I'd choose the majesty and boldness of the sunflower over the wimpy rose any day. Sunflowers add structure and texture to the garden, and they come in an amazing array of varieties and colors, including white, lemon yellow, mahogany, and bright orange. I like to plant several different kinds in my garden and see what comes up. Planting sunflowers is a great way to attract birds, of course. The smaller birds (goldfinches, in particular) prefer the multi-branched, small-headed sunflowers, so I always make sure to plant a lot of those. Sunflowers are really easy to grow, too. They don't require lots of additional water, and they love sunny, hot conditions. I've actually had luck growing sunflowers in pots. Sunflowers even look great in floral arrangements. I see huge bouquets of sunflowers at the farmers' market every summer, and they are spectacular. I've noticed that the sunflower is becoming trendy lately, and I'm not surprised.
