Sometimes in the cool months of spring I find a bit of sunshine and I turn my face into the golden glow to catch its warmth just like the blossoms of the sunflower do. The warm rays change my thoughts from gloomy to glorious. I’m glad to be filled with happy vibes. Warm summer is soon to be here where sunflowers thrive.

My introduction to sunflowers came in a small packet of seeds. The tiny kernels came encased in black-and-white striped shells that had been soaked in salt water.

Key West Master Gardener Robin Robinson was a columnist for the Chicago Daily News. Her books “Plants of Paradise” and award-winning “Roots Rocks and Rain: Native Trees of the Florida Keys” and the newest addition, “Sexy Shrubs in Sandy Soil,” can be found at the Garden Club. This column is part of a series developed by the Key West Garden Club. For information about plants, visit a compilation of previous columns at http://www.keywestgardenclub.com, Robin’s Columns.