#Bestof2012

(2) Quickly with your hand Brush off the Orange/Yellow baby petals & your seeds will be reveiled & then place the sunflower head in a dry spot for a couple days to allow the flower seeds time to fully dry. Don't wait to long, I've found they become too moldy and brittle after a longer period of time.

(3) Once fully Dried & Ready, Slightly Bend Flower Head and/or you can even split flower head with your hands & with just your fingers, simply push the sunflower seeds right out. They come out very easily. You will be surpised how many seeds you will get from one Sunflower head.

(4) Once done removing all your seeds, place on dish or flat surface of any sort and allow them time to completely dry out, leaving no moisture whats-so-ever.

(5) Once seeds are completely dried out, Simply store them in something for the following year. Most gardnerers say to store them in paper sandwhich bags & They could very well be right because I still have much to learn, I'm only a 3rd Year Gardener. However, for the last 2 years in a row, I stored my seeds the first year in mini tupperwares & this passed year I stored them in mason jars & 2 years in a row, I not only filled my garden with my sunflowers but because I had so many seeds, I shared countless with my neighbors & filled their gardens with them as well! The Neighbors loved them!!!

(P.S. If you don't want to harvest them, You can follow the same exact process and instead of storing them, You can eat them. They are edible! (ONLY the 10-13ft) Sunflowers. After picking the seeds out of the flower head, bring them into wash, allow them to dry on a paper towel, as well as tapping them dry with a paper towel as you flip and turn them. Once are all fully dry......place them on a cookie sheet, with a dash of salt over them, put them in the oven at about 375 degrees for about 15-18 min.... less or more depending on your oven and wa'lah....you made your own Sunflower seeds to eat!)

(P.S. Have A Toddler, Include them by helping you pull out the seeds. That's how easy it is to do. You can not only occupy them for quite some time but your also teaching them about flowers and how they grow by seeds, etc. They love it. When my 4 yr old see's me cut a faded sunflower head, he gets so excited because he knows he's going to pull the seeds out!)

Something Simple & Fun as well as Very Rewarding!!!

Hope U Enjoyed The Pic Collage As Well as The Little Tips!