AH! Sun-Flower

A H ! S U N - F L O W E R

Ah, Sun-flower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun,
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller's journey is done:

Where the Youth pined away with desire,

And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow
Arise from the their graves, and aspire
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.

~By WILLIAM BLAKE~

While making my way through Aldi yesterday, I happened upon a shelving unit filled with these beautiful little sunflower plants.  I thought they would make a nice addition to the landscape.  I let them sit here on the front porch overnight to give myself time to think of where I would like to transplant them.  I didn't want them lost in some corner where I couldn't enjoy them.  And I didn't want them just "plopped" in the ground for the sake of getting them planted.  Finally I had it.  Plant them in the wildflower bed.

They are a little lost at present since the wildflower bed took off like crazy this year.  But give them a few days and they will begin their majestic reach to the sky.

This area gets plenty of direct sunlight most all day which is essential for sunflowers.  They need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.  Feed often and water regularly.  Sunflowers are heavy feeders and will deplete the soil quickly, so I use the Miracle-Gro LiquaFeed all-purpose feeding system at least weekly in the beginning.  I also worked some organic humus and manure into the soil when I planted them.

Sunflowers do not generally need to be staked unless you live in a particularly windy area.  Keep watch of the weather forecast and delay watering if heavy winds are expected to keep them from toppling over especially as they grow taller and more top-heavy.