Sunflowers and More!

Grow a Sunflower House 

Growing a sunflower house is an easy and exciting project you can enjoy with your children. Start by marking off a 6’ or 8’ square in a flat, sunny area of your yard where there is little or no grass. Dig a furrow around the edge, leaving an opening for a door. Be sure not to plant in your doorway.

Select a variety of seeds, alternate a mammoth variety with a smaller variety that grows about 4 feet tall. The tall ones impress kids by growing taller than they are, and they provide great shade. The shorter ones allow kids to look closely at the flowers. Some people like to get a head start and plant the seeds indoors, then transplant the seedlings. Personally, I have better luck planting straight into the ground, but either way works.

Plant sunflowers in two zigzag lines (staggered rows) all the way around, so that the walls will be thick.

Lightly water your newly planted seeds and check them every day to be sure the soil is moist.

You can also try a few corn plants in with the sunflowers. Choose the multi-colored Indian popcorn variety for fun. Here is a companion planting secret: The corn drives Carpophilus beetles from the sunflowers, and the sunflowers protect the corn from fall armyworms. For a sweet smelling treat, plant peppermint and spearmint around the inside edges as well. These plants are edible and don’t mind being trampled.

When the sunflower house begins to die, collect a couple of the flowers. Hang them upside down in brown paper bags to save the seeds. Roast some for the family, add some to your bird feeders, and save some for next year.

This is a summer-long project—it will take about two months for your house to grow. But when it’s finished, it will be a delight to play in (your house will be perfect for tea parties, stories and pirate forts) and it will be an accomplishment for the whole family. For more inspiration, read "Sunflower House" by Eve Bunting.