I noticed these in your other pictures and thought they were Teddies. I am a huge sunflower nut! I think I have about 35 varieties of seed and the birds volunteer white striped every year for me too. Such a sunny picture! The last ones I took were about 3 years ago......oh, maybe more than 3 years ago but that is not important. I have them on Photobucket in jugs I think. Took lots out to the cemetary with huge marigolds. Best sources for seed I have found are: :)

http://www.reneesgarden.com/

http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/index.html

I noticed them in your other post too and thought they were adorable in that bucket. Perfect in your cottage garden too.
I am kinda partial to Teddy Bears...because...that is my Papa's name and one of my given names too. "Annie" is a contraction of my names. Now your know.

I plant them every year and this year, too, but they didn't even germinate. Can I copy-cat your idea next year?

My potted plants did best this year since they got more water, and it is supposed to be the same/similar weather, if not worse, next year. (I hope that prediction is wrong.) :( Bummer.

Very cute! How did you keep the squirrels from eating the seeds? I have had no luck at all with sunflowers. As soon as the seeds go in the ground some varmint is digging them up.

-honalee, bet your sunflower area is impressive. Do you have any favorite varieties? Next year I want to try a whole bunch of other kinds too.

-Annie, that is pretty cool. Yeah, go ahead and copy ;-) I love doing potted plants too, especially annuals. Plus with pots of plants you can move them around the garden as needed when there is a bare area or not enough color in another.

-Susan, you should try it the way I did it this spring!! I direct sowed the sunflowers in the coal bucket and then put chicken wire over the top of it until they were several inches tall. I also did something similar with that 'Moulin Rouge' Sunflower. I sowed them in a milk jug (like winter sowing) after last frost date. Once they were a couple of inches I carefully transplanted into a large pot to let them get bigger (eight inches or so) before planting out in the garden. I've read they don't transpalnt well, but I was very careful with mine and always made sure they had enough root room in the containers, so it worked out fine.
CMK

CMK ~ Among my favorite SFs is Chocolate Cherry, Cinnamon Sun, Double Dandy, Peach Passion, Indian Blanket and The Joker. I just checked my SF list and I actually have 43 varieties.

I start them in the house or in a green house in peat pellets or peat pots so they will bloom earlier. They don't mind being transplanted as long as you don't disturb the roots and keep lots of soil or peat on the roots like a plug. I have started many in egg cartons, yogurt containers, little drink cups, ect. Very easy to grow and look awesome planted with large marigolds such as Crackerjack or Inca, and nastutium. Like a fall garden just glowing with color! I have also planted with broom corn and red millet. Lots of combinations that look great! Here's a few pics from a few years ago. :)

Those little sunflowers are absolutely squeezable. I have poor luck getting them to germinate for me, which crack me up as I always read about them being such a great flower for children, since they're so easy to grow ;) I'll have to try again next spring.!

-honalee, those are awesome!!! Thanks so much for sharing your incredible pics. Is that double mauvish one 'Double Dandy'? I want it, lol! Just looked up a couple others you mentioned and also want 'Indian Blanket' now too!
You have an impressive collection of sunflowers. Do you ever try saving the seed to see what the second year flowers look like? Or do you simply buy new seed every year?

-Ariel, that is too bad. Wonder if giving them a head start inside would help?
CMK

I can't remember all the names in the pics since there is such an array of them but the pinkish one is Ruby Eclipse. I think the whiteish one in the last pic is Italian White. I've never collected seeds as I leave them for the birds and I'm pretty sure many of them are F1s and probably sterile. Here is my list last updated in 09 to which I have since added a couple of new ones. Enjoy!

Sunflower

1. Aura Vesey�s
2. Autumn Beauty 6� Sunrise
3. Baby bear Vesey�s 09
4. Bicentenary 4-5� T&M
5. Big Smile 10-12" T&T
6. Bright Bandolier 5-7� Rene�s Garden
7. Cherry Rose 5� Dominion
8. Chocolate Cherry 5-7� Rene�s Garden
9. Cinnamon Sun 5-7� Rene�s Garden

10. Claret Hybrid 4-6� T&M
11. Dorado OSC 09
12. Double Dandy Vesey�s
13. Double Santa Fe Dominion Seed House 09
14. Double Shine F1 5� T&M
15. Drop Dead Red 4-6� Botanical Interests
16. Dwarf Yellow Spray 18 � 24" T&M
17. Earthwalker 9� Mr Fothergill�s
18. Fantasy F1 4-5� Johnson�s
19. Fantasy F1 4-5� Sunrise
20. Firecracker vesey�s 09
21. Florenza 4� T&T
22. Henry Wilde McKenzie
23. Incredible 18" McKenzie
24. Indian Blanket OSC
25. Indian blanket OSC 09
26. Italian White Mr. Fothergill�s
27. Jade 5� Dominion
28. Jerusalem Gold Vesey�s 09
29. Junior vesey�s 09
30. Lemon �clair Vesey�s
31. Lemon Queen 4-5� Sunrise
32. Lemon Sorbet OSC 09
33. Lemon Teddy 24" McFaydens 09
34. Moonshadow OSC 09
35. Moonwalker 8-12� Sunrise
36. Pacino Parkseed
37. Pacino 12" T&T
38. Pacino Cola 12" T&T
39. Pacino Lemon 12" T&T
40. Panache Vesey�s
41. Pastiche 4-5� T&M 2
42. Peach Passion Vesey�s
43. Razzmatazz 4-6� Vesey�s
44. Red Sun 4-5� DT Brown
45. Red Sun 4-5� Sunrise
46. Ring Of Fire 36" T&T
47. Ruby Eclipse 6� Vesey�s
48. Russian Giant 8-10� T&M
49. Solar Eclipse 5-6� T&M
50. Soraya Parkseed
51. Starburst Blaze F1 5� McKenzie
52. Summertime OSC 09
53. Sundance Kid Parkseed
54. Sunspot OSC 09
55. Tall sungold OSC 09
56. Tangerine 6� Sunrise
57. Teddy Bear 24" T&M
58. Terracotta OSC 09
59. The Joker Parkseed
60. Valentine 5� T&M
61. Velvet Queen 5� T&M

Hmmm. There may be more than 43! The numbers behind the names are the height in feet unless otherwise...

-honalee, WOW! I did enjoy that...maybe a little too much, LOL! I have just compiled a HUGE list of sunflowers I want for next year. Don't you feel ashamed for all that enabling??!!

Thanks so much for taking the time to post your list ;-)
CMK

My name is Ginny and I am a Plant Enabler. OK now I feel better! Lol! I take it you understood all that rubbish at the end of the name! Silly computer! Many of the seed suppliers are in the US. The names of which DO follow the names of the seeds........in all that rubbish. I have enabling to an art form in some areas.Glad you enjoyed it! :)