Colorful sunflowers brighten gardens for all ages

By Ted Schaaf
Gardens on Spring Creek

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Research suggests that sunflowers were one of the first crops to be grown in America. Sunflower seeds were ground up and mixed with wheat to make a type of bread similar to the pita bread of today.

Today, sunflowers are a cash crop. Colorado currently has over 200,000 acres under cultivation, making our state the fourth largest sunflower producer in the country.

As gardeners, we have found the sunflower to be one of our best summer bloomers. They are able to withstand the heat and drought far better than many of our other annual flowers.

At the Gardens on Spring Creek, children are always fascinated by the large sunflower variety, Mammoth. These plants often reach over 8 feet tall and produce sunflower seeds on a large dinner-plate-size disk. We have these flowers planted in the Children's Garden; they form a tipi where kids can play hide-and-seek.

Vanilla Ice is one of the favorite sunflower varieties that I've grown. This 5-foot plant produces clusters of creamy yellow flowers with chocolate eyes. Pro Cut sunflowers are hybrid sunflowers that are pollen-free and have dark eyes. They are the same flowers used by commercial growers for cut flowers. They usually reach about 4 feet in height and come in a variety of colors.

One of the best sunflowers for engaging children is a dwarf variety called Teddy Bear. Teddy Bear is a full double flower that resembles a mum. It grows only 16 inches tall. Our experience here at the gardens has shown it to produce more flowers and last longer than other dwarf sunflowers.

For containers or pots, try the variety Choco Sun. This very dwarf flower is less than 12 inches tall with a dark cocoa-colored eye. We'll be highlighting this sunflower in our greenhouse here at the gardens.

Sunflowers are one of the jewels of the plant world that survive well on neglect. They perform well in very lean soils; in fact, fertilizing these plants will often result in larger plants at the expense of flowers. The same is true when it comes to moisture: less is best. Is it any wonder that the rough sunflowers we find growing along our roadsides perform well with only natural rainfall?

The downside of growing sunflowers is that they do look rather rough when they come to the end of their lives. Several years ago, near the end of the season, the gardens staff removed our sunflowers from the ground and wove them into the chain link fence that provided food for our fine feathered friends throughout the winter.

Sunflowers, in the bud stage, will track the progression of the sun. Once they have formed their disks, however, they remain stationary, usually pointing toward the east. It is thought that this is their way of protecting the seeds from the scorching sun.

You may want to cover the flower heads with cheesecloth to protect the seeds from being eaten by wildlife. When sunflowers are thoroughly ripe, the back of the head will be brown and dry with no trace of green left. Cut the head with a foot of the stem attached. Hang it in a dry, well-ventilated place. A screened-in porch works very well for this. Do not pile the heads on top of each other, as the seeds may rot and become moldy. Once the drying process is complete, use a stiff brush to brush the seeds out of the flower heads.

To roast, place a single layer of dehulled seeds in a shallow pan. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake the seeds for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the seeds from the oven when they are brown and crisp. Some people like to add 1 teaspoon of melted butter for each cup of roasted seeds before eating, stirring to coat. Place seeds on a paper towel and salt to taste.

Happy gardening