Sunflowers in a Vase

I have been enjoying many beautiful sunflowers in a vase thanks to the stormy weather that has visited Jacksonville, Florida in the past week or so. Normally, the weather seems to determine what actual blossoms make it to one of my many vases.

SUNFLOWERS IN A LAUREL BURCH CAT VASE

Sunflowers in a Vase : Laurel Burch Cat Ceramic Vase 2014
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady

The first vase of sunflowers were the bright yellow orange blossoms from Kiss My Sunflower. It was sad to see these flowers get taken out by the wind and rain. I, quite frankly, wasn't ready for those particular sunflowers to end their lives on the stem! The positive is that we all get to enjoy those beautiful sunflower blossoms in the artsy sunflower photo!

Luckily, I captured the story of Kiss My Sunflower on a series of greeting cards. That was before the weather took out those lovely blossoms and they ended up in my cat vase!

Sunflowers in a Vase : Laurel Burch Cat Ceramic Vase 2014
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady

With another day of even stronger winds, along with plenty of rain and some hail, brought us to more colorful blossoms. I added those additional blossoms to the cat vase. Isn't that a beautiful sunflower photo?

The Laurel Burch Cat Ceramic Vase is used to hold the larger blossoms. I had to hunt around the house to find enough vases to hold all the cut sunflowers.

Sunflowers in a Glass Bud Vase 2014
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady

Sunflowers in a Ceramic Bud Vase 2014
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady

That pale green ceramic vase is one of my collectibles from my grandma Julia Nagy. It sports the Hungarian Coat of Arms on the side of the vase.

Sunflowers in a Decorative Glass Vase 2014
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady

The sunflowers look rather glossy in the photo above. I put the cut blossoms into a tub of tepid water to soak off the dirt and any little bugs that they might have picked up from the flower bed.

Sunflower in a Orange Pumpkin Dish 2014
Photo Taken by JaguarJulie Ann Brady

I put one of the yellow sunflower blossoms into a flat orange pumpkin dish that I got from Pampered Chef.

There were a lot of sunflower blossoms that didn't make it to a vase but were put at the back of my yard for the birds to enjoy.

I hope you have enjoyed my various photos of sunflowers in a vase. It's really something to think that all of these came from little seeds ... Burpee Sunflower Seeds!

In closing ... I want to thank those readers of mine who have respected my copyright over the years by NOT stealing my copyrighted photography, images, and designs ... and written content. I appreciate you visiting and reading about what I am doing ... but don't scrape the content.

First Sunflower Blossom of 2014

It finally happened! Yesterday, May 14th, we were at 61 days for our second DIY garden of sunflowers. That was quite the day! On May 12th, we wrote about how the bud was emerging into a yellow blossom. Then, two days later, I noticed that the yellow bud had finally opened to reveal itself. It's not one of those mammoth blossoms, but it still is quite pretty!

FIRST SUNFLOWER BLOSSOM OF 2014

The First Sunflower Blossom of 2014 ~ JaguarJulie
Arrived on May 14, 2014

What is really awesome about the location of that first sunflower blossom? Would you believe it is right in line with my view outside my home office window? I mean, when I look to my left, outside the adjacent window, I can see it!! It looks like this ...

The First Sunflower Blossom of 2014 ~ JaguarJulie
Arrived on May 14, 2014

It is really quite thrilling to finally have a blossom appear after nurturing this flower garden for 61 consecutive days! Much love and attention has gone into the garden; probably more attention than I spend on myself.

The other thrilling part about the whole thing happened on May 14th as well. After tending to my garden, I came inside, fixed myself a cup of dark-roasted Costa Rican coffee with my Bella One Cup coffee maker. And, then I came into my home office, opened the window and gazed out at that first sunflower blossom of 2014, and opened my inbox.

SQUIDOO LENS OF THE DAY

Holy Smokes! My DIY Garden of Sunflowers lens was being featured as the Squidoo Lens of the Day on May 14th - the same day I saw my first blossom. We just had a full moon; and the planets had aligned.

SECOND SUNFLOWER BLOSSOM OF 2014

It just keeps on keeping on ... today, May 15th, as I did my walk through of my garden, I spied the second blossom emerging!!

The Second Sunflower Blossom of 2014 ~ JaguarJulie
Arrived on May 15, 2014

This second sunflower blossom just happens to be an Autumn Beauty. You can see the pretty orange and reddish colors.

After all the traffic and attention my DIY Garden of Sunflowers lens received for being the lens of the day, today it jumped to the top spot of all my lenses, knocking out my formerly top page, Stuffed Cabbage : The Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ever!

Last, but not the least, I was thrilled to receive in the mail today, my signed copy of Kelli Ellis's Do I Look Skinny In This House? How to Feel Great In Your Home Using Design Psychology. It arrived in the knick of time for me to hurry up and get my skinny on!

What a day ... or two, eh?

Final Sunflowers of Summer

When I planted my sunflower garden from seed on March 2, 2013, I had no idea of what that journey would encompass. I actually prepared the back yard plot for the garden in late February. The months of February, March and April were busy growing months that I didn't write too many blog posts. But, come May and June, I was busy blogging several blogs posts about that sunflower garden.

I experienced five full months, from March through July, immersed in my sunflower garden. About the time in late July when my sunflower garden was winding down, I planted another garden of daisy bushes and Echinacea White Swan Coneflowers alongside it.

The biggest JOY I experienced with my sunflower garden were the beautiful sunflower blossoms that epitomized the very best that Mother Nature has to offer. I captured over one thousand photographs of the various sunflower blossoms - it doesn't get any better than that! I could very well see me in my retirement as a floral photojournalist. Wait, I think I am! Presenting the final photo gallery of sunflowers.

Message to Content Scrapers: Perhaps you might want to get original and authentic and grow your own sunflowers to photograph and share online rather than stealing my original work and my traffic to this authentic Google blog!!

Final Sunflowers of Summer

Here is a colorful photo mosaic of the pretty Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossoms from my flower garden.

Pretty Autumn Beauty Multiple Sunflower Blossoms

A Pretty Duet of Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossoms with Bee

Not to forget the colorful bees of Summer! Thank you Mother Nature for bees.

Pretty Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom and Bee

Putting the final focus on the YELLOW sunflower blossoms. I didn't have as many yellow sunflowers as the Autumn Beauty variety, but those I did have were still pretty impressive! Check out that green grasshopper sitting atop the sunflower blossom below.

A Pretty Duet of Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

A Pretty Trio of Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

Saving the Best for Last

Some of my "best" sunflower blossom pictures featured the sky as the backdrop. I especially loved this sunflower photo, photographed against the bright blue sky, because it didn't need any photoediting or tweaking - I just needed to size it. Take a look, tell me what you think!

An Impressive Singular Yellow Sunflower Blossom with Blue Sky Backdrop

In this picture, you can feel the finality. A singular yellow sunflower blossom seeks its spotlight alongside a cut stem of a former blossom.

And, taking the final bow of Summer, I offer up this last photo.

A Final Sunflower of Summer Bows its Head

I rather think that this creatively looks like an ostrich bending its head toward the earth.

Final Sunflower Heads of Summer

All those pretty sunflowers up above have now ended up down below. This is a tray of the final sunflower heads which were cut to be dried.

The Final Sunflower Heads of Summer for Harvesting Seeds

UPDATE: I have now harvested all the sunflower seeds from my flower garden for The Sunflower Project. I will be saving the seeds to share for next season's growing season. And, the sunflower garden has been leveled - cut to the ground.

Sunflower Garden Leveled - Cut to the Ground - The End!

P.S. Relive the sunflower journey from the beginning. Add a sunflower garden stake to your flower garden! See you next season!

Pretty Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

When I used to think about sunflowers, I always thought of the color yellow! Growing my own sunflowers from seed, I've learned that there is so much more than just yellow. I've been sharing a lot of the vivid oranges and reds of the Autumn Beauty Sunflowers and not so much of the warm yellows. So, it's time to put the spotlight on the traditional sunflower in warm yellow colors!

This is a message for those content scrapers out there who STOLE my original photography for their own purposes. Shame on you! May you reap what you are sowing.

Two Pretty Warm Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

You can see the sky behind these two pretty warm yellow sunflower blossoms which come from the same plant. There has been no photo-editing to add in that sky as these blossoms come from the plants which have reached over seven feet in height!

Two Pretty Warm Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

Here is another view of those two pretty warm yellow sunflower blossoms. Another day at a different time of day. Still quite impressive, I think!

An Artsy Solitary Yellow Sunflower Blossom

I find this solitary yellow sunflower blossom very artistic. It looks like it was painted in the bright sky.

A Sunny Solitary Yellow Sunflower Blossom

There is nothing pretty than a solitary bright yellow sunflower blossom captured against the clear blue sunny sky.

Another Inspiring Sunny Solitary Yellow Sunflower Blossom

 This sunny yellow sunflower blossom makes me think of a pinwheel as it looks like it can spin!

A Two-Headed Warm Yellow Sunflower Blossom

I have been awed by the two-headed warm yellow sunflower blossom. It seems rather artistic how these two blooms have come together, one on top of the other! I'll have to share the picture of the harvested head that I am drying for seeds!

Three Petite Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

There have been a few of my sunflower plants which didn't achieve the seven feet in height. These petite plants have produced some of the bigger black sunflower seeds although the flower heads are rather petite as well.

Another Pretty Petite Yellow Sunflower Blossom

I've had several of these more petite yellow sunflower blossoms in my garden. These are from the plants that are not reaching the great heights of the other plants which produce the bigger and bolder blossoms.

Pretty Warm Yellow to Yellow-Orange Sunflower Blossom

In this combination petal sunflower blossom, you can see a mix of the warm colors with a hint of the yellow-orange as though the flower petals were spun and hit with the colors. This honestly feels like a painting to me.

Pretty Yellow-Orange Muted Sunflower Blossom

With this last rather muted, yellow-orange colored sunflower blossom, we have now passed from the traditional yellow sunflower to the warm colors. Yet, this particular sunflower blossom is not quite as vivid in color as the Autumn Beauty Sunflowers that I have featured.

The Life and Death Cycle of Pretty Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

In the photo above, you can see the cycle of life and "death" with the beautiful bright yellow sunflower blossoms flourishing in the sunlight. And, to the left, those sunflowers which have seen their day and will be yielding their heads for the seeds of tomorrow!

Multi Headed Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

I hope I have made you smile or maybe go "Ah!" and experience a little awe at the beauty of these sunflower blossoms. Maybe you have been inspired to try growing your own sunflower garden with Burpee Sunflower Seeds?

Two Pretty Sunny Yellow Sunflower Blossoms

If you do decide to grow your own sunflowers from seeds, please come back and let me know! I'd love to see your pictures.

Autumn Beauty Sunflower Pictures

I first shared some awesome and colorful Autumn Beauty Sunflower Pictures from my sunflower garden on May 22, 2013. That was just one month ago, and since that time, I have amassed over a thousand pictures of the beautiful blooms and buds growing in that garden!

I think it is important to mention that my original photography is not being shared here in this blog post for YOU to STEAL for your own purposes. This is my original work; you know? Why don't you try and grow your own sunflowers that you can photograph and share online ... stop stealing my work!!

A Majestic Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom

I honestly never imagined just how enriching this experience could be. I had spoken about planting sunflower plants for a couple of years, but hadn't tried it yet. Then, it seemed rather out of the blue that I decided I would devote an entire garden to these beautiful flowers ... and even more so, that I would opt to plant them all from seeds.

Three Magnificent Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossoms

For over one month, I have taken photos of my sunflower blooms in the morning and evening. In all my life, I have not photographed any other flower more than a sunflower!

Aren't these sunflower blossoms fabulous? I have presented them in a mosaic of photos so that you can appreciate all the beautiful characteristics of the blossoms. You can see the vivid array of colors from yellow-orange to orange to red. It is incredible to see so many variations and to think all these came from little Burpee Sunflower Seeds!

Two Vivid Red Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossoms

If you look at the last picture in my artsy sunflower mosaic above, you will see a red Autumn Beauty sunflower blossom with a bud. Take a look at how pretty those flowers are above. I wanted to share this updated photo so that you could see the bud in bloom. I think it is a bit of art!

A side-by-side comparison of two rather orangy sunflower blossoms. On the left, is more of a reddish color. And, the sunflower blossom on the right has a orange sunburst of colors.

A Buggy Autumn Beauty Sunflower Blossom

Why do I call that a buggy sunflower blossom? Well if you look closely at the top of the flower, you will notice something buggy going on with the petals. I'm not really sure what type of insect that is, but I can see that it has been enjoying the petals of the sunflower.

An Impressive Warm Sunflower Blossom Threesome

It is quite impressive how so many of the blossoms seem to arrange themselves in the garden to make such a beautiful presentation. Like this threesome with the larger blossom placed up against two complementing, smaller blossoms. With a slight variation in orangy colors! Lovely.

Magnificent Autumn Beauty Sunflower Reaching for the Sky

Just when I thought I had seen all the beauty that my sunflower garden can produce ... along comes this magnificent Autumn Beauty sunflower plant that is so vividly red in color. It is from the organic seeds and it is a beauty!

You know, I started The Sunflower Project recently in which I am giving away free sunflower seeds to those who want to grow their own sunflowers. In the project, after your sunflowers have bloomed, you are to harvest the seeds and then pay them forward so that others can grown their own.

Several pretty Autumn Beauty sunflower blossoms

Well, thanks for dropping by to check out my pretty Autumn Beauty Sunflower Pictures!

Several pretty Autumn Beauty sunflower blossoms on a sunny day

It gives me great joy to be able to experience these each and every day, and greater joy to be able to share their beauty with my readers. Thanks for being there!