A Touch of Provence

Monday Morning Blooms
I am honored to be invited to be a 'guest bloomer' for Monday Morning Blooms today. Mary, Pam, and Lidy are very talented floral designers that showcase their talent on the first Monday of every month.  Click on the links below to view their beautiful posts.  I am so happy to join them today!

The theme today is sunflowers. Join me for a touch of Provence.  I'm using a sunflower tablecloth that was bought in1997, in Avignon, by my mother-in-law.

The yellow plates were my grandmother's. I remember fondly using those at her farmhouse when I was a child. The plates are Rivera by Homer Laughlin made in the '30s and '40s. They bring back pleasant memories, and I am happy to have them. Gold vintage Fostoria goblets add a touch of fall to the table.

I used this same tablecloth back in 2016 in a local sunflower field. I had hoped to do that again, but it did not work out. However, my garden is much cooler than the 90-degree day when this picture was taken.

Limelights from my garden were added to store-bought sunflowers and placed in vintage olive oil jars. Sunflowers are such happy flowers, and sunflower seeds and oil are useful products made from sunflowers.  They grow here in the United States and in many countries and are the national flower of Ukraine and the state flower of Kansas. The memory of my in-law's trip to Provence and my mother-in-law's tablecloth makes me think of the olive groves there. The taste of fresh olives and a baguette of bread dipped in olive oil transports me back to our trip there also. 

Here are some fun facts I found on the web about sunflowers.

Fun Facts About Sunflowers.

Each sunflower is actually thousands of teeny flowers.

Each sunflower can contain as many as 1,000 to 2,000 seeds. ...

Sunflowers are native to North America. ...

There are about 70 species of sunflowers. ...

The tallest sunflower on record was over 30 feet tall. ...

Sunflowers track the sun.

Sunflowers brighten a room and make a delightful statement in any setting.

And since I have a large open area, I thought three arrangements would fill the space nicely, and I had three similar containers.

I thoroughly enjoyed eating the props after taking the photos!

I read this online: Did you know that in 1987, an anonymous buyer paid 39.85 million dollars for Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting? The artist originally hoped to sell the painting for $125.00. 

I wish we all could sit down together in my garden and have a lovely chat.

 " Light enchanted sunflower, thou who gazest ever true and tender on the sun's revolving splendour." 

Vincent Van Gogh

I look forward to seeing Mary, Pam, and Lidy's sunflower arrangements. Thank you, ladies, for inviting me to join you today! Click below to view their lovely posts.

Mary at Home Is Where the Boat Is

Lidy at French Garden House

Pam at Everyday Living 
I had a great time, friends.
Living Thankfully,🌻🌻🌻

Eight types of colored sunflowers

Sunflowers make me happy!  Do you remember this tablescape using sunflowers I did last year?

 I had no idea there were so many kinds of sunflowers. FTD has the most wonderful blog and talented people that work for them. 

I am happy to share a great article and resource about sunflowers from FTD. Be sure to pin for future reference when you open their guide.

Nothing represents summer quite like the sunflower! They are known for the golden hue of their petals that match the suns beautiful rays. However, despite popular belief, not all sunflowers possess this bright yellow color they are so well known for! To help you better understand the different kinds of colored sunflowers, FTD has created a guide that goes over the eight most popular colored types and their names. From creamy mustard to deep red wine, here is a visual guide to the fifteen of the most beautiful sunflowers and eight of the most popular types of colored sunflowers. 

 After viewing the guide,  tell me if you have planted any of these types of sunflowers in your garden? 

You might also enjoy reviewing a guide from FTD on hydrangeas I shared last year here.

Weren't these great resources?

 Have a wonderful week.

Joining: Gardens Galore, Metamorphosis Monday   Botanic Bleu  Show and Share  The Scoop  Celebrate and Decorate  Inspire Me Tuesday  Wow Us Wednesday  Tablescape Thursday  Share Your Style Party ,Share Your Cup, Thoughts of Home  Foodie Friday  Feathered Nest Friday  Dishing It & Digging It   Calypso in the Country, Sunday's At Home

 

Hooray for the red, white and blue

July 4th is a time to celebrate our country. May we  reflect on our heritage, our bountiful blessings, our customs, and our values of freedom and liberty for all.
As we set our holiday tables in red, white and blue and prepare traditional barbecues for family and friends let us reflect on our wonderful country.

Provencal Tablecloth Inspiration

Sunflowers are happy aren't they? I've wanted to use my provencal tablecloth from Avignon for a while. Since this is the sunflower season it was time.