Sunflowers have been blooming to new heights this summer, with one gardener living on the outskirts of Ipswich seeing his flower tower above the others at more than 10-foot tall. 

Vernon Groom is the proud cultivator of the plant, in his garden in Barham.

The 70-year-old is a keen gardener, and planted several sunflowers in April, to bloom over the summer months with one growing to 10ft 3 inches tall.

Mr Groom said: "I have a few at the moment, but one in particular is the tallest. I do not know which variety they are, but I have often seen them at eight or nine feet, but it is the first time I have had one go up to ten feet.

Ipswich Star:

"There's no secret, really. I've just planted them and watered them every other day. That is all I have done. They have had no feed or anything. I think they must just like the soil.

"They have been a good show this summer."

We reported last week that Brenda Cooke managed to grow a sunflower in Rushmere St Andrew that measured at more than six-feet tall.