When DJ van Dyk (73), from Elsburg, got some new and different seeds from his sister-in-law he had no idea what would grow.
He was thrilled to discover, three months after planting the seeds, that they were beautiful Teddy Bear sunflowers.
“I have never seen or planted flowers like this before so it was a wonderful surprise,” said van Dyk proudly.
The Teddy Bear sunflower is a popular, but unique, variety of sunflower.
The soft and fluffy cushion-like sunflowers sprout from short bushy plants much like a normal sunflower.
The plant, whose beautiful flowers make great additions to bouquets, completes its life-cycle over the course of a single year, flowering in midsummer.
As Teddy Bear sunflowers are low-maintenance plants, they make excellent plants for beginner gardeners.
Van Dyk plans to maintain and nurture his plants so that he can enjoy their beautiful flowers again next year.
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