Sunflowers are the symbol of happiness, adoration, loyalty, and longevity. They bring in the sun! Lighten up chez vous with happiness, hope and smiling flower faces this month. To help you make the most of these happy beauties, I’m sharing some sunflower arranging tips – How to Arrange Sunflowers with Style – so that you can bring some of summer’s favorite flowers home to brighten your days.
Welcome to Monday Morning Blooms! If you came via Mary, Pam, or Sarah, it’s so nice to meet you, I hope you will become one of our circle of friends at FrenchGardenHouse and join me often here on the blog.
Mary, Pam and I are thrilled to have our friend Sarah from Hyacinths for the Soul join us today. You are in for a great flowery kind of day, I’ll share their links at the bottom of this post because you will want to see every single petal of every single summer flower.
For happy summer flower inspiration, we’re all celebrating the sunflower this Monday. Sunflowers are magical flowers in so many ways. Not only can they follow the sun during the day by turning around to face the warmth and brightness, they can grow really, really tall! The height will vary between varieties, but some sunflowers have grown over 30 feet high!
Not happy with being just ONE flower, each sunflower bloom contains hundreds of individual flowers.The middle of the bloom is composed of really tiny flowers called disc flowers. Those things we all call petals are actually ray flowers.
Sunflower Varieties
It’s mind boggling to think that there are over 70 species of sunflowers and hundreds of variations. Sunflowers come in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes. Some of the newer varieties include maroon, pink and red petals, or really shaggy petals that almost look like fringe.
For this month’s Monday Morning Blooms, I made a monochromatic arrangement for a graduation party using all yellow sunflowers and other yellow flowers. Our girl graduated from Middle School, and while the family was visiting us for summer, we had a casual BBQ party in the garden to celebrate her. {Especially important since we were not able to celebrate any kind of thing when she graduated from Elementary school during the pandemic.} It was a little late – but this is the time all the family could fly in so we celebrated her in August!
The sunflower theme was perfect for her, she is a sunny girl!
HOW TO ARRANGE SUNFLOWERS WITH STYLE
First here are some of my best tips for arranging sunflowers, they’re not fussy, really.
Buying the Right Sunflowers
There are many beautiful bouquets of sunflowers to buy. I suggest you try to buy the flowers that are the tightest, still in a bud shape if possible. That way they will last the longest at home, you’ll be able to watch them open up.
Unwrapping Your Sunflower Bouquet
After you get your sunflowers home from the market, the farmer’s market or the grower, unwrap them. Since sunflower stems are fuzzy, some people’s hands are irritated by the little bristles. If that is you, just wear gloves when cleaning and arranging your sunflowers.
Sunflower Care
Sunflowers are very thirsty flowers! Once you get them home, give them a good drink of room temperature water asap. I usually put all the flowers I buy or cut from the garden in an antique zinc flower bucket, but any kind of container that you can fill with plenty of water works. Once you begin arranging, cut their stem with a sharp knife so they can hydrate themselves as much as possible, this will give them a longer life.
In your arrangement, you’ll want to check the water level in your container every day since sunflowers are such drinkers. Changing the water to clean water help prevent the buildup of harmful bacteria, and keeps your water smelling fresh. I add a tiny bit of household bleach to the water to keep the water clear, too.
To Go Solo or Combine with Others
Sunflowers are big, bright and take center stage. They look amazing in a vase all by themselves, but pair well with roses, daisies, asters, and chrysanthemums. You can add contrasting colors, or go for a mono-chromatic look like I did for this arrangement. Other flowers won’t eclipse the grand sunflower, they are just meant to shine!
Choose the Right Container
Sunflowers are really heavy flowers, so be sure to choose a vase that can take the weight. The last thing you want to do is work at making a stunning arrangement, putting it on your French hutch and then it falls over.
Vases that are tall, with a smaller top work great. The wider the opening of your vase is, the more difficult it might be to arrange the flowers. {Unless you buy a huge amount of flowers and put them close together and cut their stems very short.} For this arrangement, I used a short but heavy glass vase which is my favorite, it looks great in ‘real life’ but not as pretty in photos.
Create a Sunny Arrangement
Now that you’ve taken your flowers out of the packaging, and prepared a vase for them, it’s time to design a pretty summery arrangement! Be sure to use your sharp knife or flower shears to cut each stem at a 45º angle. For the buffet table for the graduation party, this sunflower arrangement was perfect.
If you are only using sunflowers, simply put each stem in your vase or container. Once you have looked at your arrangement, you can move blooms around. You can cut stems to different heights, although my personal preference is to have all of the flowers almost the same height. Remove a few flowers and trim them a little and put them back in your vase. This will help your sunflower bouquet look big and showy.
For a mixed arrangement, start with your filler flowers, then add the other flowers. I began this arrangement by putting in the seeded eucalyptus, then the alstroemeria, then the sunflowers. Those cute yellow ball craspedia flowersI were popped in, and the wild chamomile last. Make sure to spread the showy sunflowers throughout your bouquet so that every view point has some sunshine! The celebratory paper banners added fun.
Sunflowers
Alstroemeria Lemonade
Craspedia {Drumstick Flower}
Seeded Eucalyptus
Wild Chamomile
For my table I used a favorite blue and yellow tablecloth as a base for my sunny sunflower arrangement. The antique ironstone French plates have just arrived to the shop from France – they are gorgeous aren’t they?!
My daughter’s friend made these beautiful cookies – they added so much to our desserts table.
DREAM BIG!
You and you alone are the only person who can live the life that writes the story that you were meant to tell.
It was a blessed family party celebrating our girl! The weather outside was perfect, we grilled, we ate, we toasted our glasses to her! Her mom said a beautiful prayer before the meal began, we all held hands and said a blessing over her for her new adventure into high school. {yikes!! She was just a baby yesterday it seems like.}
I printed this graduation saying on our printer at home and added the little graphic graduation cap, then inserted in a black wooden frame behind glass to put on the food buffet. Such a simple inexpensive touch that adds so much to a buffet table!
It’s been a busy summer at FrenchGardenHouse with several milestone parties, family dinners, get-togethers, beach days and more. {loved every minute of it, now sitting in the garden with a glass of lemonade and a good book sounds good!}
I hope you go and buy yourself a big bunch of sunflowers and enjoy all the beauty this sunny bloom has to offer. Party not needed, they will warm up your home during ‘regular’ days, too.
Please be sure to join my friends today for their sunny posts! I’m sharing their links below….see you there! xo
Sarah at Hyacinths for the Soul
and me, Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Add Your Two Cents:
How do you arrange sunflowers at home? Do you love them all by themselves, or do you have a favorite combination of flowers that support the diva sunflower?
A BIENTOT
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Good morning, Lidy! This is a lovely and sweet graduation celebration for your beautiful granddaughter. Oh my they grow up too quickly. Sunflowers are such a happy flower and perfect for a party. The monochromatic arrangement of sunflowers, drumsticks, alstromeria, seeded eucalyptus, and wild chamomile is perfect. The cookies are darling and I bet your girl loved them. I have antique French ironstone plate envy! The plates are beautiful. Thank you for the sunflower tips and sharing Linden’s graduation party. Wishing her a successful first year of high school. It is always a pleasure to share Monday Morning Blooms with you!
Thank you dear friend….it was a wonderful celebration. Time DOES go by way too quickly, I know you are enjoying your little people every second that you can! Happy August, I hope the weather cools down a bit for you over there. It is always a joy and blessing to share our special Mondays together. xo Lidy
Such a special occasion and a beautiful arrangement of lovely sunflowers. Your table setting is so delightful and happy.
Thank you so much Della! Sunflowers do always bring happy and sunny feelings, don’t they! Wishing you a blessed week ahead! xo Lidy
Lidy, first off, congratulations to your sweet girl! How nice to have family here to celebrate the occasion. The party looks like a lovely event, and those darling cookies are calling my name.
Thank you for the very informative post on sunflowers. I’m pinning it for quick reference. I’ve always been more of a “love them by themselves” kind of girl, but I’m sure loving the mix here! Just came from Mary’s post and loving her bouquet with hydrangeas. You girls are so creative! I feel like a Plain Jane with my simple arrangements. Ha! Ha!
Thank you for including me as a guest bloomer today. I’m always honored and thrilled to join you talented ladies.
Have a beautiful day!
Lidy, I returned to add a comment about a new sunflower color grown here by a local flower farm. It’s called plum sunflowers. It’s perfect for fall. Look for it.
I hope your got my first comment. Not sure why it isn’t posting. Please let me know.
Once again thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. What helpful tips for such beautiful flowers!
Your granddaughter is beautiful and I’m certain felt so blessed to have such a special celebration!
Thank you Sharon! It was such a sweet celebration…and the sunny sunflowers are perfect for her! She brings sunshine everywhere she goes! xo Happy Monday!
When we visit SD when the sunflowers are blooming in the fields it’s hard not to stop snd cut them but there is a variety or weed that grows along the country roads where I can stop to collect all I want. I have an old yellow coffee pot that is ideal and as I type I see the pollen is falling so they will now be moved to the steps for the bees to gather the pollen .
How fortunate to be able to see fields of sunflowers blooming, they are a little magical, aren’t they Alice? Your yellow coffee pot sounds ideal to hold these heavy but so charming flowers. Wishing you a blessed week ahead, friend! xo
What a lovely graduation celebration Lidy! Sunflowers are perfect for a happy occasion and look so pretty paired with while Alstromeria, in your signature casual elegant style. Your tablecloth and china are so pretty and your special touches with the framed print out and graduation cookies will be wonderful memories for your girl! Thank you for all the sunflower info and tips too. I love sunflowers, especially this time of year as we transition to Fall~
Thank you so much Jenna. It’s always a joy to celebrate life’s moments, isn’t it? It doesn’t really take much to add a few printed things to personalize a party – I hope she remembers many fun times at our home. Wishing you a lovely Monday, dear Jenna! xo
Lidy, what a wonderful celebration for you dear granddaughter. She is absolutely beautiful! With the sunny and happy disposition of the sunflower, it made the perfect centerpiece for your celebration. Your bouquet is gorgeous! The cookies are adorable and look too pretty to eat. Thank you for all the wonderful sunflower tips you shared. The French plates are so pretty paired with the bright yellow blooms. Happy Monday, sweet friend!
Thank you so much Shannon! It was a fun celebration of our girl, with family from both sides joining in on celebrating her. Wishing you a beautiful week ahead! xo Lidy
Happy Monday Lidy! Congratulations to Linden, what a fun celebration and adorable cookies! Such a pretty girl and I love the photo of you two. Your sunflower arrangement is so cheery and perfect for any kind of celebration. I love the vase of blooms paired with your beautiful blue and yellow tablecloth. I see your beautiful Antique French Blue and White plates are sold out, someone will be very happy to give them a home! I hope you make time out of your busy summer to sit in your garden with a book and something cold to drink. As always, it’s a treat join on these Mondays for some flower therapy. Happy August ?
Thank you so much Mary! Sunflowers are the perfect party flowers in summer, aren’t they? They are so cheerful and happy! It’s a blessing to join you and Pam and Sarah here today. Wishing you a beautiful and cooler week ahead dear friend! xo
Beautiful arrangement, Lidy, and tips. I love what I refer to as good words – the framed words to honor the graduate.
Thank you Rita! I love the “good words” I love those too! Wishing you a lovely week ahead with beautiful summer weather and lots of sunny but not hot days. xo
Such a lovely party for your granddaughter! You thought of every detail. I love your picture of the two of you. What a precious memory.
Thanks for the tips concerning sunflowers.
Your linens and French plates are so elegant!
Your floral arrangement is perfect! And the framed words are too!
I wish you a lovely week.
Thank you so much Bonnie! Sunflowers always bring their sunny disposition don’t they? I wish you a lovely week, too. xo
What a lovely arrangement for your granddaughter. The picture of the two of you is so lovely.
The linens, the plates and the framed words are all perfect details!
Congratulations to your granddaughter!
Lidy, I posted two different comments yesterday, but still don’t see them.
First, let me say how darling Linden is and congratulations to her! Your sunflowers and darling cookies are a perfectly paired. Of course I adore your French country vibe. The sunny yellows and French blues speak to me. My heart is happy!
Thank you for inviting me to join this month. Sunflowers are a summer favorite here and I continue to celebrate them into autumn. A local grower offers plum sunflowers at the farmer’s market in late August early September. They are perfect for the transition into the autumn season. Do you know this variety?
Beautiful arrangement of happy sunflowers on a most wonderful table of celebration of one of life’s most treasured events, a graduation. So happy for Linden…Our Sweetie is off to college next week…a most bittersweet moment…So excited for her, yet will miss her terribly!…Have a most wonderful summer!
Bonjour, Lidy,
Very nice all the above and yes I like sunflower’s a lot you have so many way’s of arranging them, everything is lovely and I think the photo of your granddaughter is so sweet and the saying above is very special she is a lucky young lady to have you for a grandmother. Happy Fall soon, keep cool now, ~~~~Alway’s, Jean~~~~~