This week the tallest of my sunflowers has finally opened all its petals to reveal a perfect pollination center which is currently crowded with bees of all kinds. The variety which I sowed back in April is called Giant Russian and I believe that it produces some of the biggest and tallest garden sunflowers.

My tallest sunflower is approx. 2.7 metres high – about 9ft and grows next to a wall which means that it is sheltered from the wind. I have seen bigger ones on some allotments and also bigger flower heads at a local country show. If I had had the time to feed my sunflowers more regularly then they certainly would have grown bigger. But with all the flower beds, fruits and greenhouse to look after, it’s not easy to keep an eye on everything.

I have also grown a lovely multi-headed variety with red/brown flower heads. In fact in my potato plot I have found that some of these red coloured sunflowers from last year had self seeded itself all over the area. So I have had to dig carefully around the sunflowers in order to harvest my potatoes.

Since some of my sunflowers are dotted along the garden path, I have been able to enjoy watching the insects that gorge themselves on the nectar as I go past. If like me you feel that flowers are a very important part of the ecosystem you can participate in a survey related bees and get involved in the great sunflower project.

A wide range of wild garden birds eat ripe sunflower seeds such as Gold finches and I am looking forward to watching them in the months to come.