36: Flower of your choice, and its magical properties.
My favourite flower has always been the sunflower. It is the warmth of summer and the calm of lazy days all wrapped up in soft golden petals and a friendly open face.
It is said that the sunflower has the power to banish depression and bring good luck. That sounds about right to me. Sunflowers always make me smile, even when I am feeling blue. More info on the magical properties of sunflowers can be found at About.com and at FeriTradition.com
Practically, sunflowers are great for creating a layered effect in your garden. There are varieties that grow up past six feet and some that grow to only be 18 inches. They also come in multiple colours, though, the golden ones are always my favourites. I have heard that sunflowers can also be used to create a golden-yellow dye. I may have to give this a try next year. I would love to be able to capture that summer yellow in home dyed wool.
Sunflower seeds are tasty roasted, and can be pressed into a cooking oil. Keep in mind, however, that corvids are also big fans of sunflower seeds. I remember growing sunflowers with my mom when I was a kid. We never managed to get any seeds before the crows had eaten them all. Cheeky buggers. 😉
*This post is a part of the Witchy Wednesdays/44 Weeks of Witchery Blog Project.
A Less Travelled Path 
I manage to get a few sunflowers a year to sprout and grow…I admit, I never bother seeking the seeds since I do enjoy watching the crows and the squirrels racing against each other to devour them!