For the Love of Sunflowers

One of my favorite things about late summer (besides lightning bugs and cooler nights), is the blooming sunflower. A few months ago, I professed my undying love for my hydrangeas and showed you how to make a quick and beautiful arrangement.

But now, my beloved hydrangeas are past their prime. Which is just as well because my sunflowers are in full bloom and ready for lots of cutting!

Photo: Penn State Ag Department

I think lots of people mistakenly assume that all sunflowers are ginormous and require tons of space to grow. Giant sunflowers (like the Mammoth variety) are fun to grow, but they definitely belong outside (or in the back of a magenta pick-up truck). Unless, of course, you have vases made of lead and huge rooms that can handle their comically large proportions.

There are lots of smaller sunflower varieties that are fantastic for cutting and making quick bouquets. You don’t need acres of land to grow them and you can get lots of flowers from one plant. Some varieties to look for are:

Autumn Beauty
Italian White
Lemon Queen
Red Sun
Teddy Bear (that the one in my pictures)

But don’t limit yourself to this list. Look at the seeds available in your store and find multi-branched varieties with smaller blooms. The multi-branched varieties will get you more flowers on each plant.

We usually plant our seeds a few weeks before Mother’s Day so we can use them as gifts and so they get a head start on the growing season.

That bouquet in the mason jar is going to a neighbor to say “Thanks for letting us crash in on your new swimming pool!”

What’s blooming in your garden now?