Ah, Sunflowers

THE WILD SUNFLOWER
~By Albert Bigelow Paine~

At early dawn, like soldiers in their places,
Rank upon rank the golden sunflowers stand;

Gazing toward the east with eager faces,
Waiting, until their god shall touch the land

To life and glory, longingly they wait,
Those voiceless watchers at the morning's gate.

Dawn's portals tremble silently apart;
Far to the east, across the dewy plain,

A glory kindles that in every heart
Finds answering warmth and kindles there again;

And rapture beams in every radiant face
Now softly glowing with supernal grace.

And all day long that silent worship lasts,
And as their god moves grandly down the west,

And every stem a lengthening shadow casts
Toward the east, ah, they love him best,

And watch till every lingering ray is gone,
Then slowly turn to greet another dawn.

Ah, SUNFLOWER

~ William Blake ~ 

Ah Sun-flower! weary of time,

Who countest the steps of the Sun:

Seeking after that sweet golden clime

Where the travelers journey is done

Where the Youth pined away with desire,

And the pale virgin shrouded in snow:

Arise from their graves and aspire,

Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.

"Keep your face to the sunshine

and you cannot see the shadow.
It's what sunflowers do."
by Helen Keller

A FEW SUNFLOWER FACTS




The scientific name for the Sunflower is Helianthus.  It comes from two words, Helios meaning sun, and Anthos, meaning flower. The sunflower "often" follows the sun, and this characteristic is how got its name.

The Sunflower is a good bee plant

In many parts of Europe sunflowers have provided/and still provide leaves for smoking, flower buds for salads, flowers for dyes, and oil for cooking.


The sunflower is not one flower, but a cluster of more then 2000 tiny flowers growing together.

A sunflower's head can grow to be as big as 2 feet across and the plant itself can be as tall as 18 feet.

The tallest sunflower grown on record was 25 feet tall and was grown in the Netherlands.

The largest sunflower head on record measured 32 1/2 inches across its widest point and was grown in Canada.

The shortest mature sunflower on record was just over 2 inches tall and was grown in Oregon using the Bonsai technique

The sunflower is the state flower of Kansas.

The sunflower is the national flower of Russia.

The French word for Sunflower is tournesol, or literally "turn with the sun".


Flower Meaning -
Dwarf Sunflower: Adoration  Tall Sunflower: False Riches

TWO GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Winner of the Sugar Cubes and Cookies giveaway from Le Chic Bakery Boutique is

gnee at Singing with Birds

and Winners of the embroidered napkins from The Golden Turtle are 

Jenny at Full of Craft

 and

Gail at Victorian at Heart

Please contact me via email ladies, and include your email address and contact info which I'll pass along to the shop owners so they can contact you.  CONGRATULATIONS!

Another giveaway this week from The Tassel House...stay tuned!

TABLESCAPE SOURCES:

Hand painted Tuscan Sunflower glasses:  A Stroke of Jeannie-ius 

Yellow plates, sunflower bread plates:  English Transferware 

Vintage Linens: Pixie Dust Linens

Butterfly Pillow: Jan and Paul Creations
Pip Berry Candle rings (used under appetizer plates) and Sunflower button garland: Decorators Friend

Linking to:

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

House of Hepworth
Centerpiece Wednesdays

A Stroll Thru Life

Toot Your Horn Tuesdays 
Transformation Thursday
Strut your stuff Thursday
Second Time around Tuesdays
Inspiration Tuesday
Tidy Mom