[lord flynn]

Hi-sorry, very new to gardening

I have grown some dwarf sunflowers this year and am very excited at the fact they now have very small flower heads on them. Do I just take the seeds off them to grow again next year and if so, when and how to store-is there anything special I should do?

I also have a variety of shrubs and plants left by the last occupiers that I don't particularly like, but that are acting as windbreaks to protect the sunflowers, hollyhocks and foxgloves I have planted this year. They are mostly asiatic lillies and a couple of hebes and I want rid of them in the autumn. Can anyone suggest alternatives? I may just opt for rosebushes but if anyone has ideas for other traditional, hardy bushes/plants that would be great, thanks.

[bloomer]

when the sunflowers die off cut off the heads and hang them somewhere to dry. the seeds are easy to collect when they have dried.

[lord flynn]

thanks-sounds easy enough I have a lovely red one I am looking forward to!

[Somewhere_by_the_river]

What do you need from your wind-break plants Lord Flynn, might help to narrow down the options for you a bit? Do they need to be a certain height/width, do you want evergreen or decorative in some way or would you like an additional harvest from them, for example?

I like cheery little sunflowers too, just make sure you dry those heads somewhere safe - I thought I'd put my seed tray in a safe place when I first planted them in the spring... only had 8 left to put in the garden though by the time the mice had finished!

[lord flynn]

ha! well if I put the sunflower heads in the utility room the mice will have to get past the cat


ok, plants need to be/reach 3 ft ish high and up to 3 ft wide-they are sort of a mid flower bed plant to protect the others at the back. Shorter plants at the front are sort of protected by a low wall. I already have some soft fruit bushes (currants, gooseberry) and am not really bothered by getting anything edible from them. I love flowers-especially red ones and on the whole, not keen on evergreens but some winter colour would be nice. We are nearly 1000 feet up and extremely windy in the winter although the beds are protected by easterlies due to a wall and theoretically from westerlies by the house. What tends to happen though, is that space turns into a wind tunnel with anything other than easterlies. Good sun first thing in morning and mid afternoon onwards.

[Bramblecot]

Hardy fuchsias?  Lots of reds/purples and they take all the wind here straight off the sea.  I can take cuttings if you like but they might take a while to grow. 
If you dig up any lillies you don't like, I will pay the postage for them as OH loves them.

[lord flynn]

I do love fuchsias will they really do alright up here? happy to send you some lily bulbs later in the tear if you remind me we have bright yellow ones and some creamy yellow ones which I like a bit better-there are stacks though so happy to send.

[Bramblecot]

Will pm you tomorrow .  Been moving