Sunflower (plant)

Sunflowers or to know them by their Latin name, Helianthus annus, are a welcome addition to many gardens. They can be a focal point grown along a wall or fence, where their bright yellow, large-headed flowers draw your eye upwards. They are a hardy annual plant.

They are planted from large seeds from March to May where they are going to flower, or alternatively, as I have done, planted them in individual small 5 inch pots of compost and started them off indoors on the window sill. They need to be planted about 1/2 inch deep.

They need to be kept moist but not too wet or the seed will rot. When they are about 6 inches tall they can be planted out into the garden. They prefer a well-drained soil in a sunny position.

They flower from August to October when the large heads can be dried out and the seeds fed to the birds. Or you can just leave them where they are and the birds will continue to eat the seeds throughout the Winter. In exposed areas they will need staking because they can grow to over eight feet and the wind can easily blow them over. As I have found to my cost! It is a sad sight to see your lovely sunflowers drooping in your garden when you have been nuturing them for a long time!

There are different varities of sunflower. These include:-
'Tall Yellow' - grows up to 8 feet or more tall and produces enormous yellow flowers.
'Sunburst' - grows up to 4 feet tall and has medium-sized flowers ranging from bronze to primrose to maroon.
'Dwarf Sungold' and 'Teddy Bear' - grows up to 2 feet tall and have double golden-yellow flowers on compact plants.

Children love growing them because they are easy to care for and they love the large yellow heads.I have grown them many times with children and they love having a competition to see who can grow the tallest one!

The plants are economical to grow, as like the marigold plant, seeds can be dried and re-used for next years planting. A good thing in my book!

It's not too late to grow some for this year, so have a go! Buy the seeds from a garden centre or you may be able to get plants which have already been started. Don't forget to stake them when they grow to about 4 - 5 tall.

You can tell that I love gardening- I would do it all day if I could!

Happy Planting!