Champion Cian has flower power

He grew the tallest sunflower through the summer. When measured in October, it had reached a heady 177.5 centimetres or 71 inches tall.

The competition to see who could grow the tallest sunflower was launched at the Border Union Agriculture Society Schools Day in May.

Borders College handed out sunflower seeds, pots and growing materials to primary schools from the Lothian and Borders regions. Horticultural students, demonstrated how to plant the seeds and gave advice on how to look after them as well as showing each school a pre-grown dwarf sunflower plant in order to let pupils see what they would look like fully grown.