Hello sweet friends. It is always so good to see you here at Everyday Living. I hope you enjoyed a wonderful weekend. August is in full swing with its heat and humidity in our Appalachian Foothills!
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!”
Psalm 113:3
It is Monday Morning Blooms with my friends Lidy, Mary, and Shirley. We are celebrating summer’s happiest flower!
“And the yellow sunflower in beauty stood.”
~William Cullen Bryant
The links to my friends’ flower inspiration are at the bottom of this post!
Our common theme for this edition of Monday Morning Blooms is the sunflower!
If you have been a long-time reader, you know that we plant sunflower seeds every year. They are such a happy flower standing tall in the garden. My Renaissance Man planted three “new to us ” varieties!
Florenza has bright red-russet flowers uniformly tipped in yellow and dotted with dark mahogany centers.
Sunrich summer Provence provides the bright yellow color which we associate with a field of sunflowers!
The firecracker variety displays beautiful bi-colored blooms of gold and reddish-orange. Pollinators love sunflowers! In case you missed the sunflower celebration, check it out here!
On this particular day, I used our shaded picnic area rather than the garden. It was the hottest day we have had with a triple digit heat index! Living in the Deep South, our humidity makes days like this almost unbearable. Deciding on a very simple table arrangement, I persevered! “Dahlia Days” tablecloth by April Cornell provided a colorful background for the sunflowers.
Keeping it quick and easy, I placed ten bottles in a long wooden box. Sunflowers, a few zinnias, and celosia were cut from our garden. For a no fuss arrangement, I placed the cut flowers in the bottles and voila! You probably noticed the condensation in the bottles. I tried to prevent it but with the humidity it was impossible. My camera lens kept fogging up also. Needless to say, I was dripping wet within a few minutes!
We planted our seeds much earlier this year and by the first of July we had sunflowers in bloom! Sadly, all the blooms are now gone. The birds don’t seem to mind as they are feasting on the seed heads.
“Like a single sunbeam on a warm summer day, there is an exuberance and brilliance in a sunflower.”
~Unknown
“The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.”
~Sue Monk Kidd
The table for two was kept simple. However we chose to enjoy dinner inside where it was nice and cool!
“Summer’s happiest garden face is that of the sunflower.”
-Pam Richardson
Now it is time to see the beautiful sunflower creations from Mary, Shirley, and Lidy!
Mary ~ Home Is Where The Boat Is
Shirley ~ Housepitality Designs
Lidy ~ FrenchGardenHouse
After removing all the items from the table setting, I decided to leave the sunflowers to enjoy. Two days later they still looked great!
Thank you for your visits and gracious comments. Wishing you a delightful day!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
Swoon Pam! Your bottle sunflower arrangement is stunning! I love all varieties of sunflowers but I can’t take my eyes away from those ‘Florenza’ beauties! I hear you on the heat and humidity. Last week was so miserable to be outside for any length of time,(even on the porch) with 104 degree ‘real feel’ temps. I have to plan 2 hours ahead if I’m going to photograph outside and put my camera on the porch so the lens will warm up and not fog. I agree, “Summer’s happiest garden face is that of the sunflower”! Thank you for sharing the beauty and flower therapy this morning. It’s always a treat to share blooms with you. ♥
Thank you Mary. We are getting a gentle rain this morning which we were needing. Have a wonderful Tuesday!🌻♥️
Pam, your sunflower arrangement in your bottles is a perfect vessel for them. It gives the look as if they are growing in the field. Beautiful AC cloth is the perfect foundation. The humidity here has been almost unbearable also. Sunflowers are the happiest flower and I love your many varieties. Beautiful as always. Have a blessed week.
Thank you Dianne 🌻 Enjoy your week!
Sunflowers are such a happy flower. I love how you used several bottles for your arrangement.
Thank you Penny 🌻
I love how colorful, cheery, gorgeous and yet oh so simple this all is. This is my kind of tablescape… especially these days when I have been so busy with family fun (the best kind of busy!)
The long wooden box and the really cool looking bottles are an added bonus!
Your sunflowers are quite a delight to see. I enjoyed seeing the differences in the ones you planted.And as I am typing this… I see a little sunflower that a bird planted …it just bloomed beside my front porch! 🌻
I still have not found any sunflower fields… but I am determined. We do have rain forecasted for each day this week. SomI will have to plan accordingly.
Stay cool and dry too. Happy Monday!
Nancy, I am happy for you that you are having so much fun. Thank you my sweet friend 🌻
Oh Pam I adore this table! Love the row of bottles in the box behind the beautiful table for two! Before I read about the condensation, I thought the bottles were painted! This simple arrangement really makes an impact and the colors of the cloth and napkins are lovely. Yes, it’s way to hot to eat outside!
Jenna
Thank you Jenna. We are grateful for the rain this morning.
Pam, I love the arrangement with the bottles! I didn’t appreciate how large it was until the last photo taken from a distance!! I can never get enough of sunflowers, they truly are the happiest of flowers. It sure feels like a griddle here (great quote), and my windows are literally streaming water. Hoping Fred is going to bring us some much needed rain, looks like you will be in the path also. Stay safe!
Thank you Roxanne. We are getting a gentle rain this morning which we needed. Happy Tuesday!
Sunflowers speak to my soul Pam. In so many ways! I love them. Your array of beautiful is simply stunning. I am hoping to get some planted late August for Fall blooms. I hope your week is wonderful to you and you and Butch stay healthy. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Thank you Cindy. I will look forward to your fall sunflowers 🌻
Sun Flowers are such happy flowers. I love them! I also love your arrangement- simple, but elegant. The flowers you added to the sunflowers make a beautiful arrangement. You always give me wonderful ideas. Bless you for enduring August heat and humidity to inspire us.
Thank you Nancy. I love sharing flowers to sprinkle a little sunshine!
Pam, I love this! What a stunning, bright and cheerful arrangement of sunflowers- this will make anyone happy seeing your bottles in a row filled with summer beauty. Bless you for enduring the heat to share your flowers and inspiring all of us this Monday Morning Blooms. It’s always such a joy to share our Monday Morning Blooms together dear friend. ❤️
Thank you my friend. I love sharing MMB’s ♥️
Pam, Your alfresco table is beautiful! Your bottle arrangement is so pretty and represents the perfect summer arrangement. Love the tablecloth and your drinking glasses are such a pretty color. Your sunflowers and zinnias are so colorful and healthy. You have a green thumb indeed. Enjoy your day sweet friend. Clara❤️
Thanks so much, Clara! Happy Tuesday ♥️
First of all, of all of the sunflower quotes, I love yours the best!…I have placed a note on my 2022 calendar to “plant sunflower seeds”….Mr. RM truly has a green thumb as you…the sunflowers are exceptional!…I can’t imagine how your sunflower fields looked! You two have made the birds and bees and “we people” happy!
As always your table is set so beautifully and always envy your gorgeous collection of tablecloths! So happy to share the sunshine with you today and hope that your temps will drop soon…hoping that for here too..Have a most fabulous week Pam!!!
Thank you Shirley. Yes, definitely plant sunflowers. You will love seeing their happy faces!
Such a pretty arrangement. My favorite flowers. Were in Georgia so i know what you mean about the heat. Been just awful here. Were so ready for fall.
Thank you Judy. I am definitely looking forward to fall!
This is lovely Pam! I adore the sunflowers. I like the tablecloth, glasses and dishes you chose. Subtle as to not compete with the sunflowers and beautiful too!
Thanks so much Liz!
This is definitely the time of year to eat indoors but your prettily set table outside would be very tempting.
Thank you Karen. Autumn is perfect for outdoor dining!
Love your sunflower varieties! They look so pretty on your woodland table with a few zinnias and celosia. I relate to the instant fogging up from the humidity. The tablecloth and table setting accents your arrangement well.
MMB is always a treat.
Thank you Bonnie. I am glad you enjoy MMB’s. Happy Tuesday!
Pam your sunflowers are glorious and ever so happy! You just need music and those sweet girls dancing.
Your table is so lovely and inviting. The red sunflowers are a favorite of mine.
Have a happy week, sweet friend. Stay out of the heat.
Thank you Sandra. It is raining this morning and slightly cooler temps. Happy Tuesday!
Happy flowers. We are so blessed, even when the temps are triple digit and so is the humidity or so it seems. We are in the middle of a drought And dry eyes are some of the results. And crops are burning up in the fields. Still we are blessed with full stomach and not having to run for our lives. Please pray for the people of Afghanistan .
Alice, I so hope you get much needed rain soon. It is raining here this morning from TS Fred. Praying for our country and for Afghanistan. My heart is overwhelmed 🙏🏻
Pam, this post is the perfect start to my day! Sunflowers are the happiest of flowers! Your arrangement is beautiful and looks so lovely in your shaded picnic area. The AC tablecloth is the perfect anchor. Happy Tuesday, sweet friend!
Thank you Shannon. Wishing you a lovely Tuesday, my friend!
Pam, I love the new variety of sunflower. Gorgeous! I also love the idea of using a tall bottle. The sunflowers seem to stand at attention, their faces smiling at the camera. This is beautiful and perfect tribute to sunflowers.
Thank you Sarah. I do love sunflowers, they make me smile!
I’m another who loves sunflowers. We often pass a house with a number of them clustered in the front yard. Such a happy sight! Your tablescape is also a happy sight–calming too. I so admire your talent for putting together these inviting vignettes!
Thank you for your sweet visit, Nancy!
pam, all these golden blossoms on this gray late summer afternoon bring a touch of joy … and a smile!
I am so glad it brought a touch of joy, Linda!
I am so capitvated by your sunflower tablesetting with the different bottles that I might have to try to mini-duplicate that! Not that I have matching bottles and my long skinny box is at home not here at the lake. But oh, I just adore that!
As always, thank you Jeanie! Happy weekend.
Sunflowers are my daughter’s favorites! I’m sure she’ll love this! I’ve never grown sunflowers in my garden — it’s not really large enough for flower stalks taller than me, lol. But I enjoy them just the same.
I’ve been missing your posts lately! I don’t know what happened, so I’m going to re-submit my email again and see if that works. Computer troubles on my side are probably to blame! Anyway . . . back to the beauty of flowers. These arrangements and colors make me miss the days of open entertaining and visiting with friends. If it’s not one thing, it’s a plague. Thanks for the mood-boost, and I hope to see your posts in my inbox again soon!
Leslie Anne, welcome back! Hopefully you will receive new posts. Happy Weekend!
Adorable post! How happy and breathtaking! Stunning sunflowers…We called it “GIRASSOL” ! Blessings.
Thank you Maristella! Blessings my friend!
Your beautiful sunflowers have inspired me Pam! I am making myself a mental note to plant some of these next season. You can’t help but smile seeing them, so their ‘happy’ reputation rings true. Take care my friend, Suzanne.
Thank you Suzanne!
I adore your box with the bottles of flowers – so unique and cheery. This is the first year I grew sunflowers and was pleasantly surprised as I don’t have much of a green thumb!
Thank you Patti. I am so glad you have been able to grow sunflowers this year!