EVERYTHING gardener Arthur Easen touches seems to flourish.

Take his latest planting phenomenon, a sunflower nearly 18 feet high.

"I use manure, that definitely helps," said Mr Easen, when asked for the secret of his success.

Mr Easen and his wife grow their own vegetables at the rear of their house.

Living in Leckford, alongside the A3057, many people stop off to buy free-range eggs from the couple.

People started to remark on the height of the sunflower, and another not too far behind when it started to reach the roof but still hadn't formed a head.

"That's when we knew it was going to be a big one," he added.