How are you and your sunflower?
You probably won’t see a flower yet, but you might have a bud. Sunflowers will grow to their optimum height before they blossom. However, we’re going to share with you what to expect in the coming weeks. When your sunflower blooms, it will last approximately 20 days. Admiring your blooms is very rewarding, however if your sunflowers have an accident like Sharon's did last year, you could craft something like a wreath.
What can I do with my sunflowers?
Make a sunflower wreath
You can use your sunflower heads to create a stunning wreath. Sharon L created this wreath for their door last year when the wind brought down their tallest sunflower.
Here’s how they did it:
What you will need:
- A wreath frame (see if you can recycle one)
- Sunflowers
- String or ribbon
Method
The sunflower stem broke so I wanted to do something different and I love making my own wreaths (I’m not a professional.) I had a wreath frame from earlier in the year, probably a Christmas one as I recycle them. The wreath are ones like the above photo, but you probably could find one from many places. To attach the flowers to the frame, I just pushed the stem through the frame and tied it down at the back to secure it. I use garden twine and string just to tie the stems of the sunflower to the wreath at the back. Whatever you have to hand. I used my Christmas wreath holder to hang on my door.
Gift your sunflowers as a bouquet
You can brighten someone's day by giving them a homegrown sunflower. Sunflowers have many different meanings all across the world, and they universally represent positivity. You need to cut the sunflower stem about 30 cm from the head at a diagonal angle and pop in some water.
If you're leaving your sunflowers planted, bees and butterflies will visit it to feed on the nectar and spread pollen. Last week, we shared some popular species to look out for. Have you spotted any yet? Last year, white-tailed and buff-tailed bumblebees were popular visitors as well as small tortoiseshell butterflies!
If you want your wildlife photo featured in our gallery, send us a photo via email to [email protected].
Next week, Danny and Fran will be back to show you what to do with the sunflower at the end of its life in autumn.
Get more gardening tips in shows like Garden Rescue and The Instant Gardener. Catch up or watch live on the Together TV streaming service >>
Check out the Sunflower grower Gallery | Go to the My Sunflower Challenge Homepage
