For the Love of Sunflowers

by Kimba on September 2, 2010

in In the Garden

One of my favorite things about late summer (besides lightning bugs and cooler nights), is the blooming sunflower. A few months ago, I professed my undying love for my hydrangeas and showed you how to make a quick and beautiful arrangement.

But now, my beloved hydrangeas are past their prime. Which is just as well because my sunflowers are in full bloom and ready for lots of cutting!

Photo: Penn State Ag Department

I think lots of people mistakenly assume that all sunflowers are ginormous and require tons of space to grow. Giant sunflowers (like the Mammoth variety) are fun to grow, but they definitely belong outside (or in the back of a magenta pick-up truck). Unless, of course, you have vases made of lead and huge rooms that can handle their comically large proportions.

There are lots of smaller sunflower varieties that are fantastic for cutting and making quick bouquets. You don’t need acres of land to grow them and you can get lots of flowers from one plant. Some varieties to look for are:

Autumn Beauty
Italian White
Lemon Queen
Red Sun
Teddy Bear (that the one in my pictures)

But don’t limit yourself to this list. Look at the seeds available in your store and find multi-branched varieties with smaller blooms. The multi-branched varieties will get you more flowers on each plant.

We usually plant our seeds a few weeks before Mother’s Day so we can use them as gifts and so they get a head start on the growing season.

That bouquet in the mason jar is going to a neighbor to say “Thanks for letting us crash in on your new swimming pool!”

What’s blooming in your garden now?

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{ 7 comments }

Hello, my friends! I’ve missed you all so much!!!! It was wonderful taking a 2 week blogging break, but I definitely missed this world.

My hubby calls you all the “friends who live in my computer”, but I’ve discovered that you’re also “friends who live in my head and my heart”. That sounds weird doesn’t it? Moving on.

It was a busy 2 weeks. Here’s a quick run-down of what I’ve been doing…in pictures.

This little goof-ball celebrated his 4th birthday (insert tears from me).

Sesame Place

We took a little road trip to eastern PA to visit with all of these guys. I can definitely say that Sesame Place is worth a visit if you’re in the area. The boys had a fantastic time!

Then I put this toothless fella… (is there anything cuter than missing front teeth? I think not.)

On one of these…

For this…

(insert more tears from me.) Are you noticing a pattern yet?

I also learned how to make the most amazing (and EASY!) bread ever. Post coming soon. This also got a few tears…of PURE JOY!

And let’s not forget the mountain of these that were read. Our library cards were smoking! Lots of fun read-alouds with the kids and some just for myself. HEAVEN!

We also knocked a few more things off our Summer List. It’s not quite done, so we’re now calling it our Summer into Fall List.

What was your favorite thing from this summer?

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{ 29 comments }

Catching My Breath

August 16, 2010

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost control of your time? That you’ve let too many things creep onto your schedule and that the really important things are getting pushed aside? You say yes and yes to more and more. Not bad things. Good things! But even good things can be a problem when they [...]

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Sunday Morning

August 15, 2010

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 photo credit: Brian Hathcock Like this post? Email, print or share it!

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Housekeeping

August 12, 2010

Hey gals! I’ve been neglectful in announcing winners from a couple of giveaways so we’ll remedy that today. The winner of the $40 gift certificate to Knitty Bitties is: Sara L (no blog but the allissasslave email address). I’ve emailed you! Make sure you check out Knitty Bitties for super adorable ruffled pouches, wallets, notebook [...]

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DIY Day ~ The Beach Edition

August 10, 2010
Thumbnail image for DIY Day ~ The Beach Edition

Woohoo! I’m so excited to be doing another special edition of DIY Day! This is DIY Day ~ The Beach Edition! Go grab your best beachy posts and link ‘em up here! I’ll leave the definition of beachy up to you. If you don’t have something new, go get something from your archives! It’s getting [...]

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