photo
The assortment of these summer flowers not only add vibrant colours and textures to our gardens but also embody nature's intricate patterns, particularly the fascinating Fibonacci sequence.
A Gardener's Guide to Nature's Design
As I dig into the soil and observe the growth around me, I can’t help but marvel at how plant growth follows the Fibonacci sequence. This sequence, which is like a natural law of accumulation, reveals the hidden order behind the way plants develop. It’s as if every leaf, petal, and branch is choreographed by a universal rhythm that links sunflowers, whirlpools, galaxies, and even our own DNA.
What is the Fibonacci Sequence?
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, usually starting with 0 and 1. So, the sequence looks like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on. This sequence, named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, is more than just a numerical curiosity; it’s
.
In practical terms, it’s like a blueprint for plant growth.
Sunflowers are a perfect example of Fibonacci in action. The seeds of a sunflower head are arranged in spirals that correspond to Fibonacci numbers, typically in counts of 34 and 55 or 55 and 89. This pattern allows for the most efficient packing of seeds within the flower head or get the most contact with pollinators.
Monika Rekola photo
Sunflower Adventures
My recent venture to grow a field of sunflowers on the edge of my food forest has been an intriguing challenge. I aimed to attract and nourish the local bird population with black-oiled sunflower seeds. The seedlings I nurtured in the greenhouse were robust and ready to thrive outdoors.
However, I soon discovered that the newly established bed, where I scattered additional seeds, faced its own set of trials. Despite my best efforts, the seeds fell victim to the local bunnies, who had developed a taste for the fresh offerings at the forest edge. If you’re embarking on a similar project, I recommend constructing a sturdy “bunny fortress” or employing other protective measures to safeguard your sunflower seeds as they grow.
This diagram shows how the number of pairs of rabbits over time forms the Fibonacci sequence. If you start with one pair, you soon get two pairs, three, five, eight, 13 and so on. Each successive number is the sum of the two before it which predicts rabbit population growth and mirrors the spiralling increase of bunnies getting out of hand in your garden.
Flowers and Rainfall:
Flower petals often adhere to Fibonacci numbers, too. The arrangement helps the flower effectively channel rainfall towards its roots, providing the necessary hydration for growth.
Ferns:
As ferns unfurl, their fronds follow a Fibonacci sequence, giving them that signature spiral form.
Leaves and Sunlight:
One of the first places I observe Fibonacci is in the arrangement of leaves around a stem, a pattern known as phyllotaxis. Each new leaf appears at a certain angle from the previous one, ensuring that no leaf overshadows another. This precise arrangement maximizes the plant's ability to capture sunlight, an essential process for photosynthesis.
Monika Rekola photos
How to Use Fibonacci in Garden Design
To incorporate Fibonacci into your garden, start by observing the natural patterns in existing plants. Notice how leaves, branches, and flowers are arranged. Then, try to replicate these patterns in your planting schemes.
Spiral Plantings
One way to do this is through spiral plantings, which mimic the natural spiral seen in sunflower heads and pine cones. These spirals not only look stunning but also create a natural flow that guides visitors through the garden, making the space feel more inviting and harmonious. A garden can celebrate the beauty in the algorithms that underpin "all plants, growth and life.
Developing a gardener’s eye for Fibonacci not only deepens our appreciation of nature's intricate beauty but also guides us in creating gardens that are both stunning and efficient.
As I continue to tend my garden, I find myself in awe of the subtle nuances that Fibonacci reveals. Each leaf, each petal, each spiral is an example of the perfection of nature’s design, inviting us to look closer, understand deeper and garden more thoughtfully.
Monika Rekola is a certified landscape designer and horticulturist, passionate about gardening and sustainable living. As a budding homesteader and garden writer, she shares her love for recycling, repurposing and birdwatching. Monika is dedicated to ecological gardening, aiming to balance our delicate ecosystem. Contact her at [email protected].
