🌻 Planting Late Sunflowers🌻
Aw, why not?
No telling what will happen if I don’t try! So I’m planting late sunflowers! Technically, I planted them July 31, but I’m going to sow some more if I can today–August 1. And I did it!
I did a quick reel on Instagram about late sunflowers! 🌻 Check that out here! 🌻
I’m dreaming of flowers in October. Inspired by Tim Janis, my adoration of the humble sunflower, my love of a challenge, and my natural curiosity, I am poking seeds into the ground, even as the Autumn approaches.
Why should we be done with sunflowers in the most glorious time of the year?
I’m sincerely hoping that when we have gorgeous Fall leaves on the trees, we will have warm, sunny late sunflowers to brighten our property right up to the first frost!
This website told me that I should be able to plant late sunflowers even into the first couple weeks of August in Zone 7a, and I’m going to test that out!
AdI am choosing to experiment with my favorites–the Giant Double Sun King! But why not also try some Autumn Beauty as well–appropriate for Autumn, don’t you think?
So the Double Sun King and the Autumn Beauty, plus the Evening Sun are what I’m poking into the ground today. We’ve had abundant rain, and I hope that works in my favor. 
I’ve grown these three sunflowers before, and even have some out there growing now. But they bloom and die back, so the season is short. I’ve got some little organza type covers over some of my flowers now, so I can catch more seeds for next year! See my post on seed saving here.
Saving Seeds for Sustainability
These seeds are all from Baker Creek. Baker Creek
You can also get the seeds at Amazon The Double Sun King, the Autumn Beauty, and the Evening Sun Sunflower (large packet).
There are so many beautiful colors of sunflowers! Try them all!
I love sunflowers, but don’t limit yourself! Plant whatever flowers you can think of to brighten up your Autumn days!
Flowers in October
Several years ago, my mom gave Greg a cd for his birthday, called Flowers in October, by Tim Janis. We enjoy it very much. It’s instrumental, beautiful, and soothing music.
Randomly, I thought of that CD yesterday, causing me to think about what flowers I’d like to see in October. Mums are the most common flowers in October, and they are show-stoppers! But so are the sunflowers. I just wanted to prolong my season of bloom! My late sunflowers could be a flop—we can get early freezes, and the temperatures aren’t always by the book in our zone.
At the worst, I’ll have wasted two packs of seeds, plus some saved seeds. I plan to save seeds from my flowers in bloom now, so that shouldn’t be a huge deal. If all goes well we will enjoy late sunflowers right up until frost!
With us, nothing ever quite goes according to the ideal, so I’m hoping realistically that we will at lease get some blooms! In life you win some and lose some, and that’s just how it goes!
I’m hoping to inspire you to try something new. Think outside the July garden box, and get creative. Maybe this year, see if you can do something new and try your hand at some flowers in October!
Be sure to check back to see if these things grow!
Laurie
See also 🌻 Planting My Sunflower Patch!
🌻
Happy Fourth and Sunflower Patch Update
🌫🌻Sabbath Sunflowers in the Mist 🌻 🌫
I hope they do well. I haven’t planted any sunflowers for a while, and I miss them. You have inspired me. 🙂
Well they are so cheerful that it’s always worth it to plant trek.
I love sunflowers! I can not wait to find out if it works.
I usually don’t think of planting anything from seed later in the year, but I know there’s so much that we can plant! it makes sense to go with it if you have that climate. I love sunflowers!