Allotment Sunflower multi-headed in front of greenhouse 09-07-2012

They're great...

nice! do you save the seeds for the birds, or do they help themselves? no need to save them for replanting, if they do it themselves!

This was the first of the multi-headed Sunflowers to open. Now there are several more Sunflowers open but I don't know if they are multi-headed as the main flower is the biggest & opens first while the others are smaller & follow on, so from a distance when you see one open it's not easy to tell. There are no more open yet that I pass by closely while on the plots. They are scattered around, as they are self-sown & I've left them to grow where they don't bother me.

We do collect the seeds as Gerry saves them for his aviary birds to eat during the winter. As he had a lot left over this year he brought 1/2 bucket down to the allotment where I sowed a couple of beds with them.

There are always a few heads that escape our control, whether it be because they ripen earlier/later or are amongst a lot that is difficult to get at or whatever so some seeds always seem to end up in the soil to sprout the following year & become weeds! Albeit, lovely weeds! :-))