Nothing beats the simple beauty of tall sunflowers. With a little feeding and nurturing, it is easy to grow plants to 4m (12ft) or more! 

Loved by children and adults alike, the plants are quick growing and in autumn the attractive seed heads are great for providing wild birds with a treat. 

If you want your plants to germinate quickly you can put down a horticultural fleece over the soil a few weeks earlier than you sow. Remove to sow and then replace for a couple more weeks while your seeds germinate. This helps retain the heat in the soil, and doubles up as protection from hungry seed-eating birds.