Planting sunflowers

Sunflowers are great fun for children to grow. Everyone in the family can plant a seed and have their own pot with their name on - you could even have a competition to see whose starts sprouting first!

To start, simply pop one seed in a pot with compost and cover it with clingfilm - this keeps the heat in until the leaves start to appear. Once they look big enough to handle (usually around June time), they can be transplanted to the sunniest patch in your garden. Sow them 1.5cm deep in the ground and water well - they should sprout soon enough and flower from July to September (you may need to stake them if they get too tall, this keeps them upright and protects them, especially when windy).

You could now have another competition to see whose sunflower grows the tallest!

Tip: try to watch out for slugs - they will want to eat your baby sunflowers - you could try sprinkling crushed egg shell around the stalks to keep them away.