Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: A new sunflower for bees and a “parasol” for humans!
Last year I planted several sunflowers in support of Ukraine and also for bees and the finches too!
This year, as I was perusing my Burpee catalog, I noted a new sunflower they’re offering for 2023 called ‘Creme Brulee’.
This is their description: Elegant crowns of golden-yellow petals surround fluffy, amber-bronze centers, a floral reflection of the caramelized sugar atop that fabulous dessert, crème brulee! It really is quite pretty. The plant is a good size as well.
The Mammoth I planted last year was about 10 ft tall and the heavy heads hung way down.
‘Creme Brulee’ sunflower grows 4 to 5 ft tall with a 3 ft spread. It has a bushy, branching habit and continuous blooms. I already ordered it!
Sunflowers obviously need full sun. Seeds should be planted when the soil temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees.
Another plant that Burpee shows off on the same page is a new perennial coneflower or echinacea if you prefer, called ‘Pretty Parasols’.
Pendulous 4 ½ inch petals incline downward which makes the flowers appear like umbrellas. The petals are pearly white that shifts to soft pink toward the center brown cone. It really is quite pretty. The branching plants produce blooms that open at different times on stems of various heights. It makes for an inviting, informal look. The plant grows to about 3 ft tall and wide, is hardy to zone 4 and is also container friendly.
