Sunflower Seeds (Sungold)

Sunflowers are a good pick when you want something with real presence on a terrace — the Sungold type brings tall, golden blooms that read as a statement plant rather than background greenery. They ask for more room and sun than most balcony flowers, so they suit a spot that gets strong light most of the day rather than a shaded corner. Seeds go in deeper than most flowers, about 2 cm, and germinate in 7-10 days with the soil kept moist and 6-8 hours of full sun. Once established, water deeply whenever the top soil dries out rather than sprinkling little and often — sunflowers put on a lot of growth and drink accordingly. Give plants 30-45 cm of space, since they get wide as well as tall, and plan on staking taller stems once they start to lean. Blooms typically show up around 70-90 days from sowing.