Sunflowers

This garden always looks good.  I would like to know (like Penally1 on Tuesday) why my sunflowers are not looking like this.  Last year they looked splendid, this year - nothing, not a single flower only tall plants with lots of leaves.  I have also noticed that while I had lots of wonderful self-seeded nasturtiums and flame flowers, last year, this year there are very few and they all look pathetic with no flowers.