3-foot-tall sunflower

I tried to grow sunflowers from seed this year, I picked two kinds a large, edible yellow, and a smaller, redish toned one. The traditional one was supposed to be 10 ft high, and the smaller one 5-6 ft high.

I started them in small re-used pots (which I later read you should not do as sunflowers do not like to be transplanted). Despite this, I successfully transplanted them multiple times into larger and larger pots, then into the ground. At each stage I lost some, I personally snapped the stalked of a couple, the squirrels took care of a few of them, and the high winds in our area took care of some others.

I finally got them in the ground, but the gardeners killed the last of the remaining large yellow type. So all I was left with were the reds. This is the healthiest and most successful one of the four that are still in the ground. It is only 3 feet tall and the bloom was maybe 3-4 inches across.

I'll count this as a victory, but hopefully will do better next year...