I always buy the Burpee Mammoth sunflower seeds, they do great here. I have to grow them inside then transplant because the squirrels and birds and other critters eat them. I have had sunflowers come up where the birdseed fell on the ground, but I wouldn't buy birdseed to grow sunflowers with. I can tell you this,though...right after Hurricane Katrina there were thousands of sunflowers coming up all over my property and all around town. They came from everyones bird seed that got blown away. There was also marijuana growing all over the place,too!! Yes, the drug dealers homes got destroyed,also,lol.....and you could see it growing in ditches and at stop signs. There was an article in the newspaper that if you saw some,to call officials.

Your garden sounds delightful! My neighbor feeds the birds on a regular basis. The sunflowers that have resulted are about 3'4 feet tall and have blossoms that are about 4-5 inches across. They are cheerful but not as pretty as the ones you buy in envelopes. All sunnies do seed freely and the birdies help to spread them too so be aware that you may have sunflowers for years to come.

Good luck!

~~Mimi

Oh that we could all be so lucky as to have sunflowers for years to come.

Love them, love them. I have had volunteers from bird seed, also. Some have gotten nice sized while others remained on the small side. All were beautiful.

Ms. Faith

Thanks a bunch for your quick responses. I loved the story about thousands of sunflowers popping up on your property Kudzukween !! I am like mssunflower I love them. Mimi, I wish you could see my veggie garden. I love to be in the gardens and have been dreaming of a round veggie garden for some time. I have put a picnic table in the middle. Will grow tomatoes and vining plant around the perimiter and fill the rest with wedge shaped beds of peppers, greens, onions etc. and will mulch all the walkways with grass clippings like I do my flower beds. I think at the smallest end of the wedge or pie shape, which will be pointing into the picnic table I will put bright yellow marigolds. I wanted to put sunflowers at each tee post and on both sides of the archway. What do ya think? I can't wait until its all established. I'm rambling :) thanks again. I will go tomorrow and get my seeds. I need to quit being such a tight wad!!! Ellen

Ellen,

Please take pictures and share when you get this garden done. Might even try taking an overhead with the help of a tall ladder but don't fall off. I just love the idea of a sunflower vegie garden. Wonder if we could do that with flowers to color in the various parts of the sunflower. Oh, you have got me going on this one.lol

Ms. Faith

I plant the black oil sunflower seeds (bird seed) all the time. The birds love them the best. I always leave them stand in the garden and they feed on them all fall and into the winter.

Arlene

I have also had volunteers come up! Plant a combination, of bird seed and others.
Your round garden sounds wonderful.

Well....I finaly got my round garden all planted! It is sooooo neat! I ended up with nine 2ft paths coming into the center and a 3ft side walk all the way around the circle. Between the circle path and the garden fence is 2ft of garden, planted with tomatoes, cucumbers, corn and birdhouse gourds. I scooped all the topsoil out of the paths and put into the beds, then mulched all the hills and beds with grass cuttings. Planted red salvia along the main path to the picnic table in the middle and yellow marigolds all around the circle that the table sets in. Good thing I rasied the beds as we have got a ton of rain today and the paths are standing in water,would have washed all the seed down to the river. Just got it all planted yesterday evening, with DH's help. Oh, also have about 200 glass insulators, brown, clear, blue and green, and am in the process of putting homemade wire hangers on them and hanging them all around the top of the garden fence. They look really pretty in the sun. A homemade scarecrow and an old wheelbarrow filled with gourds stand in welcome at the left of the archway entrance. Thanks for all your input to the sunflower seed question. I went and purchased the Burpee Mammoth seeds:). We have a two story house Ms. Faith and my sewing room upstairs overlooks the garden so I can hang out the window and get a birdseye view to take a pic if I don't fall out on my head. I'm so tickled with my round garden that I can't hardly stand myself. Also can't hardly move today. Getting to old for this stuff:) Happy Gardening
Ellen

Oh, Ms. Ellen, I can hardly wait to see pics of your round garden. LOL on the upstairs window and not falling out on your head. I probably would fall on mine. I will be looking forward to seeing it when you post pics.

Ms. Faith

That sounds like such a neat garden--how fun! Can't wait to see pics of it too. Luvs

Okay Gals...:) I had my daughter take pics and email them to me. Now...I have to figure out how to post it. I have been able to put them in photo Bucket. As soon as I can figure out how to reduce it and post it I will. Maybe this weekend. I love it, I love it, I love it. My sunflowers as well as my veggies are popping up and everything seems really happy !!! Will try and get this picture posting thing figured out soon. Ellen