The fast-growing, luminous yellow blooms of sunflowers are enjoyed for their panoramic beauty and are the source for a tasty treat! Helianthus annus; Sunflowers are both a splendid flower and a magnificent snack producer! Growing sunflowers in your home garden is an experience that gives immense pleasure to everyone. Children are often tempted to grow their own big blooms of sunflower to compete with their friends. [...]
I love starting seeds. It’s a lot cheaper than buying transplants, and there’s nothing better to us gardeners than watching something grow from a tiny speck into a full mature plant. I’ve always considered it the “second” or intermediate stage of gardening. If you’re a new gardener, chances are, you’re starting with plants and flower bulbs, because they’re so [...]
Some varieties of vegetable and flower seeds can be started outdoors. Preparation is an important factor in successful outdoor seed starting. The seed starting site should be in a suitable condition; the soil should be free of weeds, large stones and debris and be broken down as finely as possible to a fine tilth. This can be achieved by forking over the top few inches of soil, then raking it to as crumbly a texture as possible. [...]