It’s sunflower season! August with its hot days of summer is the time that the happy faces of sunflowers arrive to bring charm and their bit of sunshine to your home. Their brilliant yellow color brightens up every spot around your house, and their golden colors glow with summer and early autumn joy. Here is An Easy Sunflower Arrangement that brings in the sun, and lightens up chez vous with happiness, hope and smiling flower faces.
Sunflowers are the symbol of happiness, adoration, loyalty, and longevity. Sunflowers are so easy to arrange, either alone, like I did, or with a few fillers to keep them company. They are long lasting, and the best thing is that you really don’t need that many to create a fantastic arrangement.
WELCOME TO MONDAY MORNING BLOOMS!
Pam, Mary, Shirley and I are so thrilled that you are here! This time, we are all featuring sunflowers, the sunniest, happiest flowers. I hope this post inspires you to pick up a bunch of sunflowers and add a bit of sunshine to your home.
Be sure to visit each of my friends by clicking on the links at the very bottom of this post.
Just like last year, I am in my “busiest” week this week, because it’s when everything I’ve sourced for the shop for F A L L starts arriving. Today, somewhere between photographing the antiques and beautiful things I bought for this year’s fall collection, I had to figure out a way to share a floral arrangement for our beloved Monday Morning Blooms. I hope you will enjoy this easy bunch of sunflowers that I’ve placed in my armoire together with some of my very favorite antique French Country pottery pieces.
I take all my own photos for any advertising we do for FrenchGardenHouse, and these photos worked so well for the fall issue of Southern Home magazine. After much thinking, I ended up choosing the shot without the sunflowers and added another table to the area and a painting. {for advertising, it’s better to show more of the antiques!} I’m sharing it so that you can see the green antique French pottery piece that holds the sunflowers.
FUN FACTS ABOUT SUNFLOWERS:
Sunflowers Really are Sun-Flowers
Their very name already spells it out! “Helianthus” is their scientific name – “helia” for sun, and “anthus” for flower. The sunflower is the only flower with “flower” in its name.
Sunflower heads point east toward the sunrise. Before they bloom, the sunflower stems tilt the flower bud to try to receive a maximum amount of sunlight throughout the day. By evening, they are pointing west, toward the sunset. The flowers actually track the sun’s position throughout the day, from sunrise to sunset. Overnight, they’ll reset to their original eastward position and wait for the morning, ready to follow the sun’s path once again. Once the flowers bloom, though, they no longer follow the sun, and stay in an eastward position.
READ MORE ABOUT THESE HAPPY FLOWERS >
Record Setting
The tallest sunflower in the world according to Guinness is 30 ft., 1 inch high. And the biggest diameter of a sunflower head ever grown was 32-1/4″, by Emily Martin in British Columbia, Canada in September 1983.
Russian Love
Peter the Great brought sunflowers to Russia during his reign in the 1700’s after seeing them in Holland. He thought they would look wonderful in Russia’s green valleys. Originally just a decorative flower until, in 1829, an oil press was invented. Sunflower oil was much less expensive then other oils, and it became the most popular type of oil used by citizens. Russia is the number two grower of sunflowers, and sunflower seeds are a national favorite snack.
THIS ARRANGEMENT
For this arrangement, I began with selecting a sturdy, tall antique French pottery piece. Sunflowers are quite heavy, so selecting the right vase that won’t tip over is always a good idea. {Later on, I’ll share my tips for working with sunflowers in an arrangement.}
I love how the golden color of the flowers echo the antique French pottery pieces. The Provence area of France has fields and fields of sunflowers, and this pottery comes from there too! They are a match made in heaven I think.
Sometimes it’s a great idea to put flowers in your armoire, or on a book shelf. Flowers lighten up any corner, and especially in summer or early fall when flowers are blooming profusely, it’s a good time to spread the joy beyond your coffee table or dining room, don’t you agree?
Besides the sunflowers, I had a tiny bunch of coral colored roses left over from the week before. I mixed them in with alstroemerias that had really seen better days, but nestled in this antique French preserving jar they still look quite beautiful and bright! This is a good trick to employ if you only have just a few small flowers left, inside a bookcase or armoire they look like more.
Sunflowers can last quite a long time in a vase or pottery container. Just be sure to change out the water often, and/or cut the stems a little. When they are bloomed out or looking brown and frazzeled? I pluck off the yellow petals, and use the brown centers in fall arrangements! I love how that looks, if you have never tried it, I encourage you to try it!
The epitome of summer, here’s how to get the most out of these gorgeous large blooms.
TIPS FOR A STUNNING SUNFLOWER ARRANGEMENT
- Try to buy sunflowers that are still a bit closed – they’ll last longer.
- If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves when handling their furry stems, they can be irritating.
- Cut each stem in a 45-degree angle with sharp shears under running water.
- Pull out any wilting leaves.
- Place each newly cut stem in a bucket of water mixed with a flower preservative.
Sunflowers look great all by themselves, or mixed in with other flowers! Go out and get some today, because this is the time that they are at their freshest, most beautiful and best.
Please be sure to visit my talented friends by clicking on their links below their photograph….I’ll see you there!
Shirley at Housepitality Designs
and me, Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Do you love sunflowers? We’d love to hear if you do, or not!
A BIENTOT
Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and above all uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com
Welcome to our back room.
Lidy, Your antique French pottery piece makes the perfect vessel for your sunflowers! Your armoire is beautifully curated with your signature style and collection of confit pots, jars, tole tray and gorgeous fringed throw. I love sunflowers this time of year as the cheery yellow rays and brown centers seem to marry both seasons of summer and fall. I can’t begin to imagine a 30 foot tall sunflower or a 32-inch sunflower head! Thank you for sharing the beauty and flower therapy this morning. It’s always a treat to share blooms with you. Happy Monday <3
Mary, that is the perfect description, they marry both seasons of summer and fall! I love them for this reason….I am always anxious to hold on to summer a tiny bit but much more excited about fall being around the corner. It’s always such joy to share our blooms together, friend.
Lidy, the armoire is so beautifully styled with your antique French pottery filled with the happiest of all flowers, the sunflower. What lovely vignettes you have created for the armoire. I do adore the throw casually placed over the door. I loved our short jaunt into Provence and I can only dream of seeing the fields of sunflowers. That would be amazing!
I always enjoy sharing Monday Morning Blooms and flower therapy with my sweet friends. You always inspire!
Pam, I agree, the sunflower IS the happiest of flowers. Your arrangement was so gorgeous…just amazing. You always inspire too, happy MMB!
The sunflowers look beautiful in the colorful French crockery tucked into the armoire Lidy, and I so enjoyed reading the fun facts about their history. Sunflowers are one of my favorites, especially for late Summer and early Fall decor…it’s hard not to smile when you see them, they really brighten any space they’re in. Thank you for all the great tips too!
Jenna, aren’t sunflowers so happy? Their sunny faces are beautiful, and I love them at this time of year and in the fall too. I agree, it’s hard not to smile when you see them
Lidy! I loved your feature in the July/August issue of Victoria
Magazine. So “summery” and inspiring! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much, Melissa! Thank you for joining us for flower therapy today!
I love seeing your cupboard of pottery. Your sunflowers in that green jug is gorgeous! All 4 posts of sunflowers has started my Monday on a happy note.
Nancy, thank you. YAY for happy notes!! xo
Oh my goodness…that armoire!…What a beautifully styled armoire filled with the most exquisite antiques…Love the vase of sunflowers strategically placed for the “wow factor” i think I shall roam the house and see where I can place a bouquet of flowers for that “wow factor” Thank you as always for the ever so informative tips and history today. You are an amazing stylist and writer Lidy! So happy to share some sunshine with you today!!! Don’t work too hard and looking forward to your new Fall line!
Thank you sweet Shirley! I’m so happy to share some sunshine with you today too! Happy Monday Morning Blooms!
It definitely is the sunshine flower, and transitions into Fall beautifully. I agree with you Lidy it can brighten up any space you put in. Another awesome edition of Monday Morning Blooms ladies, always a bright spot to be inspired by your beautiful arrangements!
Thank you so much Denise! I’m so happy you are inspired.
Good Afternoon Lidy…
Another exquisite post from our lovely Lidy.
I enjoyed seeing your armoire styled so beautifully with your French Crocks and such. Your French pottery piece for the sunflowers was perfect and how nice that it fits so well in the armoire.
I really enjoyed the pictures from France… you took me back to our visit there. Thank you!
Enjoy the rest of your week and enjoy stocking your shop.
Nancy, you are so sweet! I’m always so in love with the Provencal pottery pieces, if I could, I’d wrap them all up and ship boat loads over to our shop. 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful week! xo
Lidy, Your sunflowers are so beautiful in your green antique pottery piece. The armoire full of so many lovely pieces is very eye-catching. Great styling.
Thanks for all the arranging tips. Your photography is beautiful.
I saw large fields of sunflowers in Italy.
MMB is always a treat.
Thank you so much Bonnie. Fields of sunflowers are so beautiful to see, aren’t they?! Happy Monday friend!
Happy sunflowers so pretty. Your photos in magazines make me want to purchase everything in the ad. And I love the small bench in the armoire with the books and tray behind along with the coral roses and the green jug. What a delight. Please pray for the people in Afghanistan.
Lidy, the armoire is filled with goodies. Thanks for sharing with us. Your shop is always a treat. Makes me feel as if I’m shopping France. Sunflowers are a favorite for me. I enjoyed your post and all the information.
Exquisite vignettes…Absolutely inspiring.
Just love how you styled your cabinet for Fall! I have an antique hutch filled with brown and green glassware. I have thought about opening it in the fall but not throwing a blanket on one door and accessorizing inside and in front of it. What a great idea! Thank you as always for your awesome inspiration….your cabinet is beautiful!
Linda,
Thank you, Linda. Here’s hoping you throw open the doors and create some autumn magic for the coming season.