Sunflower challenge to grow love of gardening

AGARDENING group has challenged people around the bay to see who can grow the tallest sunflower.

Babbacombe Bay Bloomers are organising this charity challenge to raise funds to buy feature plants for the area near the Chilcott Corner’s junction with the bypass and summer bedding plants for the precinct’s planters, to keep the area looking “bloomin’ lovely!”

Sunflower kits, containing everything to get started including growing instructions and priced at £2 each, will be available to buy from shops in the St Marychurch precinct and also from Action Print in Plainmore, from April 2 and throughout the Easter holidays. The titan seeds included in the kit can see a sunflower grow to two metres in height.

And for people who don’t have a garden, sunflowers grow well in pots in a sunny spot on a balcony or by an outside door.

The Bloomers want to get children to join in the fun and nurture a love of plants and flowers and have created a children’s version of the sunflower kits, which will be available from Lily’s Sweet Shop in Foxlands Walk, also costing £2 each.

The children’s challenge is to grow a sunflower to a height of 60 centimetres, mirroring the 60th anniversary of Britain in Bloom. Now is the time to plant sunflowers seeds as they flower in late August.

The St Marychurch Yarn Fairies have also joined in the fun and will be dressing the precinct’s many bollards with sunflower sleeves.

The closing date for emailing your sunflower’s measurements, along with photograph of you standing by your plant is September 1. Members of The Rotary Club of Torbay Sunrise will judge the entries.

And keep an eye out for the Bloomers’ pop-up sunflower stall outside the St Marychurch Co-op.

For more information and sunflower competition updates visit Babbacombe Bay Bloomers on Facebook or email BBBsunflowers@gmail.com

6 Members of the Babbacombe Bay Bloomers with their sunflower starter kits