Sunflowers are true sun worshippers, turning their heads to follow the sun as it moves across the sky. Synonymous with late-summer days, they light up patios, gardens and fields in August and September, and make wonderful, show-stopping cut flowers. As summer fades, so the flowers change in colour from brightest yellow to rich gold and bronze, before the petals fall and the seeds ripen

TYPES OF SUNFLOWER
From the pale-lemon shades of Helianthus 'Flore Pleno', to H. 'Velvet Queen', with its bronze, amber and red petals, sunflowers span a surprisingly wide spectrum of colour. The eye-catching H. 'Sunrich Orange', with its golden petals and brown velvety centre, can grow up to 1.5 m tall. There is also a variety of different shapes to add interest, including H. 'Teddy Bear' with a wonderfully fluffy double head, reaching a relatively short 60 cm. Other dwarf varieties, such as H. 'Soraya', have smaller blooms to suit their shorter stems and are perfect as cut flowers.

HOW TO GROW THEM
Sunflowers are easy to grow from seed. Either start them off in a cold frame early in the year and plant out the seedlings in early spring, or plant the seeds directly outdoors, 2.5 cm deep in well-drained sunny beds, in April. Experiment with a variety of seed to create a mass of colour for the late-summer garden and try planting dwarf varieties at the front of the bed, graduating towards the back with taller sunflowers. Mulch around the base of the plants to prevent the soil drying out. As they grow, support the stems with canes. The open flowers will attract bees and butterflies, and in the autumn, when the petals have fallen, the seeds can be harvested to provide next year's crop.

WHERE TO BUY
• Sunflower seeds are easily obtained from most good garden centres.
• Garsons Farm, Winterdown Road, West End, Esher, Surrey KT10 8LS, (01372) 464389, has a garden centre and a farm where you can pick your own sunflowers during August and September
• Three Counties Nursery, Marshwood, Bridport, Dorset DT6 5QJ, (01297) 678257, specialises in sunflower plants and seeds.

WORDS JACKY HOBBS
PHOTOGRAPHS MICHELLE GARRETT
AUGUST 2004