We are offering a £1,000 cash prize to find the nation’s tallest sunflower.
With Sunflowers high on everyone’s sowing list thanks to an industry-wide Year of the Sunflower Campaign, we are hoping to see the World Record for the tallest sunflower brought to UK shores, and are encouraging the nation’s gardeners to take part with the launch of a £1,000 cash prize for the tallest UK specimen grown in 2015 whether it sets a new record or not! The current Guinness World Record, a whopping 8.75m (28ft 8in) giant grown in 2013, was raised by Hans-Peter Schiffer of Kaarst-Vorst,Germany.
Gardeners looking to get their hands on the UK prize can grow any variety from any seed firm. At the end of the season, when plants are at their peak and upward growth has stopped, all you need do is take a photo of your plant and upload it to the competition page here.
Photo entries must include the whole plant from soil level to the top of the flower and you must pose alongside your plant to give an idea of scale, you’ll need to state your height and the height of your plant when submitting your entry.
We now offer more than 30 sunflower seed varieties, including new ‘Tall Timbers’, a hybrid form of ‘Russian Giant’ offering improved vigour and more chance of growing a record breaker. Reaching 4m (13ft) with no special care, ‘Tall Timbers’ also produces impressive flowers and rivals other two towering specimens ‘Russian Giant’ and ‘Mongolian Giant’.
Mongolian Giant
Horticultural Director Paul Hansord said: Our Sunflower Competition is open to everyone. This is something the whole family can take part in, why not set up a little family rivalry and grow one plant per member of the household and see who fares best? Failing that, challenge your friends, neighbours or allotment buddies with a bit of friendly rivalry. If you are growing sunflowers this summer, this is the only competition you’ll want to take part in – £1,000 for raising a single plant from seed – that really is a cash crop worth tending to!
We will also reward the most creative use of sunflowers in a second photography competition. If towering giants aren’t your thing, why not work with smaller varieties this summer, such as ‘Helios Flame’ and the unusual basket variety ‘Inca Gold’, there will be a £50 Thompson & Morgan voucher available for the two most creative entries supplied by the end of Friday 30th October.
Helios Flame
Thinking about taking part? Why not blog about your record attempt? If you’d like to spread the word about your efforts and show off your progress through the season, please get in touch at web@thompson-morgan.com.
The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.
Hi
My husband Doug and myself, Val, have grown sunflowers for only two years. The tallest one we measured at 13 feet 8 inches in 2015 and we won our local Ferndown in Bloom competition with it. We tried various things to improve growth. This year we have reached the giddy height of 15 feet 3 inches and we have won again. The
Hi Valerie,
Wow! that is incrediblily tall. How on earth did you manage to measure it? We did have a competition to grow the tallest sunflower so I hope you entered. Unfortunately it is closed now. Have you ever thought of using our incredibloom? It can make your plants grow even bigger. I do hope you put a photo on our Facebook page? I would love to see it. Just tag me and I will get to see it. Thanks again, and good luck for next year. Wendie
My mongolian giant is 9ft I’m ready for competition:)
Good luck Premyslaw, that is very tall already. Keep us informed. Regards, Wendie
The one on are allotment is 11ft 6in
Hi Mr Allen,
Many thanks for your comment. It sounds like you should enter our competition for the tallest sunflower. I have included the link for the competition here: http://offers.thompson-morgan.com/TM173/uk-rsquo-s-tallest-sunflower-competition.html alternatively you could add a picture to our Facebook page Thompson & Morgan UK. We would love to see it. Kind regards, Wendie
Well mine so far up to 6ft my son wants a petrol go cart but got a long way to go
That is a good start Duncan! Is your son helping too? Very best of luck 🙂
If there are any of these going spare ( if there are could you send them to me) You Can find my
Address In your folder