Nothing clears away winter blues quite so much as a bunch of sunflowers.
If you’re dreaming of fields of gold, why not create one in your own garden?
Plant seeds from August onwards.
Plant them on a north-facing wall as their blooms follow the sun across the sky each day, so they don’t turn their backs to you.
Plant seeds into the ground about 5mm deep, and keep them well-watered until they bloom.
When their flowers are spent, keep the heads in a plastic bag so when they dry out, you can keep the seeds for next year.
Dwarfs
Dwarf sunflowers grow to about one metre in height.
Seeds are sold under the names ‘dwarf sensation’ or ‘dwarf sunsation’.
Single-flowered blooms have compact, golden petals and a yellow eye.
The ‘dwarf eos’ variety has a more classic look, with a black eye.
They will flower quickly after planting, taking only 12-16 weeks after being sown.
Giants
Giant varieties include ‘giant sunflower single’, ‘American giant’, or ‘giant Russian’, and generally have flowers that span 50cm across.
These impressive blooms will need ample hand-watering as they grow.
You may want to choose a spot near a fence or lattice, as they can tend to out-grow their stems and topple over from the weight of their own ‘heads’.
Bronze
There are many sunflowers in crimson shades.
Varieties include ‘Prado red’, with its dark velvety petals; ‘golden prominence’ with its ring of ruby around a black eye; ‘royal velvet’ with its almond-shaped petals, and ‘bronze shades’, which includes a range of orange and crimson colours.
Classic
For that classic Van Gogh look, you can’t go past more original shapes and shades.
‘Van Gogh’, ‘sunflower teddybear’ and ‘yellow empress’ will all bring a slice of the provinces into your home garden.
