Sunday, September 8, 2013

Sunflowers

Fading sunflowers signify the end of summer, but even so, their beauty remains....


The last few years I have not planted sunflowers in my garden even though they are my favorite flower! After reading up on some facts and folklore surrounding this gorgeous flower, I now cannot wait till Spring to plant them again!

What is it that draws us to Sunflowers? The official meaning of the sunflower is loyalty and longevity. I know I am not the only one who favors this versatile flower. It brings a kind of nostalgic overall feeling whether perfectly fresh or somewhat faded. Actually the faded, rustic flower lends itself to vintage surroundings which always warms my heart!


I am not sure when my love of sunflowers (and all similar flowers like the daisy and zinnia) took hold but when I went to Italy for my honeymoon, the fields and fields of sunflowers driving through Tuscany sealed it.


 
Whether it is a vase of three or four sunflowers or a whole field of them, they just spread happiness with their warm radiance.
 
 
 
Some Sunflower Folklore
 
The Legend is.....
 
...if you plant a sunflower in your yard it will bring you luck and if you cut it at sunset it will bring you luck the next day.
 
...if you want to know the truth in any situation, sleep with a sunflower nestled under your bed.
 
...wearing sunflower seeds around your neck will protect you against small pox
 
 
Some facts:

* the sunflower is the state flower of Kansas
* the genus is Helianthus (Greek)....helios meaning sun and anthos meaning flower. It is an annuus or annual.
* when a sunflower is mature it faces eastward
* the sunflower has been around since 3,000 BC and was domesticated by North and South American peoples. It represented the Sun God to many Native American tribes.
* sunflower seeds are used to produce cooking oil, coming in third as a common source
* the seeds are edible and contain calcium and protein

A simple recipe for roasting sunflower seeds can be found here.

My fading sunflowers are not from my garden but were bought for me by my wonderful husband. And now that they are at their end, I will harvest the seeds to try roasting some. I roast pumpkin seeds every year and they are so good that I know these will be too.

Are you a sunflower lover?

AnnMarie :)

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24 comments:

  1. Cranberry MorningSeptember 8, 2013 at 3:12 PM

    Fun post! I love driving past a field of sunflowers and seeing all their pretty faces turned toward the sun.

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  2. chateau chicSeptember 8, 2013 at 3:27 PM

    Sunflowers are such a happy flower and always bring a smile!! Your photo of the field of sunflowers is stunning!
    Mary Alice

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  3. StephanieSeptember 8, 2013 at 4:08 PM

    Hello Ann Marie! This was such an interesting post - so glad you shared all of this information about sunflowers :) They are such happy flower and they make me smile. We have small sunflowers that line our interstates here where I live and it's always gorgeous to drive by them.

    Hugs to you!

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  4. Your Invisible CrownSeptember 9, 2013 at 1:13 AM

    We planted some seeds a couple of months ago and we have some gorgeous sunflowers now. I love that field full of them!

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  5. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2013 at 2:53 AM

    Interesting facts and folklore! I've never grown sunflowers but I think I need to find a place to add a few next year!

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  6. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2013 at 7:42 AM

    Always wonderful & entertaining information AnnMarie!! Yes, I am a sunflower lover, too!! Thanks for "feeding my fix!" Years ago I planted a field of sunflowers. You've inspired me to to it again next spring - can't wait! Hugs & hearts, Antique Shop Girl

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  7. CeilSeptember 9, 2013 at 11:55 AM

    Hi AnnMarie! I know that sunflowers follow the sun through the day, turning their heads to the warm rays. I would love some sunflower seeds to plant in my yard! I had them one year, and they grew to about 10 feet! I loved them.

    Thanks for all the sunflower info today :)
    Ceil

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  8. UnknownSeptember 9, 2013 at 3:20 PM

    I do love them too. I used to grow a handful in my gardens. The birds always got the seeds before we did!
    Fan of the dried look too.
    Wonderful folk lore.
    Thanks!

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  9. UnknownSeptember 9, 2013 at 8:08 PM

    Hi AnnMarie!
    So happy you came by. I don't have notification...guess I need to find out about that. Don't roast those sunflower seeds if they were purchased at a florist or grocery/costco/sams They are for display only. In the real world I am a Master Floral Designer..41 years in biz...they have been chemically treated they are not edible. If bought at a Farmers Market make sure they were grown by them and no sprays. Some farmers markets get their 'local' crops from a wholesaler the same as we do be it flowers or fruit/veggies
    I am now your newest friend and I see you come to Market Monday at ECS Blog...I post that party for them as well as the 4 other weekly parties. Can't wait for Rednesday..shud be fun8)

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    Replies
    1. AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNaSeptember 10, 2013 at 5:06 AM

      Thank you Melody....I did not know this!

      Delete
    2. TJ FosterSeptember 17, 2013 at 12:10 PM

      I LOVE Sunflowers, Daisies & Zinnias too! I think I might be sleeping with a sunflower under my pillow tonight - ha! Thanks for the fun read!

      Delete
  10. SueSeptember 10, 2013 at 11:52 AM

    I did not know there were fields and fields of sunflowers in Italy! Love these flowers too. They remind me of my Mom who grew them each summer. Thanks for the memories.

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  11. sammysgrammySeptember 11, 2013 at 8:58 AM

    You can usually find a field of them on the southwest corner of Route 65 and Calkins Road.

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  12. KarenSeptember 11, 2013 at 10:16 AM

    I like sunflowers now, but when I was a little girl my neighbor had sunflowers that looked ten feet tall to me. For some reason they terrified me lol. That sunflower lore is so interesting. Thanks for visiting and following, I'm following you as well.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lana Kim White AustinSeptember 11, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    Yes, I love sunflowers...and before I scrolled down and read about you going to Italy/seeing the photos from there, the first thing I thought of was how amazing they are in Italy!!!

    I love how you artfully displayed them!!

    Love/hugs/blessings,
    L

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  14. UnknownSeptember 11, 2013 at 6:15 PM

    Sunflowers are such an amazing plant. The tall stem with big bright yellow flowers are interesting.

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  15. MechelleSeptember 12, 2013 at 6:12 AM

    Thanks for all the interesting information about sunflowers. I had never heard the background before about this lovely flower. I definitely can't imagine fall without thinking about sunflowers.

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  16. ShanSeptember 12, 2013 at 4:00 PM

    Such beautiful Sunflowers! You have given me another reason to go to Italy.
    I stopped by from the blog hop with 2 just b u. Love your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Debra@CommonGroundSeptember 13, 2013 at 6:21 AM

    I love sunflowers too, and I love how you have them displayed, interesting facts, too!

    ReplyDelete
  18. UnknownSeptember 13, 2013 at 6:49 AM

    Hi, Im visiting from http://katherinescorner.com! Great blog, the sunflowers grabbed my attention. They are simply my favourite flower. So proud, poignant and pretty! Thanks for such a beautiful post!

    Hoping you stop by http://julshiddengems.blogspot.ie/2013/09/my-favourite-friday-online-finds_13.html

    Juls

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  19. The TablescaperSeptember 14, 2013 at 6:24 PM

    Oh, I'd love to have you share this post with Seasonal Sundays! My favorite shot is the sunflower with sun glasses!

    - The Tablescaper

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  20. The TablescaperSeptember 14, 2013 at 7:26 PM

    Thankful to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  21. bjSeptember 15, 2013 at 4:23 AM

    Hi, NaNa...:)
    I, too, love sunflowers but my daughter in law loves them more.
    I sent her post.
    xo bj

    ReplyDelete
  22. bjSeptember 15, 2013 at 4:31 AM

    OOO, and have been a Google Friends follower for quite some time and following you thru bloglovin....:)

    ReplyDelete

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