What you need:

• Sunflower     Seeds - assorted.
• Name     Tags.
• Compost.
• Seed     Trays.
• Garden     Gloves.
• Spade.
• Hand     Spade.

If you're going to do seedlings first you can sow the sunflower seeds into your seed trays following our Sowing Seed Tray post instructions.

But this time of year when the last frost has past you can sow sunflower seeds straight into the prepared flower beds with reasonable success with germinating.

Pick a spot in your garden that gets plenty of sunlight for most of the day . Sunflowers love sun. An added tip would be to pick a spot that faces East. As we found that most of our sunflower heads faced this way. If you want to enjoy your sunflowers, it is nice if they face your way.

Start by marking off your circle using a centered stake and a piece of string.

Dig your furrow about a spade width following your circle shape. And then till your soil. We added manure, compost and seaweed extract to our bed. And simply worked this into the topsoil with a fork.

Now comes the fun part. Sowing your seeds into your furrow. or planting your seedlings from your seed trays.

Once they start growing taller, we supported them with bamboo stakes. Were placed these with wooden stakes when they got to about a meter in height. It just helps them weather winds and storms a bit better. And gives a lovely shape to your sunflower circle.

All that's left to do is wait for them to grow and start making blooms. It takes patience. But by late summer you will be rewarded by a unique hide-out den. It is worth the wait.

There is nothing quite like watching a lazy sunset with a cup of coffee from the vantage point of your own Sunflower Circle. it's the stuff of life!