“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
1 John 4:7
Happy Labor Day dear friends! I hope you all have enjoyed a wonderful weekend! I know you join me in prayer for all those who are impacted by Hurricane Dorian and for those in Texas who have suffered more tragedy. We have very special friends who are on Man O War Cay, Bahamas that suffered a direct hit from Dorian.
Not only is it Labor Day, but since it is the first Monday of the month, it is also Monday Morning Blooms with my friends. We are missing our sweet Shirley and can’t wait for her return. Please join me at the picnic table for a little Provençal-inspired sunflowers, roosters, and a touch of autumn!
Our common theme for this edition of Monday Morning Blooms is sunflowers…they have such happy faces and always make me smile!
The links for Mary’s and Lidy’s beautiful sunflower inspiration are at the bottom of this post.
We began growing a small patch of sunflowers in 2015. With seventy plus species of sunflowers, my Renaissance Man plants the common sunflower Helianthus annus. They are fast growing reaching heights of ten feet, heat tolerant, with large flower heads, and you can even harvest their edible seeds. You can see our sunflowers here.
With the common theme being sunflowers what does a girl do when there are no sunflowers?! The grocery stores didn’t have any and mine had bloomed in early July. I took a little trip to a flower farm that is next to the hydrangea farm if you have been following along this summer. They were in between their succession of sunflowers, but fortunately there were a few really pretty bi-colored ones. Since I didn’t have enough sunflowers for a full bouquet, I added dahlias, zinnias, and celosia for a happy autumn arrangement!
I always try to dry a few blooms from my sunflower patch, I like their scraggly appearance…perfect for a small dough bowl!
Joining my little French-inspired vignette are a pair of Fitz and Floyd roosters and a beautiful French-made textile that I am using as a table covering! It just says autumn to me.
“I always like to have flowers on the table, I think they make it look special.”
-Ina Garten
They definitely make an old picnic table special!
Rooster salad plates join the F&F roosters. Do any of you recognize the small fruit? If you guessed persimmons, you are correct. Have you ever eaten one? We have a tree, but we prefer to let the birds, opossums, raccoons and deer eat them!
Oops, I almost forgot to mention the striped pitcher. Its blue stripes blends perfectly with the blue found in the cloth.
“I am working with the enthusiasm of a man from Marseille eating bouillabaisse, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to you because I am busy painting huge sunflowers.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
You will not want to miss the links below for gorgeous sunflower therapy from Mary and Lidy!
Mary @ Home Is Where The Boat Is
Thank you so much for your lovely visits and gracious comments. Wishing you all a wonderful week!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, A Stroll Thru Life, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home, Celebrate & Decorate, Me and My Captain, Shabby Fufu, Designthusiasm, Imparting Grace, Calypso in the Country
Pam, Your French-inspired vignette is just beautiful. I love the bicolor sunflowers paired with your dahlias, zinnias, and celosia….what a glorious explosion of color! That is one gorgeous table covering and textile and I love your pairing of the roosters! Every year I tell myself I’m going to try to plant some sunflowers…maybe next year. So happy to be joining you ifor some flower therapy this morning. Happy Labor Day and September. 🌻❤️
Thank you Mary. Wishing you and hubby a beautiful Labor Day! ❤️🌻❤️
So many charming details on your table. Delightful choice to use dried sunflower blooms 🌻 in a dough bowl and the tiny bowl of persimmons as accents.I love your blue striped pitcher full of an assortment of flowers. It looks lovely with your Provencal cloth, roosters, rooster plates and does spark anticipation of fall coming.
Enjoy the holiday today. I do join you in prayer🙏for those affected by Dorian and for the tragedy in Texas.
Thank you dear Bonnie. Wishing you and Mike a lovely Labor Day! 🌻❤️🙏🏻
Oh, Pam, I am in love with this French inspired post. Your sunflowers are glorious and they do make one smile. I also love the rooster touches to your table. Your picnic area of your garden I would imagine is perfect for a hot Alabama evening. Again, lovely post. And I do join you in prayer for all those in harms way of the brutal storm and the those whose lives have been forever changed in Texas.
Happy Labor Day to you, my friend.
Thanks so much Sandra. Have a lovely Labor Day! ❤️🌻🙏🏻
A beautiful table setting and the floral arrangement is stunning Pam! Love the bi-color sunflowers as the color seems more Autumn like. The table covering is fabulous! Your F&F roosters are so colorful. I have the matching lamps. Prayers 🙏 for the Texas tragedies and those who are/will be affected by the hurricane. Hope your friends are safe in the Bahamas. Happy Labor Day! Clara♥️
Thank you sweet Clara. We heard last night from an indirect source that our friends are safe, but they are still being pounded by the category 5 Dorian! 🙏🏻
Don’t you love the different variations of sunflowers? Some dark, some bright, large and small? Your arrangement is just beautiful and so is your table. It’s perfect for this late summer transition period. Happy Labor Day!
Thanks dear Jeanie, enjoy your week!
Your French inspired sunflower table really speaks of Fall coming. Love the dried sunflowers. They are beautiful in their own right. How happy the sunflowers make us feel! Your rooster theme fits perfectly with all the other details. Pure loveliness. I join you and your blogging friends in praying for the people in Texas and Florida.
Thanks so much Dianne. Have a wonderful week! ❤️🌻❤️
Pam, I love those bi-colored sunflowers! Your arrangement is so beautiful, and as usual, your setting is one that inspires. Such a lovely table with your French table covering and rooster elements. I love it! Oh to sit at your table, dear friend, and talk about life, and the goodness of the Lord would be amazingly wonderful. Happy Labor Day! Xoxo Lidy
Thanks so much my friend. One day maybe we can sit and talk about God’s goodness! ❤️
You have combined three of my most favorite things. Pretty sunflowers, colorful roosters, and French table linens to make a most breathtaking display! Everything looks gorgeous and so happy! I always look forward to Monday Morning Blooms! Happy Labor Day, sweet friend!!!
Thanks so much my sweet friend that loves all things French. Have a lovely Labor Day!
Love, love the flowers Pam! … You took a negative of not being able to find the sunflowers that you wanted and turned it into a positive by acquiring the most beautiful floral arrangement of sunny flowers…flowers of sun!!!
Love the gorgeous table of French inspired beauty. Hope that one day I will sit at one of your glorious tables in your garden….I am praying for your friends in the Bahamas and those so affected by this monster storm. Such tragedies on the news lately…praying for all those families who have lost loved ones. Hope you are having a great Holiday weekend!
Thank you sweet Shirley…I like that “flowers of the sun”…! Tragic circumstances all around us. Miss you at MMB sweet friend.
It is as though one has chanced upon a set table in Provence awaiting the food and wine for
dining in a French field. Quite authentic and lovely…a bit of French Alabama… Wishing all a
fond farewell to Summer’s memory-making and a festive Labor Day. Linking with all bowed in
prayer for those assaulted by anguish and loss in Texas and for Divine protection of those in the path of Dorian… Thank you for the “happy” faces of Butch’s sunflowers to lighten our day,
Pam dear.
Oh what a lovely setting you described, shall we go? Thank you for visiting with me, you truly make my day. We continue to pray🙏🏻
A perfect late summer Monday bouquet. And yes, I have eaten a persimmon! I’ll save the surprise for whoever tries one! 😉
Thank you Rita. Persimmons can definitely surprise you!
Love the beautiful flowers. Sunflowers are my fav. Matter of fact Marty pulled up some weeds and cleared my spot for sunflowers. It is about the time I plant them for fall. I always plant sunflowers this time of the year in memory of my late Motherinlove whom loved them so very much. I always feel that warmth and sunshine when I see the first bloom and somehow I feel she sees them and smiles. Praying for the Bahama’s. Our hearts are broken over the devastation. Keep us all in prayer dear Pam. The weather channels are keeping us updated as much as possible. As of now what started out as a major hit for us and has now turned. We are expected to have high winds, heavy rain and power outage. Of course that could change quickly as we know it. Prayers are abounding for all. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Thank you dear Cindy. A beautiful way to remember and cherish you mother-in-love by planting sunflowers.
Praying for you all sweet frienf❤️🙏🏻❤️
Such inspiration! You’ve brighten up my day!Amazing table!Hugs!
Thank you sweet Maristella ❤️
Love your French Tablescape full of sunflowers!
When I plant Sunflowers in AZ… a lizard eats the sprouts! I need to find a way!
And yes… I enjoy Persimmons. They are quite tasty. There were trees and trees of them in Fiesole, Italy. They call them Cachi. (Sounds like Kacky)
Glad to be back to see your beautiful photos! 😊
Thanks sweet friend, I am glad you are back.
🤗🤗
Lovely post, Pam. It is so full of color that it makes my heart sing. It is so very French, which along with English country, is my favorite style. It feels like Fall, in all ways but the weather. Once September comes I am ready for Fall, although I do love Summer.
Thank you my sweet friend. It is hot here, but fall is coming and it is my favorite season!
Love how you paired roosters with the flowers and the use of violet and plum colors to add a touch of Fall.
Thanks so much Pamela…Happy Tuesday!
Oh, sunflower envy! We tried 2x to get our plants going but the rabbits mowed them all down again and again … even when my husband made little individual cages for each plant.
sigh *
It seems that deer like to munch on ours 😳
Thank you for sharing those pretty pictures.
It is a pleasure Pamela!
The sunflowers re gorgeous. They do make us smile. The tablecloth is magical and so pretty. Love your inspiration Pam. A beautiful French table dressed beautifully. Many prayers for your friends and all those in the path of the hurricane.
Thank you so much Linda!
Fabulous arrangement Pam, and so amazing that you have grown incredible sunflowers in your own garden earlier this summer! I love how you augmented the sunflowers you were able to find, with other flowers, it makes them stand out! Your table and cloth are beautiful and I love the colorful rooster too…I am still in sunflower crazy mode!!
Jenna
Thank you Jenna, I think sunflowers are a wonderful transitional flower…summer into autumn!🌻
Oh, how pretty! Fall is just around the corner…I can almost feel it! So wonderful to visit with you today, sweet friend. God bless you!
Blessings sweet Cheryl!
Your bouquet is do beautiful! I love sunflowers — they always make me feel cheerful. I can understzn why vanGogh painted them, as they probably maded him feel the same way 🌻
Thanks so much Pat, have a wonderful day🌻
My husband and I are building a house (well, we’re not, the builder is, lol) and I love what you do with with your table decor. The flowers are so gorgeous! I know I can’t decorate as well as you but I’m going to give it a shot once the house is finished. I know it will take time to establish a flower garden and such but I’m sure looking forward to the beautiful blooms someday.
Thanks a bunch.
Belinda, you are so kind. How exciting to be building a new home, I know it will be beautiful. Gardening is trial and error, and I am definitely a novice. I would love to see pictures of your new home when it is completed. Happy weekend!
Pam,
Your beautiful floral arrangement with that stunning tablecloth and those charming Roosters is just gorgeous!! I Love it! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Thank you sweet Debbie!
Always am filled with joy and wonder at God’s creation when I see your arrangements, Pam. He is so good to give us tastes of Heaven through His artistry, and then giving us the ability to create with His end results! So good to see you at TTA!
Thank you dear Julie for your kind and encouraging words. Blessings always ~