Planting a Sunflower Garden

It has been quite a while since I was able to work in the garden, but this weekend I am looking forward to planting sunflowers. It won't matter whether the sun is shining or there is torrential rain, I will be planting a variety of sunflowers to fill a 4 foot by 6 foot area located just outside the kitchen.

We have started two varieties of sunflowers already in peat pots. Peat pots are a great way to start seeds ahead of time. I simply fill them with a good soil and the seed of choice keeping it moist until planting time. I will plant the whole pot which quickly decomposes. This enables the plant to continue growing without the shock of having its roots disturbed.

The Mammoth Sunflower seeds will grow to be 8 - 10 feet tall and these will be at the back of the garden. Mammoth's are gorgeous and very much the typical sunflower people think of when they think of a sunflower. These are about a month old right now and doing well. I plan on staking them with bamboo to provide them with extra support. The wind will knock them over during storms otherwise.

The Velvet Queen seedlings will go in front of the mammoths. These will grow to be 4 to 6 feet tall and are burgundy in color. I am really looking forward to cutting a few of these to go on the kitchen table. These are about 2 weeks old now and are leafing out nicely.

The Big Smile seeds will be direct seeded in the garden. They are very fast to mature and grow to be between 1 and 2 feet tall. These will be planted in front of the Velvet Queen. I can't wait to see how these work out.

Sunflowers definitely bring a little happiness into our lives as well as the birds and squirrels that reside on our property. And planting a garden full with them will bring a smile to my face and warm my heart after a very stressful week at work.