Grow Your Own Sunflower House or Fort

Grow your own kid friendly playhouse or fort this summer. No lumber and nails are needed, just a few sunflower seeds, soil, water and willing participants.

Select a sunny spot with room to grow giant sunflowers. Plant the seeds in a circle or rectangle, leaving an opening for entering and exiting your sunflower structure. Overlap the wall or plant a screen to hide the entrance.

Plant seeds 6 inches apart and one inch deep in warm soil. Sprinkle a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer, like Milorganite, over the soil surface according to label directions. This will feed the plants throughout much of the summer. Water thoroughly as needed.

Once the plants reach 6 to 12 inches, plant scarlet runner beans next to the sunflowers to create a beautiful and edible wall covering.

Cover the floor with straw or outdoor carpet and let the fun begin.

A bit more information: Don’t let the fun stop here. Look for other opportunities to make gardening fun. Have the children plant a rainbow garden filled with ribbons of colorful annuals or a pizza garden with all the makings, except cheese, for their favorite slice.