Girasole – ‘to turn to the sun’, as sunflowers do, their petals like rays.
Faces to the hot light, gently following the sun as it tracks across the sky.
In Italy, sunflower season marks the change from the lush greens of spring to the vivid yellows of summer. The girasole said to be a reminder to seek light, embrace change, grow and blossom.
In Australia’s high summer and biting sun, I came across this beauty a couple of days ago in a park (with its lovely bee who kindly posed!) I’ve always loved these flowers. They pull me straight in. Not just with their deep yellow that seems to radiate happiness, but the way they can stand tall and bloom whether in the northern hemisphere or the southern. Adapting to various conditions in a pretty hardy way while keeping their eye on the sunshine. And I also love how florists in Italy recommend giving sunflowers to convey joy and good intentions as well as to show appreciation for nature and something bigger than ourselves. Che bella! 💛🌻☀️
Gorgeous Sunday among the sunflowers… and an inspiring torta girandola, pinwheel tart, that shows how the Italian word for sunflower, girasole, also relates to girandola, a pinwheel or Catherine firework wheel. Love how nature so often shines through in Italian food like this torta and also girandole di carnevale fritte, pinwheel sweets. I also love how sunflowers have circadian rhythms, which mean their faces follow the sun from sunrise to sunset every day. And apart from that they are such joyful flowers that seem to pulsate light and happiness! 💛🌻 
(The torta girandola has a filling of ricotta and spinach/ wild greens and the girandole di carnevale fritte are made to the same recipe as chiacchiere.)
Zoë Boccabella 