The earth paints a portrait of the sun at dawn with sunflowers in bloom. Unhappy with the portrait, she erases it and paints it again and again. - Rabindranath Tagore
The stunning Helianthus (okay, my geeky Greeky friends, let’s take it apart … Helio (sun) anthos (flowers) Tada! Sunflower! ) do seem to kiss the sun good morning every day they are in bloom.
These bold beauties can extend 120 inches (that’s 10 feet for those who ponder without wanting to commit to math) tall, and the gorgeous heads can be several inches in diameter.
While they DO follow the sun when they are young, once they start blooming, they finally face east and stay there until the flower drops off. The sun worship is called heliotropism.
The sunflower is a distinctly North American flower that does have three southern cousins that are not as bold as those from the soil of the northern species. All of the flowers have solid, sturdy stalks that are covered with fuzzy leaves. The heads, as the flowers are sometimes called, can get quite large and heavy, so the stalk must be stiff and strong.
Many gardeners do not plant sunflowers in their flower gardens because they can be on the invasive side as they are very enthusiastic about reproducing. I am not one of those gardeners. I have three new sunflower plants my garden and hope that we can get them to reproduce and take over one section of the front yard. Not to mention, the seeds are very good for the local birds and the bees love the flowers, and we have a very, very bird, bee and butterfly friendly yard.
They are cultivated in fields, and if anyone has driven across a highway in Kansas, you may have seen thousands of these delightful and cheerful flowers nodding in the sunshine.
They are found in most states in the United States, and they may all have a slight different appearance between the regions. Kansas is so fond of these flowers that they declared them to be the state flower.
Incans worshipped the sunflower, and the sunflower seeds appear to play a role in the burial process for the Native American.
We eat its seeds, cook with its oil and enjoy its beauty.
Impressionists were captivated by the golden flower and it remains a favorite focus of photos and paintings today. Van Gogh dedicated a lot of hours to painting five large canvases filled with a vase of sunflowers as he experimented with using only shades of yellow.
It is the flower that symbolizes the third anniversary.
The sunflower is a bold addition to any bouquet of cut flowers, and Mother’s Day is a perfect time to add this showy flower to her table centerpiece.
However, if you want her to enjoy sunflowers all year round, then give her a gift that is as bold and golden as the sunflower. These handmade artists and designers have a large selection of gift ideas for any woman in your life that you call “mom” that capture the yellow of this sunny flower.
Yellow Flower Doily with Double Ruffled Lace
Yellow White Flower Earrings
Cute Owl Earrings,
Dream – Brown Jasper Bracelet Set
Crocheted Irish Knit Lace Scarf Soft Yellow
Sunny Side Up Polka Dotted Dichroic Glass Fun Handmade Dangle Earrings
Hand Knit Golden Sunflower Cotton Dish Cloth or Wash Cloth
Rustic Sunflowers Dog Bandana
Sunflower Pot Holder Refrigerator Magnet Set
Antique Gold Fan Earrings
Amber Garnet Bib Necklace
Swarovski Sunflower Antique Brass Hypoallergenic Chandelier Earrings
Wild Sunflower In Tones Of Honey Canvas Print
Flower Necklace
Etched Medium Lemon Yellow Lampwork Beads
WOOD PANSY FLOWER WALL HANGING CLOCK
Bright Yellow And Blue Necklace Bracelet Earring Set Millefiori Flower
Multi Amber Marquise Sterling Silver Link Bracelet 7"
Hope that you enjoyed these gorgeous creations. If you do not see what you are looking for, contact any of the above friendly and creative artists, and I am sure that they will be more than happy to make something just for your “mom”.
If you want to see more of their outstanding works, then here are some more links from which to shop:
And even more!
Enjoy, and share this blog post and all of these handmade items with your friends and family! We handmade artists always appreciate a good share.
Julie
Thank you very much Julie for sharing this post with us concerning the sunflower. Always enjoy reading your posts. Off to share the lovely handmade items included.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post, as always, Julie. I do believe that Helianthus (love the meaning of the name - yes, I AM a science geek)) is my all time favorite flower. Just can't help but to smile when I see them. When we lived in Canada, I drove by fields and fields of the yellow beauties several times a week. Was always fun to see their heads all turned the same direction tracking the sun. Anyway, THANKS for this post and for including my amber necklace. Will share the post and the items far and wide. Thanks, again.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for including Penny and our dog bandana in this week's post featuring sunflowers! Shared the post and each handmade item. 🌻
ReplyDeleteThank you Julie. Love the Sunshine within this Blog of beautiful items!!!
ReplyDeleteAll this yellow sure brightened my cloudy day. Thanks, Julie! And thank you for included my millefiori set. Shared each item and blog.
ReplyDeleteLove the sunshine you brought to my day! Thanks Julie for including my earrings. Beautiful yellows. Off to share.
ReplyDeleteSunflowers are one of those gorgeous creations that makes me smile when I see them. I have a photo of my granddaughter looking up at one that was so much taller than her. The flowers head was just huge and full of seeds. I love this post Catherine...and the yellows you selected. Will promote!
ReplyDeleteI have to correct myself. I meant thank you Julie!!!
ReplyDeleteI love sunflowers so much! Thanks for this special post, and for the wonderful handmade item selections. Thanks too for including mine! Will be sharing. Sending best wishes and a big hug from me and Sir Gonze! :)
ReplyDeleteJulie, am loving the sunflower theme. Thanks for including my dream bracelet.
ReplyDeletePinned each item and shared the post on G+ and Facebook.
Enjoyed your article on sunflowers and the many handmade creations that followed. I was just looking at sunflowers on Burpee. I am surprised at so many different varieties. Thanks for including my lampwork beads.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning creations everyone!! Such a pleasure to share! Thanks Julie for including my earrings! <3
ReplyDelete