Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Sunflowers are heavy feeders, so the soil needs to be nutrient-rich with organic matter or composted (aged) manure. Or, work in a slow-release granular fertilizer 8 inches deep into yoursoil. These are the most popular type of sunflower – being annualsthey last just one year, but are very easy to grow from seed each spring (see Propagating, below).
Giant sunflowers that will reachover 2.4m (8ft) tall are best planted next to the house, so they can be attached to the wall for support. Bamboo canes won’t usually be long or strong enough to support them SunrichGold’: An excellent flower for bouquets and arrangements, thissunflower grows to be about 5 feet tall and produces a single4- to 6-inch flower. The big, no-mess, pollenless flowers have rich, golden-yellow rays and green-yellow centers. This variety is wonderful forarrangements. Sunflowers make long-lasting cut flowerstoo.The smaller-flowered types, with their abundant blooms over many months,are particularly popular with flower arrangers. The more unusual colours, including chocolate brown, cream and dark red, are particularly sought-after. How to choose sunflowers Indoor sowing generally gives more reliable results, as conditions are reliably warm and the seeds won’t get eaten by mice and squirrels before they can germinate. The seedlings are protected from slugsand snails until they are large and robust enough to be planted outside.Strawberry Thief is one of William Morris's most popular designs, inspired by thrushes stealing strawberries from the kitchen garden of his countryside home. This elegant design, re-coloured in a striking brown makes for a stunning addition to any bedroom. Retaining the intricate detail of the original, Strawberry Thief's duvet is available in four sizes: single, double, king and super king. Jerusalem artichokes are also a type of perennial helianthus ( Helianthus tuberosus), and although grown for their edible tubers, they do also produce small sunny flowers on tall stems in late summer. Starting sunflowers off indoors gives the plants a head start, which is important if you want to grow really tall ones. However, you need space on a sunny windowsill or in a greenhouse for a month or more, until you can plant them out in early summer. I stagger my rows and as they grow, you may find that some flowers are not as strong and keeping up. I usually end up removing about 25% of the young flowers and will either try to transplant them or grind them up and use as fertilizer for the remaining sunflowers. I believe that this helps the healthy sunflowers thrive more. On average, I usually get sunflowers 6-8 feet tall with the occasional 10+ footers. The tallest one I ever had came in at 12 feet-2 inches.
Plant sunflowers in a spot sheltered from strong winds, perhaps along a fence or building. Larger varieties may become top-heavy, and a strong wind can bedevastating. If you are going to harvest the seeds for roasting, you can cover the flowers with a light fabric (such as cheesecloth) and a rubber band to protect the heads from thebirds. To browse photos and descriptions of Helianthus, go to RHS Find a Plant. You can also search by height, flower colourand more,to help narrow down your choices. If you do find or harvest some, I suggest digging small holes about 2-3 inches deep and about 6-9 inches apart, dropping seeds in there. To remove the seeds, rub your hand over the seeded area and pull them off the plant or you can use a fork.Another way to remove them is to rub the head of the sunflower across an old washboard or something similar. Just grip the head and rub it across the board as if you were washingclothes.
Layer the bed with a co-ordinating quilted throw or the Woodford Plaid wool blanket. A linen mix cushion embroidered with delicate motifs of flowers and fruit within a scrolling trellis is a beautiful addition to the bed. Strawberry Thief Bedding in Brown William Morris (1834-1896), artist, philosopher and political theorist, was one of the most outstanding and influential designers of the Arts & Crafts movement and through his company, Morris & Co. he produced some of the most fashionable and exciting textiles and wallpapers of his era. His legacy continues today with Morris & Co. producing authentic versions of his original designs alongside new interpretations to create up to date fabrics, wallpapers and furnishings with a timeless appeal.
The range incudes a jacquard duvet cover and oxford pillowcase woven in a fine 300 thread count cotton, reversing to a coordinating plain 200 thread count percale. The range is accessorised with an embroidered cushion featuring the iconic Strawberry Thief design and a chalk coloured quilted cotton throw. Pure Sunflower Bedding In Silver and Chalk As their name suggests, sunflowers love a sunny spot.To fuel their vigorous growth, they also like rich soil with plenty of added organic matter, such as garden compost. Dig this into the whole planting area, rather than just into the planting hole, especially when planting long-lived perennial types, to encourage their roots to spread out. Annual sunflowers
In This Section
Some species, such as Helianthus pauciflorusand H. salicifolius, prefer dry soil, while H.× laetiflorus and H. multiflorus thrive in moist or damp soiland like growing near water Autumn Beauty’:One of the most spectacular cultivars, the ‘Autumn Beauty’ has many 6-inch flowers in shades of yellow, bronze, and mahogany on branching stems up to 7 feettall. It’s best to sow sunflower seeds directly into the garden (or outdoor containers) after the danger of spring frost has passed, anytime after soils have warmed to at least50°F(10°C). When growingfor cut flowers, you may prefer to plant them in a separate cut-flower bed or on a veg plot
The flowers vary in size too, from huge dinner plates to small teacups, and not just traditional yellow, butvariousshades of cream, red, orange and brown too. Sunflowers should be planted 1 to 1½inches deep andabout 6 inches apart after the soil has thoroughly warmed. If you wish, you can plant multiple seeds and thin them to the strongest contenders when the plants are six inchestall. There are tons of varieties of sunflowers available today, so there’s bound to be one that fits your garden. Choose between those with branching stemsor single stems,those that produce ample pollen for pollinators or are pollen-free (best for bouquets), those that stay small or tower above the rest of the garden, or those that produce edible seeds! Learn why you should start growing these happy flowers in yourgarden. Medium to tall sunflowers are best planted in a sheltered location, out of strong winds, to keep them upright. Even then, theyshould be supported with sturdy caneas they tend to become top-heavy so are very easily toppled A light application of fertilizer mixed in at planting time will encourage strong root growth to protect them from blowing over in thewind.
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Sunflowers
Most of us are familiar with the traditional tall sunflower withits large yellow daisy-like bloom, but there’s far more to sunflowers than that. They come in various forms, both short-lived annuals and longer-lived clump-forming perennials.
Great Deal 
New Comment