6th August 2026

Showing my age here, but this rather impressive Sunflower did remind me of 'Weed' from Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men (BBC Watch with Mother 1952-54 and repeated often). The lookalike was in the cover crop at Crixhall Court. The use of cover crops and pollinator strips in a nature-friendly farming regime is designed to increase insect life and with it, predators. This will decrease dependency on pesticides to control pest species. Quex Park near Birchington is now producing pesticide free vegetables by using these methods https://www.quexveg.co.uk/about-us. Quex Farms are one of the farms managing the Goodnestone Estate land and Crixhall Court is part of this.

Sunflower