From: "Zahra Ali"

photo courtesy Shane Husain
Source image by
guerrillagardening.com
Guerrilla gardeners across Pakistan are planting Sunflower seeds on
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 for the first time and you are invited! Since 2007,
thousands of guerrilla gardeners around the globe get out of their homes
and plant sunflower seeds wherever they find an appropriate space around
their towns and cities.
The idea fascinated me and we decided to launch Sunflower Guerrilla
Gardening Day in Pakistan. Crops in Pots and Greener Karachi Trust
announced the event and soon Caritas Pakistan joined in and offered free
seeds for all guerrilla gardeners who join us. My kitchen garden group,
Sarsabz Pakistan and Pakistan Sustainability Network are also working on
hosting the event in their own cities. In the meantime, guerrilla gardeners
from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore are busy preparing for the day!

Why Sunflowers?
Sunflowers are not only loved for their bright and vibrant colours, they
are also valued for their ability to improve the ground soil by acting as a
green manure and by suppressing weed growth. The stunning flower is rich in
nectar and pollen that attract beneficial insects, especially butterflies,
and improves bee forage in the summer. A single sunflower plant looks just
as striking as when these massive flowers are bunched together in a group.
The best part is that sunflower seeds are an excellent source of Vitamin E.
Since sunflowers are native to Pakistan, seeds are very cheap and available
in most general and horticulture stores. Sunflowers are drought resistant
which makes them ideal for Karachi. And birds love to eat them.

How to plant sunflower seeds?
Simply use a screw driver or a fork to loosen the soil. Add a handful of
fresh compost if the patch is too sandy. Now simply sow your seeds two
inches deep and cover them with soil. You might want to put a sign there
just to know where exactly you planted the sunflower seeds. Water the space
well and then come back to see the progress in a week’s time. Some seeds
will sprout in a day or two, while some will take as long as two to three
weeks.
Blooming time depends on the variety you get. Some dwarf sunflowers will
flower in two months and the huge six-eight feet tall flower heads will
develop in three to four months time.

How you can participate?
Do it solo or make a group. You can plant sunflowers anytime during the
day. Luckily May 1 is a public holiday so you don’t have to worry about the
timing and traffic. If you recruit your friends, you will be able to cover
a larger area as a group. Make sure you send us your photos, videos and
most importantly share your experience with us at Crops in Pots.

What you will need?
All you need is some sunflower seeds, something to dig with, water and some
compost. If you join us in Karachi (the venue will be announced on our
Facebook page), Caritas will have free seeds for you.

How to select a spot?
The idea is to beautify your roadsides, ugly roundabouts, weedy tree pits,
a neglected neighbourhood garden or simply any spot that can use a bit of
brightness. Ideally, the spot should not be too dry and sandy so that the
sunflowers aren’t weeded away. Pick a spot that is near your work or home
or a street, which you pass by every day, so that you can easily stop by
and water your plants.

Some more ideas:
-Use coconut husk along with compost to retain moisture
-If you feel watering can become an issue, then you can use an empty
plastic bottle with a hole in the bottle-cap. Cut the bottom, invert it and
fix it near your plant, fill it with water. It will keep dripping for a few
days.
-If you don’t know which variety you are planting, don’t worry! Trust me
this will turn out to be very exciting.
-Make this a family or friends get-together or host an event in your
school. This can become an excellent community activity for your NGO as
well.
-Take a picture with your sunflowers and show it to everyone! Don’t forget
to tag us!
Our country needs some brightness and lots of bright sunflowers growing
around us will definitely make a difference. Become a guerrilla gardener
this summer, and sow some brightness across your town!

Happy gardening!

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/198523463587164/
email us @     crops.in.pots@???

published on the Newsline Magazine on April 30, 2012