Sunflowers Facing Dawn in Terraced Treme Garden

Misty diffused light spills over a wide panoramic expanse of terraced garden plots near Treme, New Orleans. Rows of tall sunflowers stand rigid, their heavy heads turned uniformly toward the rising sun. Early winter holds the landscape in a pale, dusty haze that hangs low above the soil, softening the edges of the broad green leaves. The earth beneath the stems appears dark and textured, marked by the shallow furrows of the terraced beds. Stems rise thick and fibrous, supporting large, brown-tinged seed heads that catch the soft morning glow. A thin layer of dry dust rests on the lower stalks, settling in the still air between the plants. at the edge is the slight tilt of a single seed head against the pale, misty sky.