Why You Should Always Plant Sunflowers in Your Garden

Big, bright and luminous, sunflowers are the “good giants” of decorative and vegetable gardens. And you should always plant them. Not just because they are beautiful, they grow fast and they are very easy to care for… There are many other reasons, and I would like to show them to you…

So, why am I saying that you must always plant sunflowers in your garden?

Reason 1 – Sunflowers Are Strong and They Grow Fast

Sow a single sunflower in your garden and it soon grows taller and faster than all other plants! It’s incredible how big they become in a matter of weeks, literally!

So, sunflowers are a good choice to give your garden a vertical accent, and to fill in empty spots. What’s more, you can plant them even late in the season; while they do best if you sow them (in situ) in April and May, they will fare well also if you seed them in June…

Reason 2 – Sunflowers Attract Bees to Your Garden

Because they are tall and big, sunflowers can be spotted from a distance. And that’s not just for us humans, but for little bees as well!

And, as you know, bees and bumblebees especially are great pollinators. And some crops, like zucchini and squash, really depend on them to fruit, as they have male and female flowers (technically, they are called “monoecious”).

So, if you plant sunflowers in your garden, you will get better crops!

Reason 3 – Sunflowers Are a Catch Crop

“What’s a catch crop?” you may ask… Well, they are plants you grow to distract pests from others. Sunflowers are strong and they produce lots of nectar, so, little noxious insects will focus on them, especially aphids, and they will leave your weaker vegetables and decorative varieties alone!

Reason 4 – Sunflowers Attract Birds

Once they seed, sunflowers also attract lots of little chirping birds, and this will give your garden that extra dimension, and your summer days extra joy!

Reason 5 – Sunflowers Attract Many Beneficial Insects

Sunflowers don’t only attract bees, but many other beneficial insects as well, like beetles and ladybirds. So, grow these massive annuals to keep the ecosystem of your garden healthy and thriving with life!

Reason 6 – Sunflowers Give You a Guaranteed Crop

Sunflower seeds are extremely nutritious (though hard to peel), with Vitamin E (great for the skin), B6, folate, iron and magnesium… And you will certainly get a good crop, because they are very reliable plants and very easy to grow, and forgiving too if you neglect them a bit…

You could make sunflower oil if you want, but that can be time consuming; however, just adding the seeds to your diet will do wonders for your health.

Reason 7 – You Can Save Some Sunflower Seeds for Next Year

Once you have grown a sunflower one year, you can collect some seeds and you will have them ready for the next. This way, you won’t need to buy them, unless, of course, you want to add a different variety…

Reason 8 – Children Love Sunflowers

Because they are massive and they have a very bright and positive energy, sunflowers are a favorite with children. And because they are so easy to grow from seed, and they are strong and you soon see the results, they are an excellent annual to teach your kids to garden!

Reason 9 – Sunflowers Give You Lots of Organic Matter for Your Compost Heap

Think about how much body mass, or organic matter you get from a single sunflower seed! These amazing plants really produce so much in such a short time, and, come the end of the season, you will have loads of “green” (nitrogen) to add to your compost heap.

Reason 10 – Sunflowers make Excellent Dry Flowers!

Finally, you may not know this, but sunflowers are great dry flowers, big and strong, and they can keep you company indoors for a long time after you have cut them!

10 Good Reasons to Grow Sunflowers in Your Garden

So, now you have 10 very good reasons to grow sunflowers in your garden – what are you waiting for? Get a fewseeds and havefun!