When you think of a sunflower, you think of Taiyo (sun in Japanese), a Japanese heirloom with a tall, powerful central stem that produces large, dazzling, yellow-orange petals surrounding a rich chocolate centre. Sunflowers have been a popular ornamental flower in Europe since the 16th century as well as a valuable source of food. The sunflower represents Inti, the sun god of the Incas: we no longer have a sun cult, but the sunflower reminds us of the sun, summer and heat. Sunflower seeds are particularly popular with most seed-eating birds; simply let the blossom to dry on the plant or dead-cut it and let the seeds mature: dozens of birds will come to eat in your garden!