Growing Sunflowers from Birdseed

I had not planned on growing sunflowers from birdseed but when I saw that seedlings grew from fallen seeds I was excited. All of the seedlings needed to be transplanted because they were growing too close. I did transplant all seedlings into a sunny garden bed. 

Sunflowers grow best in a sunny location and in soil that is well-drained. I found that the sunflowers are not particular about the type of soil as flowers have grown in rocky dirt as well as rich organic soil. The sunflower is a strong plant and as long as you give it what it wants, sun, water, and protection from wildlife; birds, squirrels, and deer then the sunflower will grow well.

How to grow sunflowers

Since I was planting birdseed I was not aware of the type of sunflower. The birdseed could produce a large flower or medium size so to be safe I did separate the seedling by planting them 2 feet apart.

I dug a trench that was two inches deep then added the seedlings 2 feet apart. Back-filled the trench and firm the soil around the seedling stem.

The seedlings were watered twice a day, morning and mid-afternoon so that the soil never dried out. Once the sunflower was established (20 days) I watered it once daily as this plant is drought resistant.

To help retain moisture I added cypress mulch around the sunflower stems.

The sunflower is a hardy and fast-growing flower on average the plant matured and developed seeds in approximately 80 days.

The birdseed produced flowers that were medium size but I did grow a few rather large sunflowers that were three feet tall. The taller flowers did need to be staked because the stems would break easily during a rainstorm or on a windy day.

Throughout the summer I would add new seedlings that grew from the birdseed as a new row planting and by doing this I had continuous sunflower blooms until the frost in the fall.

Enjoy this end-of-summer blooms as cut flowers for a centerpiece or harvest to enjoy the tasty seeds.

Pest Control

The sunflower is a magnet for birds, squirrels, and deer. The deer enjoy eating the entire plant but really like the flower blooms. Squirrels and birds love the seeds.

To keep the deer away from sunflowers I installed a 6-foot chicken wire fence around my sunflowers. To keep the birds and squirrels away I kept the bird feeders filled with their favorite seeds. Of course, there were always a few birds that preferred fresh seeds from the flower.

Here are some products I created from photographs, watercolor illustrations, and graphic designs of sunflowers.

Gardening on First Warm Day in Winter

This winter has been long, and cold and there has been more snow this year than in previous years. Being unable to putter in the garden has been hard on me. Normally our winters are mild and my husband and I can work in the yard and gardens throughout the winter months.  So you can imagine how excited I was when I learned that tomorrow would be the first warm day in winter.

The alarm went off at 5 AM and I started to get ready for the first warm day in winter. I was out of the house at 7 AM but found it was still too cold 36 degrees. This afternoon the high will be 55 degrees and that is perfect weather for getting garden beds ready for early spring planting.

I intend on concentrating on cleaning up the gardens. There were branches that fell from the trees during the last ice storm. The debris (branches and leaves) will be removed from the gardens, then any wild grass will be dug out.  I will add a layer of compost to feed the perennials that are planted in the garden beds before moving on to my next garden project. 

The warm weather will last only two days then snow is in the forecast. So I am enjoying the winter warm weather while I can.

If you reside in a cold climate and love to garden, why not plant seeds indoors. You can plant annual, and perennial flowers and vegetables in the grow kits. Then transfer the seedlings outdoors in the spring.

Here are a few photographs of my gardens.

Christmas Cactus After Holiday Care

If you love indoor plants that have beautiful flowers and are easy to grow, then a Christmas cactus may be the perfect plant for you.

I received a Christmas cactus that was covered with buds but had no blooms. So I fertilized it with Miracle-gro bloom booster every two weeks and in no time I had beautiful pink blooms. The flowers only lasted one day but I had many buds to enjoy during the Christmas holiday.

Unlike other cactus, the Christmas cactus will thrive in cooler temperature. An ideal temperature would be 68 degrees. So a cooler room with moderate light is best for your Christmas cactus. Do not put your cactus in direct light and a southern exposure would be too hot and would burn the leaves. I prefer to set my cactus off to the side so that the light is moderate and not direct.

Know that over watering your cactus will kill it. Evenly moist soil is not good for your Christmas cactus. I would recommend that you let your cactus soil dry. before watering. Allow the water to drain out of the pot. Do not allow the water to collect in the saucer. Instead of watering your plant daily you should lightly mist the leaves of your plant daily to maintain a level of humidity around your cactus plant.

After Christmas caring for you cactus is easy as long as you keep the plant in a cool room away from a draft or a heat source, provide it with moderate light and do not over water then your plant should thrive and live a long life of 20 to 30 years.

If you have cats or dogs you do not need to worry about the Cactus plant. According to the ASPCA poisonous plant database the Christmas cactus is not toxic or poisonous to cats or dogs.

Learn how to force your Christmas cactus to re-bloom by viewing this video.

Grow Bee Balm Flowers for Late Summer Blooms

The Bee Balm flower a native perennial in North America is commonly called horsemint, Monarda, and wild bergamot. This plant is in the mint family and has a unique white, pink, purple or red flower that blooms in mid to late summer.

The entire bee balm plant is very fragrant, the leaves, stems, and flowers have a mint/oregano aroma. So if you enjoy fragrant flowers then I would recommend that you grow bee balm close to your outdoor living space.

I have red and purple bee balm growing close to my garden path and flagstone patio. Butterflies and hummingbirds find the bee balm to be attractive and we enjoy watching the wildlife.

Here are some photographs of bee balm

 flowers that grow in the garden.

The bee balm in this photo has powdery mildew 

due to excessive rain in June.

Bee balm growing wild in a field

My bee balm flowers bloom at the end of June and continue to bloom through August provided I deadhead all spent blooms. In late summer I will not deadhead because the seed heads provide a source of food for the sparrows and finches during the fall to the winter season.

Bee Balm Growing Tips

1. Grow from seed, cuttings, and root divisions.
2. Plant in spring or in late summer / early fall
3. Choose a planting area that has ample area for this plant to grow and spread. Grow plants 20 inches apart in loamy soil that is slightly acidic. Soil should be moist but well-drained.
4. Plant in full sun, however, this plant will tolerate part sun in the late afternoon as long as it has six hours of direct sun daily.
5. Grow bee balm in an area that has good air circulation. Avoid planting next to a wall or a wooden fence as these structures will prevent proper airflow and powdery mildew will form on leaves and stems. Excessive watering will also cause powdery mildew.
6. Water plants to prevent soil from drying out.
7. The bee balm is hardy in the USA growing zone 3.4.5,6,7,8,9

Care and Maintenance

1. Fertilize in the spring and weekly with a bloom booster flower food. I use Miracle-Gro a water-soluble weekly throughout the blooming season.
2. Apply a layer of mulch around the stem to help to retain moisture and to prevent weed growth.
3. Water plants to prevent soil from drying out. Soil that is moist but well-drained is best.
4. After a hard frost cut back the flower stems to 2 inches above the soil. (or leave seed heads throughout winter for the birds.
5. In spring when plants start to grow check your plants for overcrowding. Divide and transplant when needed or every two years.
6. If not maintained in your garden this plant can become invasive.

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Removing Weeds From Flower Garden

Today I worked in the yard and garden by pulling the crabgrass and chickweed from the backyard irises I had weeded the bed in the fall but suspect that the leaves that had fallen onto the garden over the winter caused the weeds to grow in the spring.  

Due to the rainy weather, the weeds grew thickly and my husband would like to use a chemical on the crabgrass and chickweed but I do not recommend using a chemical weed killer or a natural weed killer like Vinegar, salt, and dawn dish soap in the yard or the gardens. It is best to keep those products away from your flower beds. Even if they have a safety cap to spray only the weed, the liquid seeps into the soil and can kill your flowers from the roots.

Know that at first I was overwhelmed because our flower garden is quite large. But made up my mind to remove the weeds by hand-pulling them.

The best way to hand-pull weeds is to do the following. For weeds with a shallow root, you can hold the plant by the stem that is closest to the soil and pulls up the weed gently.  Then for the crabgrass with the deep roots and the trailing grasses, you will need to use more care in removing it. The best way is to loosen the soil around the crabgrass. Then with a small hoe or hand-held shovel, you will dig the grass out a little to loosen it then grasp the stem close to the soil and pull out. Try to get the roots because crabgrass will grow back

It took me three and a half hours to complete the backyard irises. Then my husband and I stood at the front of the garden and admired the clean weed-free appearance.