If you’re planning on growing sunflowers in your garden, you should heed this warning.
Sunflowers can be a great addition to any garden. Their large, brightly coloured flowers make any outdoor space shine, and bees and other pollinators love them.
As the name suggests, sunflowers love sunny spots. And when they’re growing, you’ll actually notice the head of the plant turn throughout the day to keep following the sun as it moves through the sky.
This motion means that it’s often difficult for gardeners to know where to position their sunflowers. But one key piece of information can help determine where your flowers should be planted.
Gardener Simon Akeroyd shared a video on TikTok in which he said that places in the Northern Hemisphere, such as the UK, should always plant their sunflowers on the west side of their garden for one important reason.
In his video, Simon explained that while sunflowers turn to face the sun as they grow, they “permanently face east” once they’ve finished growing. This means that if you plant them on the east side of your garden, they’ll be facing out toward your neighbours – and you won’t get to see the stunning flowers yourself.
The gardener shared: “Sunflowers track the sun during the day as they grow, following the sun from rising in the east to setting in the west each day. But once they’ve finished growing, their flowers will always face east to greet the morning sun all summer and attract early morning pollinators.
“So if you are planting sunflowers, don’t plant them on the east side of your garden, as it will be your neighbours over the fence enjoying the pretty flowers while you spend the summer looking at the back of the flower.
“Plant sunflowers on the west side of your garden. That way, the gorgeous flowers face into your garden and not your neighbour’s.”
Commenters on the post thanked Simon for his insights, with many saying they had no idea about the way sunflowers turn. Others offered advice on how to tackle the moving flower, suggesting planting them in pots so that you can easily turn them so that they face the way you want when they’re fully grown.
One person said: “I planted mine in pots so I can turn them the right way once they flower.”
Another added: “That’s so interesting. We commented last year about some beautiful sunflowers pointing away from a neighbour’s garden and how disappointing it must be to not see them. We enjoyed them, though!”
A third wrote: “My absolute bugbear. My neighbours enjoy my sunflowers much more than I do.”
How to grow sunflowers
If growing sunflowers from seeds, they should be sown into the ground before the end of May. However, planting an established plant bought from a garden centre can be done in May or June.
Sunflowers are relatively easy to grow, but it’s worth noting they are very tall flowers that can reach heights of two metres or more in just three months, so they’ll need space to grow.
According to Gardener’s World, you simply need a sunny spot and good soil to grow sunflowers. They should be watered frequently and fed weekly with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser. You may also need to stake taller varieties to stop them from becoming top-heavy and drooping.
After flowering, you can either deadhead the spent blooms or leave the flowerhead intact to allow birds to feast on the seeds. You can also harvest these seeds yourself to either use in cooking or sow them for the following year.
