Countdown to Spring: Sunflowers

Sunflowers are striking--flowers with brilliant colors of sunlight in summer atop tall stems. New gardeners may not know that sunflowers are surprisingly versatile. Yes, some varieties grow as tall as 15 feet with bright yellow flowers, but there's more! Some grow only two to three feet tall, some branch out to include several flowers per stem, some are fuzzy (such as Honey Bear,) and colors range from yellow to gold to mahogany to wine-red. Here's a couple of tricks for planting.  Soak the seeds overnight.  Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the newly planted seeds to keep away the critters that like to eat the seeds.  If you live in an area with wildlife, once the seeds start to ripen, protect the flowers and the stems.  One year the stems were knocked over and the flowers half-eaten (we suspect raccoons).  For an impressive salad, add the edible flower petals.