There are few plants more impressive than a sunflower. Some varieties grow from seed to twelve feet in a single growing season. They can grow as much as a foot a day. When plants are grouped or massed, the flower display is wonderful. The botanical name for sunflower is Helianthus annuus. As one might guess by the name, the plant is an annual. It grows, flowers and dies in one growing season. Helianthus is a Native American plant that was first adapted for commercial use in Russia. Sunflower seeds are squeezed to extract oil for cooking. They are roasted for human consumption and dried for outdoor bird feeding. Cut flowers
are sold by florists. They are easy to grow at home.

The first thing to do is pick a variety to grow. Each year, more and more varieties are added to the commercial seed market. They are tall, medium and short. Flowers range from yellow to red to burgundy. There are also single-stemmed and multiple stemmed varieties. You can choose by size, color, number of stems, or type of seed. Sunflowers come in two seed varieties, black and grey-striped. Black seeds are smaller with thinner shells more easily cracked by outdoor birds. Black seeds are also higher in oil content than the grey-striped. Grey-striped seeds are larger and meatier with a harder, thicker shell. This kind is good for roasting and use in baking.

Once you have chosen the type of sunflower you want to grow, pick a planting site that gets full sun all day long. The tall plants are likely to get leggy and fall over under the weight of the large flower head if they are shaded. If the site is very windy, you may need to add some type of support for the future plants, such as a wooden stake or low trellis to which plants can be tied. Put in any support at planting time, not later, to avoid root damage. While sunflowers are heat and drought tolerant, their sturdy, upright stalks will grow taller with regular watering. Plan how you will get water to the planting site.

Sunflowers are not picky about soil. If you are planning on growing a giant sunflower plant, the kind seen entered in county fair competitions, you will need to add organic matter to the soil. Compost and rotted manure are good choices. Seeds can be sown directly into the garden about a week before the last expected frost of the winter. Plant the seeds about 1 inch deep. If you intend to grow multiple plants, plant them two or three feet apart to get the biggest heads. If seeds are what you want, this is the way to go. If you are more interested in a floral display, plant them a foot apart. Sunflowers take about a hundred days to grow. If you live in a climate with a short growing season, you may start seeds indoors in peat pots, newspaper pots, or some other pot that can be set into the garden whole without disturbing the plant’s root system. Water and keep soil moist until sprouts appear. You may need to cover the soil with wire mesh or plastic berry baskets to keep birds from taking the seed before it sprouts. Water regularly and keep weeds at bay until plants are a foot tall, then mulch to conserve moisture.

When your plants bloom in mid-summer, they will attract bees and other beneficial insects that love the pollen and nectar. If you want to cut flowers for use in a vase of water, do so. If not picked, flower petals shrivel up and seeds form. If you want to harvest seeds, wait until the florets in the center have dried up, and then cover the flower heads with paper bags to keep the birds from feasting. When the seeds have formed and changed from white to grey-striped or black, cut off the seed head leaving about 2 feet of stem on it and hang in a dry place to dry. Rub the seeds out of the head and use as you want.

You will enjoy growing these beauties, but be careful handling and rubbing against the plant leaves because some people get a rash from contact. If you plan to grow shorter plants under the sunflowers, note that sunflowers give off a chemical that inhibits the growth of other plants. Whether you grow sunflowers for their flowers or their seeds, you will get a lot of joy for very little work.

Even if you have several water butts that provide you with most of your water needs in the garden (and you should!), you’ll still find that a source of running water in the garden is necessary on occasion. How else are you going to fill that gorgeous water feature you’ll be installing this spring? Our guide below will help you get tapped out.

Time to complete the job: 1 hour

Step 1: Run the mains outside

If you’re comfortable with more complex plumbing tasks, you can do this yourself. You’ll need to drill a hole through the side of your house big enough to draw a pipe connected to your mains water through to the outside.

If you have any doubts, it’s best to get a plumber in to do this for you.

Step 2: Mark and drill

If your house is made of brick, stick a few pieces of masking tape to the wall where you want the tap to go.

Hold the tap base against the tape and mark the screw placement with a pencil. Drill into the brick work using the hammer drill.

Step 3: Hang the tap base

Press wall plugs into the holes then gently tap them home with the hammer.

Screw the base to the wall. It needs to be secure so kids and husbands can use a bit of force on it without wrenching it from the wall.

Tip: If you use a 7mm drill bit, use brown wall plugs. For a 6mm drill bit, use red.

Step 4: Attach the hose

Slide a jubilee hose clip loosely over the hosepipe protruding from the wall. Press the nozzle into the open end of the hose. Make sure you have a washer in the nozzle, as this will provide the seal. Connect the nozzle to the tap base. Tighten the connection with a spanner.

Slide the jubilee clip into place on the hose and tighten the grub screw.

Tip: When tightening connections on any plumbing work, don’t force them tight. Make the connection firm and tighten it just another pinch.

Step 5: Assemble the tap

Wrap PTFE tape around the thread that connects the tap to its base. This will give you a leak-free seal. Wind the tap on to the base – firmly but not too tight.

Water those hydrangeas!

source: uktv