The flower of the sun is a flower of great symbolism in the Basque Country. Many times we see it in the doors or windows of houses and houses, showing strength and protection. “Since the time of our ancestors, the flower of the sun is a flower of great magic. The flower of the sun protects us from darkness and from evil spirits” they explain on Maghu’s web. Marga Pesos Iñiguez and his partner in Elosu (Álava) started the project in 2016 with the illusion of growing in that support and in that magic.
At first, Pesos explained that they wanted a sunflower to be placed at the door of their house, but without altering the environment or invading nature. “The flower of the sun is protected because it risks losing it. That’s why it wasn’t in our mind to go to the mountain and catch it,” he says. Thinking that in a similar situation there would be more people, they finally decided that they would be in charge of growing solar flowers on the grounds of the house. This is how the Maghu project emerged from the seeds of the flower of the sun.
When they started collecting solar flowers, they started doing tests for various uses and discovered a new world. “We started with the root of the flower of the sun to make a cream that gives very good results to those who have dermatitis or skin problems, especially,” explains Pesos. Subsequently came body oils, soaps, lotions and also a 30º liquor with the root of the flower of the sun. All the products of the Maghu store are based on the flower of the sun.
They also sell sunflower seeds in Maghun. Pesos has explained that the process of planting the seed until the flower is collected is 19 months. “It’s a very nice process, it’s almost two years of waiting, care and pampering.” The project member believes that each person has his/her magical point, but for this he/she has stressed that patience, constancy and presence are essential.
The members of the Maghu are pioneers in the growth of solar flowers and have been learning little by little, as the flower itself has taught them. That's why they've underlined the message of empowerment: if you like, if you can. “Caring for and empowering what you love, those are the two messages we want to spread,” said the colleague.