My Sunflower Deck

Sunflowers are such a nice summer time flower. They are bright, yellow and cheery. They remind me of being out in the country; wild and free. They are one of my favorite flowers. If you can't grow them in the ground you can certainly grow them in a big pot. That's what I did since I lived in an apartment with a deck. They are tough flowers and need lots sunshine but don't over water log the pot either. Just keep moist and you'll be set to go; even if you don't water for a little while as well they'll be fine. They do grow in dry areas quite well.

I bought a nice big green pot. Planted some seeds and watched it grow. I took several pictures as it sprouted up. I had to take some string and tie it up around the deck pole so it wouldn't fall over. It was absolutely beautiful. I remember once I planted some along a driveway by another apartment we lived in. They grew up like 9 foot or more high. One day when my son was outside playing when he was little; he decided it was time to cut them down. I come around the corner and almost had cried. My beloved sunflowers were laying in the driveway. Needless to say I didn't have sunflowers anymore and my little boy went to bed early that night.

In this lens I'll share how to plant sunflowers and tips from Yolana Vanveen video. I've included some fun facts about sunflowers. I'm excited to share my photo's of my sunflowers I took that I grew on my deck.

All photo's taken by CherylFay - That's ME!

What's really nice is that you don't need too many supplies to plant sunflowers; just a few.

Here's what you need:

1. Sunflower Seeds
2. Large Pot
3. Stakes

   *For when they get larger

4. String

   *For when they get larger

5. Flower Water Jug

How To Grow Sunflowers

First fill your pot with rich soil; either a big pot or several small peat pots.

When your growing sunflowers in a big pot; use one that is about 15 inches so the roots can sprawl out. Then make a hole about a inch deep and drop a seed maybe two in it. That way if one don't germinate and the other does you'll still be able to grow a sunflower. It will take about one-two weeks for a sprout to shoot up. Keep soil moist but don't over water. Sunflowers are best started in the Spring after the first frost.

You can also start sunflower seedlings in small peat pots. It depends on how many you want to plant. Drop a 1-2 seeds in one inch hole. When the sprouts spring up then replant into a larger pot or in the ground. Either way is works out great. I've done both and had much success.

As the sunflower grows and gets taller use a stake and string to stabilize the sunflower so it doesn't tip over.

Yolanda gives easy tips for growing sunflowers. They are fun and easy to plant!

Here are few different kinds of sunflowers you can plant for you pleasure!

• Birds are attracted to Sunflowers.
• The tallest sunflower was 25 feet 5 1/2 inch tall. It was grown in the Netherlands by M. Heijmf in 1986
• A single sunflower can have up to 2,000 seeds. That's amazing!
• Helianthus-Helia and Anthus is the scientic name for sunflowers. Helia means sun and Anthus means flower.
• There are 1,000 to 2,000 individual ray flowers in the outer edge of a sunflower head and joined by one base.
• Farmers who growing other crops consider a Sunflower to be a weed.
• Tournesol is what the French call their sunflowers. It means 'turn with the sun
• The state flower for Kansas is a Sunflower
• Black and stripe are the two kinds of sunflowers seeds. Kinda reminds me Zebra colors.
• Heliotropism is the name for the movement of a how a sunflower's head track's the movement of the sun. When at sunrise it faces towards the east. Then later in the day it move from east to west. At night it will return to an eastward way. The reason this happens is that motor cells in a sunflower is flexible just below the bud. When the bud stage ends the stem will stiffen and then the blooming stage is reached. Rather neat how the Sunflower works!

However you plant; both of these types are nice. Starter peat pots are very handy getting your plants going. Planting a bigger pot is very and roomy for what you plant it in. It will look nice on your deck.