Beautiful Sunflowers sunny and sensational to you

A pollenless sunflower is an ideal cut flower.

Another type of sunflower is perfect for producing seeds. Watch for birds visiting and you will know the seeds are almost ready.

Sunflower seeds are large and easy to plant. Prepare soil to 8 inches deep; add nutrients such as compost or general-purpose fertilizer. Plant seed when soil is warm; seed should germinate in 5-10 days.

The sunflower, botanically called Helianthus, has been found in many North American archaeological sites going back to as wearly as 3,000 B.C., making it a true native plant.

Helianthus comes from the Greek works Helios for sun and Anthos for flower. There are 67 species, some with subvarities.

A sunflower's beauty needs close inspection. The head features two types of flowers -- the ray flowers and disk flowers in yellows and reds.The ray or petal flowers are broad-based and ring the outer edge of the flower head. They grab the attention of insects, luring them to the disk flowers in the center. The disk flowers are tubular in shape and require pollen from another sunflower plant to be fertilized. Insects cross-pollinate the disk flowers, which then develop into seeds.

You can choose sunflowers from two categories -- sunflowers for decorative flowers or ones for edible seeds. Mammoth is a well-known variety for producing prize-winning seed heads.

For small-space gardens, choose some of the dwarf varieties, including Floristan, Prado Red, Sonja, Valentine and Big Smile.

Pollen-free sunflowers introduced in 1988 do not produce seed. Many are single stem, nonbranching types good for cut flowers. Pollen-free varieties include Moonbright.

Sunflowers grow in almost any soil and are pestered by few problems. They dislike standing water, thrive in hot weather and tolerate droughts.

Of course, they demand lots of direct sun to nurture their sunny personalities.