This is the first year that I’ve been successful at growing giant sunflowers. I’m fairly certain the chickens sabotaged my prior attempts by eating the seed.

In early summer I planted a row of Burpee’s Mammoth sunflower seeds right in front of the old compost bin that we plan to move. I put a few stakes in the ground and wrapped wire around them to keep out the chickens and give them a fighting chance.

The result is a stand of beautiful giant flowers finally coming into bloom.

As showy as the yellow blooms are, the flower on the cusp of opening is possibly more beautiful. It’s all in the patterns.

They are spectacular – so big that you can practically climb them.

This picture helps put their size into perspective. The seed packet says 9-12 feet tall. Paul swears that ours are 12-14 feet high. The power of chicken poo at work?