Summer means sunflowers at Samford Grove, thanks to the amazing gardening skills of long-time resident Ernie Clark.
Starting with seedlings planted before Christmas, these beautiful sunflowers added a burst of colour to the community, which soon had neighbours stopping by to visit and grab a photo.
While Ernie is typically modest about his efforts, there’s no denying he’s got a special talent in the garden, having also previously nurtured the lawn at his home to bowling green-like perfection.
“I’m 6 foot 1 (185cm) and when I stretch up I can reach an 8-foot ceiling so these sunflowers were at least that tall,” he said.
“You can see them all the way down the street and from the office and people have told me they brightened up their day. I will probably do it all again this year – I like looking them as well!”
Ernie has been a Samford Grove resident since 2010 so has witnessed the recent village expansion and development of a new luxury community centre.
“I’ve just adapted to the changes and am still meeting the new people coming in,” he said.
