Hello sweet friends and Happy Tuesday! The heat and humidity continue in our Appalachian Foothills, but it is expected because it’s just summer in the South!
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Psalm 4:8 (ESV)
Pour yourself a glass of iced tea and join me for a sunflower parade!
Anticipation builds as I look forward to the sunflower parade each year! I love capturing images of their large, happy, and sunny faces. Once they begin blooming I take a few photos almost every day.
My sweet RM has been planting sunflower seeds for many years. We order sunflower and zinnia seeds from Johnny’s Seeds and have had wonderful success! They still send out a couple of catalogs each year and it is fun to peruse the pages of flower and vegetable seeds. In January we ordered four varieties…ProCut Bicolor, Sunrich Summer Provence, Desert Sun, and Sunbright Supreme.
‘ProCut Bicolor’ are mahogany red flowers with gold tips and a dark disk. They grow on a single strong stem. We have enjoyed growing this variety for several years.
The stages of a sunflower are interesting to me, especially as they begin to reveal their bright yellow color…
…and a little more!
‘Desert Sun’ is a new seed that produces radiant bicolor flowers that are 5-7 inches wide with strong stems. Rich reddish petals shift to lemon and gold hues at the petal edges.
As a sunflower begins to fade, its petals will fall off and leave big seed pods that birds will feast on.
This photo of a ‘Desert Sun’ bloom shows the red petals as they shift to a lemon hue at the edge! They are similar to the ‘ProCut Bicolor’, but they are branching rather than single stem.
“Like a violin’s moving sweetness in a love song, sunflowers are nature’s strings in summer’s symphonies of color.”
~Butch Richardson
For more, click A Sunflower Symphony!
‘Sunrich Summer Provence’ produce upward-facing, uniform blooms that are packed with petals…
…and are classic sunflower colors in 4 to 6 inch bloom size!
“Like a single sunbeam on a warm summer day, there is an exuberance and brilliance in a sunflower.”
~Unknown
Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies are attracted to sunflowers! Birds love the seeds, especially the American Goldfinch. Butch often sits quietly and patiently waiting for winged visitors to show up. You can see one of his hiding places on Simple + Southern Sunday No. 504!
Sunflower seeds were planted in four different patches—behind the cottage garden, near the woodlands in the eastern portion of our yard, behind and to the right of the main garden, and in a bed on the west side of the driveway.
If sunflowers were singers, they would be John Denver fans and all be singing “sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy”!
Thank you for enduring the summer heat to view the sunflower parade!
Wishing you a delightful day!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Good Morning Pam and Butch,
I am singing Sunshine on My Shoulders as I type. John Denver would be so happy to see your Sunflowers.
What beauty you have surrounded yourselves with. Each sunflower is a work of art. God is good!
Thank you for the tea and the stroll this morning. Happy Day to you!
Thank you, Nancy. If I ever get a tune in my head and will stay there all day 😂 As always, thank you for your visit and Happy Tuesday 🌻
Good morning! Is it possible to look at a sunflower without smiling? Keep those pictures coming. They are popping up everywhere in fields around our area; I always pretend I’m in France when I drive by. This year I neglected to order from Johnny’s and bought my zinnia seeds at a big box store; results have been a little disappointing. After no rain for 3 weeks and temps hovering around 100, we received a glorious 2.6” Sunday night! It was like waking up to a whole new world on Monday. Fresh iced tea already brewed and in the fridge…Sweet tea, wine of the South! Hugs!!
How fun to imagine you are in France when you drive by the sunflower fields. We had rain last night and my garden is thankful! Have a wonderful day and enjoy the wine of the South!
Pam you just have to love a sunflower. They are so beautiful. They stand tall and bring such beauty. Happy New Week. Hugs. Kris
Sunflowers are just so happy 🌻 Happy Tuesday, Kris!
So stunning Pam and Butch! Sunflowers do bring instant smiles and cheer! How wonderful to have 4 patches full of them!
Thank you, Jenna 🌻🌻🌻 I love seeing their happy faces!
Good morning, Pam! This post makes me so happy as I sip my tea this morning! Each summer, I always enjoy seeing all of your varieties of sunflowers. They are truly beautiful and works of art. The captures you shared of each stage of the sunflower are wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing these gorgeous blooms and adding a bright spot to my day. Happy Tuesday, dear friend!
Thanks so much, Shannon! Wishing you a wonderful day 🌻🌻🌻
It will be a bit before we see sunflowers here in Michigan so I’m happy to revel in the joy oand beauty of yours. They are wonderful!
Thanks so much, Jeanie 🌻
Hi Pam, The John Denver song is a perfect representation for sunflowers. Your different varieties are all beautiful, so picking a favorite is impossible. We got a really nice rain from Beryl but, unfortunately, we can’t send it your way as it is headed northeast. The sunflowers are such a happy flower. They make you smile. Happy Tuesday! Hope you get a few showers as we know you need them. Clara❤️
Thank you, Clara! We had almost 2 inches of rain on Sunday and more last night. We are so thankful for the showers and happy you got rain. Sunflowers are happy and make me smile 🌻❤️🌻
Sweet Pam,
I love all the varieties and beauties here! I love sunflowers! As a John Denver fan, I’ll join them in singing, too!
It’s been such busy times, my friend. We’ve had family reunions and my sweet Mom has been in the hospital twice, but all is well now and she’s home. I pray for your Dad, Butch, and family every day, even if I don’t “see” you. I love stopping by your place and reading your words of wisdom (Butch–your quote is MY favorite–how perfect!!!) and seeing the beauty at your homestead!
Much love and prayers, always, Karla 💕🌻
Sunflowers always make me smile and why not sing with them?🌻 I am so sorry to read about your mom, but happy to know that she is better. We appreciate your prayers and we continue praying for you our precious friend! Sending love to you and your family ❤️
Count me as one singing along. Love John Denver’s music. I love this sunny parade, Pam and Butch. I’ve never spread sunflower seeds for lack of a good spot, but I’ve had birds occasionally plant some for me and enjoyed those surprises. Happy Sunny Day!
Thanks so much, Sarah. There are many who love John Denver’s music! Sunflowers are happy and make me smile🌻❤️🌻
Pam and Butch, I love all your sunflowers! They remind me of Kansas which is the Sunflower state. Growing up there, one could find fields and fields of sunflowers planted by nature. Bar ditches held sunflowers and tiger lilies and I loved playing with them and arranging them in “gourd” vases…I didn’t even mind the sticky and prickly green stems of the tall sunflowers. It is funny you should mention John Denver, as I have always thought Butch resembled him. (I think I have mentioned it before.) Anyway, they both are wonderful with music and it is sad that we don’t have the talented Mr. Denver with us anymore, but his music lives on. ‘Sunshine on my shoulders always makes me happy’ as do country roads. ‘Take me home country roads’ lets me go back home to Kansas in my reverie as do your sunflowers. If I close my eyes, I am barefoot and running through the sunflower fields of Kansas, even though the songs talks of West Virginia. As he has said; “It is an anthem of sorts for anyone who longs for the comfort of home and the beauty of nature.”
Thank you dear friends.
Kari, Butch and I both love that you share such sweet stories and memories! Butch did look just like John Denver and could sing and play all of his songs and sounded just like John. His music is definitely a part of our love story. We were fortunate to see him in concert 9 or 10 times. We were able to take Seth to 2 of those, one when he was 7 and one when he was 12! He also loves John’s music!
I can see you running barefoot through those Kansas sunflower fields and “gold is just a windy Kansas wheat field, and blue is just a Kansas summer sky.”
Thank you, my friend🌻
What beauty and a sight to behold Pam and Butch! I so enjoyed your sunflower parade. 🌻🌻🌻 ‘Desert Sun’ is so striking and I love the photos of the sunflowers with the bokeh from the lights in the background. I’m late to visit as I hit the ground running to get my watering, garden chores and errands done. This heat is oppressive and leaves me lethargic! I had hopes of some rain this week but our chances appear to be drying up. Stay cool. 💛
Thank you, Mary. I will definitely order ‘Desert Sun’ again. We had almost 2 inches of rain on Sunday, 1/4 inch last night and it has been raining for the past hour. I hope you get rain soon, watering every day is time consuming and no fun. It rained so hard on Sunday that it beat down the lower branches on my hydrangeas. I understand the oppressive heat, it also leaves me lethargic! Stay cool, Mary!
Sunflowers are such happy plants Pam. Thank you for sharing them with us. 😊
Blessings, Jennifer
Thank you my friend!
i’m catching myself smiling as i scroll through these lovely photos. sunflowers have that affect on us, don’t they. love this summertime stroll, friend. i hope you guys are doing well and keeping cool.
Thanks so much, Linda. We are doing well, trying to pace ourselves in the heat and humidity.
Pam and Butch, your sunflowers are magical. They are such a happy flower. Thank you for sharing your source. This intense heat is awful. I wish we would get rain. Stay cool.
Thanks so much, Linda! I know your heat is horrendous. We don’t have those high temps but mid to upper 90’s and high humidity drains my energy 🌻
Whatever the variety, is there a happier bloom in God’s sweet garden than a sunflower? Brings a spontaneous smile and a whisper of gratitude for its endearing/enduring message. And just look at
the feast they provide for winged folk. Thank you for creating that special place of sunshine to
share with us. Blessings ….
Thanks so much, Mary! They do provide a delicious buffet for the winged folk 🌻🌻🌻
Oh Pam, lucky you and Butch to be able to enjoy the beauty of these cheerful, happy, gorgeous sunflowers! I didn’t realize how many varieties there are. You must smile whenever you go outside! 😊 🌻 😊🌻
Thank you, Kitty! I do enjoy seeing them! 🌻🌻🌻
Such beautiful pictures of gorgeous flowers. Thank you!
Thanks so much!
Pam, your parade of sunflowers is magnificent – they are such happy flowers that it is impossible not to smile. I have to confess that I honestly don’t know when they bloom here but I have seen some in the grocery store, although could be imported i guess. We are hot and dry and dusty here and I long for some rain. I loved John Denver and now his song is going through my head lol. Hope you are staying (kinda) cool down there and Happy Monday to you and thanks for the wonderful show!
Thank you, Kim! It has been very dry and hot here. We did receive rain this afternoon and suppose to get more this week! We loved John Denver and saw him at least 10 times in concert! He remains one of our favorites! I hope your stack of boxes is getting shorter!
Yes! I agree that would be a fitting and lovely song for a sunflower to sing! Until I began reading your blog, I never realized there were so many kinds of sunflowers. Just beautiful!
Thank you, Cheryl. There are so many varieties🌻🌻🌻