I am making my kids a sunflower house in the back rt corner or our yard. I can't wait. Anyone ever read the books my Sharon LoveJoy? I adore her! If you get inspiration from me, at all, half of my good ideas come from her. Check her out at the library. :)

Val

I read a book called Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots!! Is that by Lovejoy? Anyway, I want to try a sunflower house FOR SURE!

I've always wanted to do a sunflower house. Not doing that this year.

Yes... I have Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots and then Sunflower houses. They are both by her. Isn't she wonderful? I have never found a better children's garden author. :heart:

Val

We grew one last summer. I used the mammoth sunflower seeds and they were HUGE!!!! The "house" was over 10 feet tall. The morning glories grew well up the stalks and filled in. I didn't do the twine/fishing string roof though. I found that as the sunflowers grow they tilt and bend a bit, which made a natural roof. I also planted shade loving plants around the base, but since every child on our block played in there, they got trampled a bit! :D They all loved it. And nicely, the wasps were attracted to the top of the sunflowers and stayed up high - it was the first year we didn't get stung.

The only sad thing was that we had some big rain/hail/wind last summer, so it was a bit ragged by the end of the summer - but we had it in a sheltered spot against the house, so it wasn't totally demolished.

I am planting a triangle/trapaziod in the corner of my yard. Two sides will be up against the fence. Hopefully we can stake the sunflowers we are using (we are using red sunflowers, and scarlet runner beans... all red flowers. :D ) and then the other side will be secure too.

In the garden we are making a spiral of beans with 5 ft chicken wire and 5 ft stakes (same set that we are using for the sunflower house). We have a sprinkler system which we use, so both will be watered for 10 minutes a day.

My only trouble so far is that I am not sure the sunflowers will grow. I need to get some soil. That spot that I am putting it had a large evergreen in it that the yard idiot that lived here before me cut down. (The stump that is left is nearly 15 inches in diameter.) This means that it is forest loam underneith which doesn't grow garden plants. So I will need to bring in soil. I think I will just bring it in for the planting area, like dig a trench and just put the "good" soil there, and then I won't have to cover the entire area. I can just buy what I need.

I bet that will work well!! Sunflowers are pretty hardy plants and grow well in many types of soil - but will be more speedy with the enhancements. All red sounds gorgeous. It is probably good to have that loam and stump under there anyway, so there is a nice flat spot to sit - we ended up putting mulch in ours so the chairs and things the kids dragged in there had a surface that didn't get quite so muddy. :)

We've done them. :) My 16 yr old has fond memories of them. I haven't done them in a while, but will do one again this year. So simple, yet children (and teens in my case LOL) are so enchanted by them. I think I'll have to do several to accomodate all my kids LOL

I LOVE Sharon lovejoy! She owns (owned?) a shop in Cambria that is too sweet. 8 yrs ago or so we went to the fairy fest there. I miss Country Living Gardener mag being more regular as I loved reading her artcles. One in particular about how she plants trees for all special ocassions & planting an apple tree for her new granddaughter really touched my heart. She really is a gem! :)

hmm...im going to have to look this up- we ahve a gzillion sunflowers in our yard :)

Just found this post. I've wanted to make one since W. was a baby but this year we actually WILL make one and have the perfect yard for it.

I think I'm going to do it in the corner of my fence too and make a corner "door". Any tips???

Mulch for the ground was a good idea.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y299/bluerosemama/Garden%20Pictures/IMG_6035.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y299/bluerosemama/Garden%20Pictures/IMG_6039.jpg

Not neat at all. And I haven't been mowed at all, no weed wacker has been to this corner since I planted the seeds.

:D