A RETIRED paramedic from Andover has grown a ‘stupendous’ crop of sunflowers which are towering at 15 feet tall.

Bryan Thorne received a plant as a gift from his son earlier this year, and planted it in his garden at Mead Hedges, Andover.

But the 81-year-old was left stunned when the warm yellow of the sunflowers sprouted beyond his expectations.

He told the Advertiser: “My son gave me a plant in the spring, and now it’s about 15 feet with around 30 blooms! I am very impressed.

“I have never tried it before, but I am going to save the seeds and scatter them for next year.”

When asked whether he does a lot of gardening, Bryan said: “I used to a bit, but given my advanced years, I grow more shrubs than plants now!

“I don’t really have a favourite thing to plant. If I see a packet of seeds, I will give it a go. I just enjoy growing different things and it stops me from staying inside reading books and gets me outside in the fresh air.”

Sharing the photograph, family friend Marie Aymes described the sunflowers as "stupendous", adding: "Bryan has the most amazing garden and these sunflowers are the tallest I have ever seen!”

According to Country Living magazine, 15 feet is generally the highest that the tall variety of sunflowers will grow to, but most sunflowers bought in shops are ‘dwarf’ sunflowers, standing at a maximum of three feet.

The tallest sunflower on record measured 30 feet and 1 inch and was grown by Hans-Peter Schiffer in Germany in 2014.