It really feels like we've turned a corner by changing the clocks to British Summertime. Lighter evenings and spring and summer to come plus the tree blossom and plants really starting to sprout is a real lift for everyone and especially the keen gardener. So with more light and sunshine to come, my thoughts turned to sunflowers! One of the biggest and brightest flowers in the garden; they're fast growing, bold and fun and a huge benefit to our garden bees, birds and other garden wildlife.
Sunflowers and Tortoiseshell butterfly: Kevin Sawford (rspb-images.com)
Rich in nectar with huge faces, they attract bees and a wide variety of pollinators. If you plant several a row or group, you are literally providing a pollinator cafe where the insects can easily hover from one flower the the next close by to feed. When the flowers have faded after 8 - 12 weeks, the sunflower seeds form in autumn and are a feast for the garden birds.
Growing sunflowers is easy, and is a fun activity to do with the children. If you can sew them in indoors in pots any time from now to mid April, they will get a head start before you plant them out and will hopefully be less susceptible to slug damage. There are many colours and varieties of seeds to try and they can be planted in pots or trays or you can make your own eco-friendly paper seed pots that you can plant straight into the soil in May when your seedlings have got going. Sew each seed in peat free compost, keep well watered and plant out in the garden approximately 45/50cm apart in a sunny spot and you should have stunning, big sunny blooms attracting insects in 2-4 months.
The weather is predicted to be gloriously sunny over the next few days, perhaps it's the perfect time to try sewing some sunflowers!
The Flatford Wildlife Garden is currently closed but scheduled to re-open on Monday 12thApril 2021 everyday 10.30am-4pm. Find more on the Flatford Wildlife Garden Website.