Cheer Up Your Garden With Hearty Sunflowers

"A few years ago Ford Motor Company was interested in getting wildlife certification on its world headquarters property," says landscaper Terry Burt. The sunflowers bring color to some vacant lots in an industrial part of southeast Michigan and provide food for the birds during the winter.

The sunflowers are planted in late July, so the seeds are ready to eat by the first frost. They provide an ongoing food source for migrating birds. "We've been very successful. If you come through here on a late winter afternoon, the fields are loaded with birds. We have spotted different bird species never seen in this area before—all because of the sunflowers," says Burt.

Burt has tried several different cultivars, including 'Autumn Beauty' which has multiple petite flowers on one stalk. The variety of colorful flowers also accomplished another mission with sweet results. "A few years ago we installed some honeybees and hives. We didn't have very good production with them, but once we started planting sunflowers, they started producing quite a bit of honey—almost overwhelming. Now we've put them at three other locations."

By planting sunflowers, the company has cut down on mowing, fertilizing and weed control costs. Beyond that, it has given workers a daily boost.

• Find an area that gets full sun. Don't worry about the soil because these flowers aren't too picky. Just till up the soil or loosen it so that the sunflower seeds can easily germinate.

• When planting, start by making a shallow furrow. The ideal depth for most sunflower seeds is about one and a half inches deep. Depending on the cultivar, space them about two feet apart. When the seeds are in place, cover them with soil. Water well, and allow about 14 days for the seeds to germinate. Sunflowers actually take about three months to come into full bloom. Some selections may take a couple of weeks longer.

• To keep deer and other critters from snacking on the flowers, install a mesh deer fence around the garden.

• Sunflowers make excellent cutflowers. Try to harvest them in the morning. Cut 12-inch stems at a 45-degree angle. Then remove all the foliage, and put the stems in water right away.

• If it's the sunflower seeds you're after, don't harvest the flowers. You want them to die back on the plant. As the flower dies back, the seeds actually start forming. They're ready to harvest when the backside of the head turns brown.