Sunflowers SunBelievable ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ and Suncredible Yellow

* Common name: Sunflowers SunBelievable ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ and Suncredible Yellow

* Botanical name: Helianthus annuus hybrids

* What it is: Breeders in the U.K. broke new ground by developing a bushy, multi-stemmed annual sunflower called SunBelievable ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ that blooms non-stop all summer. The thousand-bloom-a-year variety is such a powerhouse because it’s sterile, meaning no pollen and all of the growing energy goes into flower production instead of seeds.

   Proven Winners introduced a similar variety called Suncredible Yellow that produces the same prolific, 4-inch-wide, bright-yellow flowers with brown centers all season.

   You’ll pay much more for these ($10 to $12 per plant), but the flowering is heavy and eye-grabbing.

* Size: Plants grow two to three feet tall and about three feet wide in a single season. Flowers are four to six inches wide.

* Where to use: Best performance is in full sun, whether planted in the ground or in a big pot. Give them star staging because they’re so showy.

* Care: Plant out after danger of frost passes in spring (mid-May or after). These varieties come in plant form only… no seeds.

   Keep soil damp the first few weeks to aid rooting, then water is needed only in extended dry spells for in-ground planting. Work compost and timed-release flower fertilizer into soil at planting.

   Supplemental liquid flower fertilizer every month throughout the growing season maximizes bloom. Yank and compost when plants die with frost in fall.

   In pots, water daily when it doesn’t rain, and fertilize with a half-strength flower fertilizer every week or two.

* Great partner: These are big and bold enough to stand alone in a pot. In a bed, ornamental grasses or most any gold- or green-needled conifer are good neighbors. Red hardy hibiscus is a big/bold/showy perennial partner.