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. 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

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.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 Sunflowers are heliotropic, which means that they turn their flowers to follow the movement of the Sun across the sky from east to west and then return at night to face the east, ready again for the morning sun. Heliotropism happens during the earlier stages before the flower grows heavy withseeds. 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. 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

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. Alternatively, you can cut the flower head early and hang the heads upside down until theseeds are dry; hang indoors or in a place that’s safe from birds andmice. 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. 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. Give plants plenty of room, especially for low-growing varieties that will branch out. Make rows about 30 inches apart. (For very small varieties, plant closertogether.)The standard pillowcase also features the reverse print. Complement the bed with the Sunflower embroidered cushion and a quilted cotton throw in the silver colouway. Strawberry Thief Bedding in Indigo Everyone is familiar with those huge sunflowers that grow on towering eight-foot-tall stalks. Butdid you know some varieties top off at a modest 15 inches? Sunflowers are a diversebunch!

If you’re saving seeds to replant, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until you are ready toplant. 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.

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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. 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 Sunflowers dislike having their roots disturbed, so we recommend direct sowing instead oftransplanting. There are many different types,from the familiartowering giants topped with a large sunny flower, to more compact plants with many smaller blooms. They can rangefrom a mere30cm (1ft) tall up to3m (10ft) or more. 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).