Thursday, September 19, 2013

Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower

I was recently in my local Lowe's garden shop taking a second pass at all the flowering plants. Then, I came upon the Gaillardia plant; more specifically known as Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower. This beautiful flowering plant has a variety of names including Indian Blanket, Indian BlanketFlower, Firewheel, Goblin and Sundance. I'm also thinking it could be an Autumn Beauty like the sunflower!

Thank you for visiting. Might I suggest YOU try growing your own? You will get a lot of joy out of photographing YOUR flowers and sharing those photographs online.

Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower
Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower
Photographed September 19, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
I was actually looking for a couple of daisy bushes to add to my second garden in the backyard. That second garden is adjacent to my sunflower garden. I asked the cashier if they had any more daisy bushes, but none were to be had.

Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower
Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower
Photographed September 19, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
The very moment I spotted the Gaillardia plant, I was sold. In that second garden, I've planted several daisy bushes so I wanted a flowering plant of a yellow color.

Looking at the colorful blossom, it does resemble a pinwheel and the colors surely do match up with the Autumn Beauty Sunflower Plant that I grew from seed. I didn't realize that the Gaillardia is in the sunflower family!

Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket FlowerGaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower
I planted four different Gaillardia plants in my garden. Looking at the blossoms, I see a subtle bit of difference between the two plants' flowers. The plant on the left has more vibrant yellow at the outer edges whilst the plant on the right seems to have more pinks and reds.

Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket FlowersGaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flowers

Gaillardia Plant Features:


The Gaillardia plant tolerates poor soil, heat and drought conditions. It grows best in fertile, well-drained soil. To encourage flowering, remove the faded blooms.

Season: Perennial
USDA Zones: 3 -9
Height: 12 to 24 inches
Sowing Rate: 3 to 4 seeds per plant

Environment: Full Sun ~ 20 degrees to 10 degrees Fahrenheit ~ Semi-Moist Soil

Planting Instructions: Dig a hole that is two times the pot width. Set the root ball into the hole to be even with the ground. Add planting mix and combine with garden soil. Fill to ground level and tamp down soil around plant. Water to settle the soil around the plant. Add a layer of mulch around the plant. Be sure to water daily until the plant is well established. Keep the soil semi-moist to promote healthy growth.

Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower
Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower
Photographed September 19, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Love these flowering plants? You too can grow them if you have the right environment. Why not try some Gaillardia pulchella seeds. Look for the subtle variations in the Gaillardia flowering plant! And, don't steal my photographs ... use your own!

Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flowers
Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flowers
Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flowers

Singular Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower


Singular Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket FlowerSingular Gaillardia Pulchella Indian Blanket Flower

Recommended Resources:
  • Gaillardia was named after an M. Gaillard de Merentonneau or perhaps Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany.
  • Gaillardia pulchella thrives in much of central United States, from northern Mexico to southern Canada. It is the state wildflower of Oklahoma.

Monday, September 09, 2013

What Weed has Tiny Purple Flowers

Help! My yard has been overtaken by this weed that really grows like a weed. At first glance, I thought the initial appearance of that weed was a sprig of grass! After the initial growth, it will start to grow and double up on the green shoots. See if you can identify this weed for me and give me some tips on what to do about it.

New growth of a mystery weed that has tiny lavender-purple flowers
New growth of a mystery weed that has tiny lavender-purple flowers
This new growth of the mystery weed shows how the roots are quite plentiful. There are many tiny fibrous roots which seem to spread out like an umbrella. Once the weed has taken hold, those roots will clump up to hold the dirt and sand. Digging up a patch of this weed, it is quite heavy from holding all that soil.

mystery weed that has tiny lavender-purple flowers
That mystery weed that has tiny lavender-purple flowers
Gosh, I thought mulch was supposed to discourage the growth of weeds? You can see about 4 different "sprigs" of those mystery weeds emerging through my 100% cypress mulch. That picture is actually from my sunflower garden. At first look, you see a tiny bit of growth that resembles grass. Next you see this and then after that ... BAM! you will have ground cover with a network of roots that grab the sandy soil and take hold.

This green weed is really like a ground cover as it will snake through the St. Augustine grass to overtake the yard. I had a bit of this weed last Summer in my front side yard. I dug that up and put in my second Mexican Petunia garden. I went nearly one year before I saw that weed again; and this time, it was all over the yard!

That mystery weed with tiny lavender-purple flowers takes over the yard
That mystery weed with tiny lavender-purple flowers takes over the yard!
In the above picture, that mystery weed has taken over a patch of my yard. That's a picture after I cut the grass [and weeds]. I had waited two weeks to cut that patch of grass. The cut weed was a bit slimy and sticky. I found that the cut weed was sticking to the blades of my lawn mower. You can't really see the tiny purple flowers in that picture.

That mystery weed with tiny lavender-purple flowers closeup
That mystery weed with tiny lavender-purple flowers - look closely!
In this last photo, you can see some of the tiny lavender-purple flowers. Gosh, you'd think this is really grass with flowers! To the trained and informed eye, you can pick out the weed from the St. Augustine grass. This weed is a different green - it is a couple of shade lighter. If you find a new shoot of the weed, you can usually pull it up quite easily.

Identify That Weed Please!

I hope one of my readers out there can help me! What's curious is that this year, throughout the various months, I added a variety of products to my St. Augustine grass. They included these:
  • Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard Lawn Fertilizer
  • Scotts 49805A Halts Crabgrass Preventer
  • Scotts Bonus S Weed and Feed
  • Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer
  • Scotts Super Turf Builder SummerGuard Lawn Fertilizer
I also used some Spectracide 53944 Triazicide Once and Done Insect Killer Granules. Last Summer, I put down about 80 pieces of St. Augustine sod in my front yard. Because that was a back-breaking job, I wanted to be sure to keep my grass looking nice and healthy this year.

For the most part, my front yard is good - that creepy, crawly weed with the tiny lavender-purple flowers hasn't taken hold there - knock wood!

What I am seriously wondering? The Milorganite was also spread through the rest of the yard. Could it be that this is the fertilizer that stimulated the growth of that mystery weed?

Can anyone help?

UPDATE: Thus far I have not had anybody conclusively identify this weed! After receiving a Scott's email, I took a look at their site and was reading about purple nutsedge and purple nut grass along with yellow nutsedge and kyllinga nutsedge. Googling purple nutsedge, I just admit that I did see a picture which looks a lot like the new growth picture of my mystery weed!

Take two! I happened upon a page about Common Florida Weeds. Checking out the pictures, yes, I recognized many of those common weeds. Then, I saw their picture on matchweed - Phyla nodiflora. Boy oh boy, that sure does look like my weed. It is "a mat-forming perennial with opposing leaves on hairy branching stems. Leaves have small teeth at the outer tip. The purple to white flowers emerge around the tip of the seed stalk forming a match-head appearance."

On that same page about common weeds in Florida, I found out the name of another "weed" that I've seen in abundance in my yard. It is Alexander grass and in the same area where that weed took hold, you can find that other mystery weed, possibly the matchweed.

Searching further, I found another weed that resembles my mystery weed. It is doveweed - Murdannia nudiflora (L.) Brenan or Aneliema nudiflorum (L.) Kunth. Here is the clincher: "It is classified as an annual grass-like weed which makes it difficult to kill because it is a distant relative of turfgrasses such as St. Augustine." I remember the last time I was in Lowe's looking for a crabgrass preemergent, the gal in the garden department told me that crabgrass is a relative of St. Augustine grass. Hey! How do I get rid of all the relatives in my St. Augustine grass?

ANOTHER UPDATE: So, the end of October, Peninsular Pest Control was treating the neighbor's yard. I asked one of the fellows what he was putting down. He said fertilizer and pre-emergent. The application looked mighty "substantial." Then, I asked him to take a look at the weed that populated my backyard. After digging a bit at the weed and pulling it up, he said, "it looks like buttonweed." I Googled "buttonweed" and came upon a Missouri State Education site with pictures. By golly, that sure looks a lot like a good bit of the weeds in my backyard. However, they describe the tiny flowers as white to pink. I really think the color is more pale purple or lavender. I do have the variety of this weed with tiny white flowers. That weed is also known as Povertyweed, Poorjoe, Dioidia, and/or Rough Buttonweed.

Sunday, September 08, 2013

Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt & Olive Oil

Thanks to BzzAgent, I just got to try a 4 ounce bag of delicious Kashi™ Hummus Crisps Sea Salt & Olive Oil for free. Yep, I #GotItFree from #bzzagent. So, nobody has paid me for this review or possible endorsement. I am telling you like it is, straight from the proverbial horse's mouth: mine!

I am pretty selective when it comes to chips and crisps. My usual complaint is that the flavor isn't quite right and that they are way too salty for my healthy tastebuds.

Kashi Hummus Crisp Sea Salt & Olive Oil in a bowl
Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt & Olive Oil in a Bowl
So, what a pleasant surprise when I chomped down on the first Kashi Hummus Crisp. Ah, all natural hummus crisps! There it is! Take a closer look.

Note the very round shape. That's what I noticed first. Then, the healthy tannish color. The thickness is pretty much spot-on - not too thin and not too thick. The crisps also have a nice texture with little bumps and ridges.

When I poured some of these into my bowl, I was noticing that there were a lot of perfect crisps; i.e., not too much breakage.

By the way, I didn't eat that whole bowl of crisps. However, I did have quite a few. Looking at the nutrition facts, 27 crisps is the recommended portion for one serving.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 120 - Calories from Fat: 30
Total Fat: 3.5g - 5%
   Saturated Fat - 0g
   Trans Fat - 0g
   Polyunsaturated Fat - 1g
   Monounsaturated Fat 2.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg - 0%
Sodium: 180mg - 8%
Potassium: 90mg - 3%
Total Carbohydrate: 21g - 7%
   Dietary Fiber - 4g
   Sugars less than 1g
Protein: 3g - 5%
Calcium: 2%    Iron: 4%

Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt and Olive Oil with bowl of soup
Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt & Olive Oil
Campbell's Creamy Gouda Bisque with Chicken Soup
My second serving of Kashi Hummus Crisps was the next day for lunch. I had a bowl of Campbell's Creamy Gouda Bisque with Chicken Soup.

My favorite soups are in the orange color range. And, this particular soup was a perfect pairing with the hummus crisps.

In this picture, I show twelve individual crisps arranged around my bowl of soup - rather like the hour spots on a clock! That's kind of the message too; i.e., Kashi Hummus Crisps are perfect around the clock - either alone or paired with soup!

These crisps also come in Sundried Tomato, Basil and Feta along with Caramelized Onion. Both of the alternative versions would be great with this type of soup!

What makes these crisps so tasty? Well, they are made from chickpeas and whole grains. The seasoning really hits the spot with nutty extra virgin olive oil [the only kind I personally use], savory sea salt [I've been using more sea salt lately], and a healthy sprinkling of parsley! A positive for me is that Kashi left out the artificial ingredients and left in "the good-for-you goodness!" For a healthy snack, I fully expected them to have fiber; i.e. 4 grams of fiber; however, the 3 grams of protein is an added bonus!

Thanks BzzAgent!


Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt and Olive Oil Bzzkit
Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt & Olive Oil
Bzzkit: 4oz. package, 5 coupons, info card
Time flies when you are having fun! I've had a lot of fun with Bzzagent. I've been with them for over ten years! Holy moly, but that is longer than my last marriage.

Each time that I have received a Bzzkit, it's been a little like opening a present at Christmas. In this particular Bzzkit, I received the 4 ounce package of Kashi Hummus Crisps Sea Salt and Olive Oil. Included were 5 coupons to save $1.00 on any two Kashi All Natural Hummus Crisps.

For sure I will be using that first $1.00 coupon and sharing the others with 4 of my closest friends.

That Bzzkit info card says, "For those about to bzz, we salute you. Oh, and give you this awesome stuff. To keep the great products coming, get the conversations started on BzzAgent.com." And, so on and so forth! bzz bzz

Well, thanks to BzzAgent, I #GotItFree and I also added something nutritious to my snack menu! I will be working my way through the other flavors, but find it pretty hard to top the great taste of Sea Salt and Olive Oil.

Have you tried any of the Kashi Hummus Crisps yet? Which is your favorite healthy taste?

Kigurumi Animal Costumes and Pajamas

This year I found my tastes have changed a bit when thinking about Halloween Costumes. When I first spied the Kigurumi Animal Costumes and Pajamas, I thought, "what a great multipurpose and practical clothing item!"

I've picked a few of the Kigurumi cosplay animal onesies that I wouldn't mind wearing myself. These pajama onesies are great for youngsters to oldsters and every age in between. An additional bonus is that they fit a variety of body types! Why not have a Halloween pajama party with a sleepover!

Halloween Costumes Animal Onesie Adults Kigurumi Pajamas Cosplay
Corgi Kigurumi - Adult "Corgi Dog" Fancy Dress Costume
Fierce Yellow Tiger Kigurumi - Adult "Angry Tiger" Halloween Costumes Pajama


Frog Kigurumi - Adult Halloween Costume
Fox Kigurumi - Adult Halloween Costume
Giraffe Kigurumi - Adult Halloween Costumes (Giraffe Cosplay)


Gloomy Bear Black Kigurumi - Adult Pajamas Fancy Dress
Pink Unicorn Kigurumi - Onesie Pyjamas - Kigs Animal Costume for Adults
Owl Kigurumi (All Ages Costume)

The Practical Features:

  • 100% original: Direct from Sazac, the creator of Kigurumi in Japan!
  • Machine washable: High quality fiber comfortable to wear and wash.
  • Material: Fleece of 100% polyester; holds its shape.
  • Size: 5'5"- 5'9" or 165-175 cm approx.
  • Length: 59" or 150 cm approx.
  • Chest: 51" or 128 cm approx.
It was not an easy task to just select these nine costumes from the lot. It is worthy of looking at the rest of the selection of Kigurumi Costumes and Onesies from Amazon.

I honestly think that the creativity and practicality of these adorable Halloween Costumes will make them the top best Halloween Costumes of 2013 and years to follow!

Monday, September 02, 2013

Cucumbers in Asiago Peppercorn Dressing

Since I was a wee lass, I have been enjoying sliced cucumbers prepared a number of ways. I seriously love cucumbers. Undoubtedly, my favorite sliced cucumbers recipe is with some sort of cream sauce.

My grandma used to prepare her cucumbers in sour cream with some vinegar. It was a simple recipe and usually no cucumbers ever were left on the plate!

Recently, I was experimenting with Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing. I sliced my cucumbers and added some chopped onions along with salt and pepper to taste. I then added some of that Asiago Peppercorn Dressing.

Sliced Cucumbers in Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing
Sliced Cucumbers in Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing
Holy smokes, but what a fabulous taste! My time is precious, so anytime I can come up with fast and easy recipes, it works for me.

Cucumbers in Asiago Peppercorn Dressing Recipe


peeled medium size cucumber on a plate
1 medium cucumber - sliced
1/3 cup of chopped onions
3 tablespoons of Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Peel your cucumber - I have always used a traditional stainless steel peeler like Brabantia Profile Stainless Steel Vegetable Peeler. After peeling, slice your cucumber. For slicing, you can use a traditional Stainless Steel Box Grater or a OXO Good Grips Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer. I personally use a steak knive.

For this recipe, my cucumber measured approximately 8 inches in length.

Finely chop an onion to 1/8" to 1/4" in size. Depending upon how much you like onions, you might add a little more or a little less. I use a healthy 1/3 cup amount.

one third cup of finely chopped onions
Put the sliced cucumbers and onions on a plate and mix them together. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Generally sliced cucumbers benefit from a little more salt.

A tip when using Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing: I find that the dressing out of the jar is quite thick so I like to dilute it with a little water to give it a looser consistency. That also helps to dilute some of the calories!

After I have diluted the dressing, I add 3 tablespoons of it to my sliced cucumbers and chopped onions. Blend your ingredients together until the sauce is nicely distributed.

You are ready to serve this fast and easy side dish!

Sliced Cucumbers in Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing
Sliced Cucumbers in Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing
I will bet that you will be dreaming up new side dishes using Marie's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing! It has got such a delicious taste. You know, I've also tried Marzetti's Asiago Peppercorn Dressing, but am not as impressed with the taste. I keep coming back to Marie's version.

It's amazing how some salad dressings make the perfect sauces for other dishes. People are using them in many creative recipes. I've used a variety of creamy salad dressings when preparing fish - on grilled salmon and on deep fried white fish or cod.

Oh, I've also prepared my sliced cucumbers using Ken's Steak House Red Wine Vinegar & Olive Oil Salad Dressing - that puts a tasty twist on using just vinegar.

By the way, that plate is actually from the Corelle Bamboo Leaf Square Round 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4. A few years back, I bought one of these dinnerware sets from Amazon. When it arrived, I was so taken with the design and style that I quickly ordered a second set. I'm happy to report that I claimed these in the divorce agreement! Yeah. Oh, the plate in our recipe is actually the smaller luncheon plate. I find I will use the dinner plates more often as serving plates because of their bigger size.

P.S. Something I haven't tried since I was a wee lass is to grow my own from cucumber seeds. Now, I think that can kick the taste of this recipe up a notch on the freshness scale! P.P.S. I seriously love cucumbers!

The Last Sunflower of Summer

It was precisely six months ago today that I started my sunflower garden from seed - on March 2, 2013. Here we are, September 2, 2013 and I am celebrating the last sunflower of Summer! I can't tell you what a pleasant surprise it was to look out my Florida room window to see something emerging in the sunflower garden. At first, I was sure it was a weed!

The Last Sunflower of Summer August 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer
Photographed August 20, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Upon a closer inspection, it was obviously a sunflower plant. I've been battling a host of weeds throughout my yard and gardens this year because of all the rain. And, because there have been several gatherings of morning doves in my back yard over these Summer months.

The Last Sunflower of Summer August 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer with Sunflower Garden Stake
Photographed August 20, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
After I leveled my previous sunflower garden, I didn't plant any more of the sunflower seeds. What's curious, where this sunflower is emerging, were the yellow sunflower plants which were the shortest of the entire garden. It's cool to see that one last sunflower seed is emerging as a plant.

The Last Sunflower of Summer September 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer
Photographed September 2, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Check out that sunflower plant - it is over 2 feet tall by Labor Day. It sure would be cool if this last sunflower actually blooms. You can see that the bugs have found this last plant as there are some holes on the leaves.

The Last Sunflower of Summer in the leveled Sunflower Garden
The Last Sunflower of Summer in the leveled Sunflower Garden
Photographed September 2, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Compare this last picture with the other pictures of my Sunflower Plants Prospering in the Ground. To the left of the yard, you can see the Mexican Petunias in bloom before the purple showers. The sky is quite inspiring with the various shades of white and blue.

Perhaps the most joyous experience I had this past year has been my sunflower garden. I literally took over a thousand photographs and blogged about the sunflower journey in a number of posts. Come along and experience this inspirational journey with me. From start to finish:

The Sunflower Project

The sunflower project free seeds
The Sunflower Project by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Plant these seeds and then pay it forward!
Just today, I heard from one of the participants in The Sunflower Project. Lynda Makara received a free packet of sunflower seeds at the start of this project. To document her sunflower garden, she wrote a Zujava leaf, The Sunflower Project: Sunflower Seed Giveaway. I have given out literally thousands of free sunflower seeds to dozens of participants across the United States. It was great to hear that Lynda had such success with her sunflower garden.

I will be continuing The Sunflower Project into 2014. If you are interested in participating, just let me know! You can add a comment on The Sunflower Project.

For me, all those six months ago, it all started with a few packets of Burpee Sunflower Seeds and Jiffy 5032 Professional Greenhouse 25-Plant Starter Kit! Now I feel like a professional. And, more joyous and inspired. You too can be original and authentic by growing your own sunflowers from seeds. It will surely inspire you.

Tracking The Last Sunflower of Summer


The Last Sunflower of Summer photographed September 6, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer
Photographed September 6, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Only 4 days later from the picture in my original blog post -- the sunflower plant is looking quite healthy in its growth pattern. Already the leaf bugs have been busy; although, I have yet to photograph another insect on this plant.

The Last Sunflower of Summer photographed September 10, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer
Photographed September 10, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
And, here it is another 4 days later and the sunflower plant is growing heartily. It's been rather warm and humid here in Jacksonville, Florida. The rain hasn't been as plentiful as earlier in the sunflower growing season.

The Last Sunflower of Summer photographed September 15, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer
Photographed September 15, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
We could see the healthy sunflower bud on September 15th. This sunflower plant is really growing!! I wasn't sure if the blossom was going to be a traditional yellow sunflower or the richer colored Autumn Beauty. This particular sunflower plant has got a lot of buds up and down the stem!

The Last Sunflower of Summer Close-up on the Sunflower Bud Photographed September 16, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Close-up on the Sunflower Bud
Photographed September 16, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady

Drumroll for the first sunflower blossom on the last sunflower of summer! The sunflower blossom first opened on September 17, 2013.

The Last Sunflower of Summer Autumn Beauty photographed September 17, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty
Photographed September 17, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
Measuring the last Autumn Beauty sunflower of summer, it reached a height of some 52 inches on September 17th! So, at 4 feet 4 inches, it blossomed! I seriously can't wait to see the other buds on the stem blossom.

The Last Sunflower of Summer Autumn Beauty Photographed September 17, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty
Photographed September 17, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
What a remarkable experience! As I said previously, this sunflower journey all started with a few packets of Burpee Sunflower Seeds and Jiffy 5032 Professional Greenhouse 25-Plant Starter Kit! If you haven't tried your own sunflower garden, may I recommend that you try it some day?

Close-Up on the Sunflower Blossoms


The Last Sunflower of Summer Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom Photographed September 18, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom
Photographed September 18, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
The Last Sunflower of Summer Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom Photographed September 19, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom
Photographed September 19, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
It is so remarkable how vivid the colors are on the Autumn Beauty sunflower blossom. I think of this blossom like a sunburst of color with very Fall or Autumn colors; hence, the name Autumn Beauty!

The Last Sunflower of Summer Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom Photographed September 19, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom
Photographed September 19, 2013 by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
The morning of September 19th, when I photographed the final sunflower plant, I was amazed at the number of buds all up and down the stem. In the photo above, you get a glimpse at the buds near the top of the plant. There is one bud directly behind the large sunflower blossom on top. Would you believe? I counted at least twenty [20] different sunflower buds on this one plant! The buds are in a variety of sizes with the larger buds near the top of the plant. Mother Nature has done a marvelous job with this sunflower plant.

The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom Photographed September 19, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom
Photographed September 19, 2013 6pm by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
I just couldn't resist to take another picture of the pretty sunflower blossom at 6pm EST September 19th. We had a bit of rain earlier in the day; however, you can see the pretty blue sky dotted with some white clouds.
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom Photographed September 20, 2013
The Last Sunflower of Summer : Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom
Photographed September 20, 2013 8am by JaguarJulie Ann Brady
The morning of September 20th, I was thrilled to see 4 Autumn Beauty Sunflower blossoms. One of the blossoms is attached to the back of the large blossom. I did another count of the buds and counted twenty-one [21].

Last Sunflowers of Summer in a Vase

I had the opportunity to experience more sunflowers in a vase thanks to a little extra rain that caused the top sunflower blossoms to bow. Not wanting the sunflower plant to fall over from the weight of the flowers, I cut the top off. What a great photo opportunity.

Last Sunflowers of Summer in a Vase
Last Sunflowers of Summer in a Vase
Last Sunflowers of Summer in a Vase
Last Sunflowers of Summer in a Vase
Ah, just like a well-known work of art - and maybe better! It's pretty tough to find such a pretty artsy vase as mine. However! I was searching around Amazon and found a really pretty sunflower vase. It's Deruta Italian Ceramic Vase of Sunflowers! With that vase, you can experience sunflowers year-around!

PS Do not steal my copyrighted images please! Take your own photographs for a change. I put a lot of hard work into growing sunflowers and photographing them. Not cool to steal other people's work; you know??