Happy Thursday sweet friends! I hope everyone’s week is going well. I have been busy, but I don’t have much to show for it. Does that ever happen to you? Someone please say that it does!
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
Galatians 6:7
Since 2015 we have planted sunflowers every year. In my opinion, they are so cheerful and they just make me smile. I can’t let the sunflower season pass without celebrating summer’s happiest flower! I hope these photos will bring a smile to your face.
Our sunflowers are planted in two different raised beds, one behind the garden fence and one next to our driveway. Seeds were ordered in late winter and I am very pleased with the three varieties that we planted.
A smaller sunflower than the the Mammoth, which we normally plant, is the Sunrich Summer Provence. It ranges in height from six to seven feet. The Mammoth can reach twelve feet high and with its large blooms it has been blown down by strong winds in previous years.
A new variety in our garden is Firecracker, a hybrid dwarf sunflower. Let’s follow the stages from the bud to the bloom!
The fully opened bloom with a pollinator friend…bees love sunflowers. The Firecracker displays beautiful bi-colored blooms of gold and reddish-orange. It reaches three to almost four feet in height!
The third new variety that we planted is the Florenza. It reaches a height of four to almost five feet. I have enjoyed its progression!
Florenza has bright red-russet flowers uniformly tipped in yellow and dotted with dark mahogany centers!
“Who knows what may lie around the next corner? There may be a window somewhere ahead. It may look out on a field of sunflowers.”
-Joe Hill
“The sunflower is mine, in a way.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
Soon the birds will be feasting!
“The sunflower is a favorite emblem of constancy.”
-Thomas Bulfinch
Thank you for your visit and gracious comments. Wishing you a joy-filled day!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
Pam, Your sunflowers are gorgeous and yes, so cheery! I love the bicolor varieties in particular. I say to myself every year that I should plant some. Thank you for the flower therapy this morning. ♥
Thanks Mary, the sun is shining this morning and it looks beautiful!
So pretty. My favorite flowers. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Judy and have a lovely day!
Absolutely gorgeous! I love them all!
Thanks Rita. I am excited to see the sun today!
Sunflowers are one of my favorites and yours look beautiful!
Thanks Penny and have a lovely day!
Hi Pam. Your sunflowers are so cheerful! Any reliable seed sources that you could share? Thanks.
Good morning. This year I purchased from Johnny Seeds and have been most pleased. Have a wonderful day!
Sunflowers and pansies are my “happy” flowers! The photos and quotations are spot on. Pam, do you happen to know the dimensions of your raised boxes? I think mine are too small. I’ve noticed some of the farmers who sow rows of zinnias get much bigger plants than I do. And yes, I seemed to have been really busy this week too but not sure with what!!
Good morning Roxanne. I will check with Butch and let you know the dimensions. Have a wonderful day!
I know exactly what you mean about being busy and having nothing to show for it. That happens to me all the time. The sunflowers are all so beautiful!
Michelle, I am glad I am not the only one. Have a wonderful day and thank you!
Gorgeous sunflowers! Do you get the seeds or do the birds get them?
Thanks Carole. I ordered from Johnny Seeds and have been pleased.
What a way to greet this morning. Your sunflowers are amazing. They always make me smile. I have some this year but not blooming yet. It’s time for my sunflower trip to Biltmore, a ritual that has become very special. So happy to see the sun and your sunflowers.
Thank you Dianne. A trip to Biltmore sounds wonderful. Have a lovely day!
Gosh, Pam…I applaud you guys for growing these from seed! I’m always hesitant about that kind of thing as I don’t have that total green thumb going on. I do OK, but to start anything from seed…scary! I think I need to find a small plot of land around our homes to experiment and get comfortable with it. I would LOVE to plant a few sunflowers, especially since we so closely border the Kansas state line!🌻 I can remember trips to my paternal grandparents’ farm in Sabetha, KS as a kid. Driving the highway there and back we were treated to the sight of sunflowers just about as far as the eye could see. It’s an awesome sight!
Enjoy your beautiful flowers, and have a great weekend!
Alycia, I can just imagine the sunflower fields as you passed them in the car. Certainly made an impression on you as a child. Try to plant a few seeds, you might be surprised!
I call what you say as being busy, piddling. In my calling as a homemaker, I find that my piddling is a necessary evil. It is those small thing that no one but you notice after you’ve done them but if you don’t those little things grow into big things. Love your sunflower garden but sure the bees and birds will love them more. He feeds the birds of the fields.
Alice, piddling is a good word for it. The bees are loving them and the birds will love the seeds!
Such beauty!!! Absolutely gorgeous…Made my day!
Thank you Maristella!
Pam, Your sunflowers are beautiful. I love all the various colors. Thank you for planting and sharing such happy flowers. You’re not alone my friend, I too sometimes don’t have much to show although I’ve been busy all day! Enjoy the sun! Clara ❤️
Thank you Clara ♥️🌻
Pam, your sunflowers are gorgeous. They are worthy of celebration and a garden party! I love all the varieties you planted.
Thank you Sandra. I am thankful the bunnies didn’t eat them when they began to come up!
Smile? Have you noticed I’m beaming? Just love the firecracker and how it bursts in bloom. I remember when an Aunt
dedicated a nothing day to rearranging the drawers in her dresser and then bragged, “I’ve been kkk-nuggling in my drawers
all afternoon and finally got them done..” Not such a nothing day ….She was joy…….
Thank you Mary. Your aunt must have enjoyed life. Wishing you a wonderful day!
Pam, your sunflowers are gorgeous! I think the Florenza variety is quite stunning with its burgundy color, I wish we could grow sunflowers, but we have too much shade. I’m so happy that you shared your collection with us. It brightened my day! Have a wonderful weekend, my dear friend!
Thank you sweet friend. Happy Weekend!
There is so much to love about sunflowers. Yours are stunning. I love each and every one of your choices. Thanks for sharing your garden spaces — they are such a delight to the senses.
Thanks so much Cindie. Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Lovely Pam! 😀
Blessings,
Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer!
Oh how fun! Such cheery flowers! And the rain stopped so they are happy to reach for the sky! I just bought a bundle from a roadside farm market and took them to my sister.
And yes… being busy and nothing to show for it… happens often!
Happy Friday!
Thanks Nancy. We had no rain yesterday and hopefully things will dry a little. Enjoy your day my friend!
This year I added what is named a false sunflower which has been a great substitution. I not only like the flower but the variegated leaves.
I am not familiar with a false sunflower, but I check on it.
Your sunflower garden is stunning Pam, what a joy to have them right at your finger tips…and up to 12 feet high, WOW! I adore sunflowers, and loved seeing the bloom progression photos. Stay cool!
Jenna
Thank you Jenna. Sunflowers are fun to grow from seeds. Happy Saturday!
A celebration indeed! Oh, I just love the idea of a sunflower garden and each and every one is a real beauty. I love them to pieces and these photos just POP!
Happy Saturday and thank you Jeanie!
I love sunflowers so think each variety you picked are perfect. Mine have been slow to grow this year – so unusual for sunflowers. By Sept they should be producing flowers. I mainly grow them for the bees and birds 🙂
Thank you Rachelle. Perfect for the bees and birds!
Your sunflowers are beautiful Pam. I love them so much and plant them each year to bloom in the fall in memory of late Motherinlove that truly loved sunflowers. I am getting my ground ready soon for planting. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Totally brilliant series of photos. We didn’t plant the monsters this year, hopefully a few of the smaller of my varieties will succeed. Yours are definitely gorgeous!
Thanks so much, Sandi! Best of luck on your sunflowers!