West Kittanning homeowner Harold Hooks planted sunflower seeds at the beginning of June, but did not expect one plant to grow more than 12 feet tall this summer.
by Jonathan Weaver
Move over ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ – there’s a new garden story that is growing in West Kittanning.
When Harold Hooks of 215 Harrison St. planted some sunflowers at the beginning of the summer, he never thought they would grow taller than he was.
“The seed was marked ‘miniature sunflower’ and I planted them and said ‘If that’s miniature, I’d hate to see what a large one is’, Hooks said.
The seeds grew a more-than 12 foot tall sunflower plant that Hooks never expected. Harold said he didn’t use any fertilizer in his garden – only soil – and has grown sunflowers in the past.
“Yes, but I’ve never had them grow that big,” Hooks said. “I hope it stops growing pretty soon – it just started to bloom.”
Hooks got the seeds from the wife of Leo Simchik of Kittanning as a gift, but his plants have exceeded his and her expectations.
“She said hers are only four-or-five feet of what they should be,” Hooks said
While Hooks plans to grow sunflowers next summer, he is planning on planting in a different location.
“Not in my wife’s flower garden. I’ve heard too much about it,” Hooks said. “I have a camp up in Jefferson County and I’ll plant them up there, take some up and see if they grow big again.”