Caritas' Sunflowers
On this page you will find guides on how to grow your sunflowers, as well as how to make your own eco plant pot. Scroll down for information regarding our competitions, & make sure to enter to have a chance to win an eco-friendly prize!
Free Sunflower Seeds!
We have lots of sunflower seeds to give away to parishes and schools. The packets contain a mix of dwarf (dark seeds) and giants (stripy seeds) and we’re hoping to see lots growing across the diocese! Sunflowers are good for attracting bees and butterflies and their seeds can be used to feed birds during the winter. The bold bright flowers are also a joy to see.
If you would like a pack for your parish or school, perhaps for a confirmation group, youth/children’s club , an eco-group or gardening team please get in touch at [email protected] and we’ll find a way to get them to you (Each pack has around 50 seeds and we have lots!). If you are limited on planting options, the dwarf variety are great in pots and we’re more than happy for them to be taken home.
Guides on planting, making eco pots, where to post pictures and details of competitions can be found below.
Happy planting!
How to Make and Eco Paper Pot
This is a really simple way to create a plant pot. All you need is a container about the right size Such as a tin can, water or squash bottle and some newspaper. Follow the instructions in the video to make your pot. This pot will be strong enough to last until you plant your sunflower outside or in its final larger pot. When you plant out, you don’t need to remove the paper, just make sure is is damp before putting it into the ground so the roots can grow through.
Sunflower Competitions
Tallest sunflower competition: Sunflowers can grow very tall, and we want to see who can grow the tallest sunflower in our Diocese. Each school and parish is allowed to submit 1 entry, so make sure it is your tallest one! Please provide a photo confirming the height of your sunflower (maybe even next to your headteacher or priest so we can compare their heights).
Creativity competition: We hope that seeing your sunflowers grow and bloom will inspire some creativity. Celebrate this by sharing a work of art or piece of writing. You can submit a painting, drawing, photo, poem, short story, or whatever creative piece you can think of! Pupils from any school or parish can participate on an individual basis. Awards will be given to the best submissions in each of the three age based categories: Reception – Year 2 (KS1); Year 3 – Year 6 (KS2); and Year 7 -Year 11 (KS3/4). Please include parental contact details and pupil year group when submitting, so that winners can be chosen and notified correctly.
To enter, please email a photo or scan of your creative work, or sunflower height to [email protected] by 5pm on Monday 9th September 2024.
Please ensure you have all the relevant permissions. We ask that contact details are included separately (eg on the back or on a second page) so that submissions can be published without revealing personal details, Thank you.