Let the sunshine in
This bronze sunflower is a majestic addition, says Ruth
IT is hard not to smile when you see a sunflower because they are so undimmably cheerful! Their large heads usually tower over the rest of the garden, echoing the rays of their larger solar namesake above.
This week’s free seeds are for a burnished variety called ‘Evening Sun’. It produces flowers in shades ranging from mahogany to golden orange, and grow to 6ft (180cm) so are ideal for the back and centre of borders and beds.
The large seeds are easy to sow and they can be started either undercover or where you want your plants to grow.
I did both, starting some in modules filled with a mix of seed and John Innes
No2 compost. This means I can grow them in their modules and plant them straight into the soil when large enough.
The seeds sown in soil went at the back of a bed, leaving plenty of space for shorter plants to grow in front of them.
■ Sunflowers are great for pollinators, and birds will eat their ripened seeds and drop some for ground-living animals too.