I’m at the table with Fleur du Soleil or Sunflowers, which say “summer” no matter what language you speak.
Sunflowers were for $3.99 a bunch at Trader Joe’s, impossible to resist for the price and the smiles they bring with their cheery faces.
Grown for beauty as well as harvested for seed, sunflowers symbolize the sun, conveying warmth, happiness, adoration and longevity.
I set a casual table for two by the lake, gathering favorite sunny blooms. . .a Fleur du Soleil watering can picked on a trip to the NC mountains several years ago, sunflower bowls and napkins from Pottery Barn, and plates from HomeGoods.
Mr. Marshal’s Flower Book is providing blooms from the pages. . .
Mr. Marshal’s Flower Book:
Alexander Marshal’s Florilegium, or flower book, is one of the most exquisite and fascinating historic works of botanical art. The only surviving compilation of flower watercolors from seventeenth-century England, it has been admired for centuries for its dazzling color and its incredible attention to the intricacies of a varied array of plant species. A highly skilled, although self-taught artist, Alexander Marshal was a horticulturist and famed entomologist who believed the cultivation of plants was essential to the study of the natural world.
“Exquisitely beautiful, the flower paintings of Alexander Marshal have a timeless resonance that makes them look as fresh today as they did when they were first created more than 350 years ago.”
– House and Garden
Sunflower Details:
‘Fleur du Soleil’ sunflower watering can / NC mountains, several years ago
Plates / Maxcera Sunflower Crown, HomeGoods, several years ago
Goblets / Hobby Lobby, several years ago
Sunflower Bowls, Napkins, Napkin Ring / Pottery Barn, several years ago
Tablecloth / Food Network Cascina Plaid, Kohl’s, last year
Flatware, Chargers / World Market, several years ago
“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.”
~Elizabeth Lawrence
Wishing you a sunny day!
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Metamorphosis Monday, The Scoop,
Wow Us Wednesdays, Tablescape Thursday, Home Sweet Home, Feathered Nest Friday
Foodie Friday and Everything Else Link Party
Your post always makes me happy and this one will be one of my favorites. You are so talented and I love the way you write. Such a joy!
On Jul 31, 2017 6:37 AM, “Home is Where the Boat Is” wrote:
> Mary posted: ” I’m at the table with Fleur du Soleil or Sunflowers, which > say “summer” no matter what language you speak. Sunflowers were for $3.99 a > bunch at Trader Joe’s, impossible to resist for the price and the smiles > they bring with their cheery faces. ” >
Sunflowers are my all time favorite flower. They are strong and proud, they keep their face to the sun, and they feed the birds. What more could you ask.
Sun flowers are one of my favorite flowers. They just make you happy!🤗 You have captured the flower in so many ways! Mary, you are so talented!😎🌴
I hit the Trader Joe’s flower bar, too! :D
I am envious of your bees–have not seen one bee this year, and I worry that the extensive mosquito spraying is to blame.
Wow, just gorgeous with the red accents! Always love you blog!!!
Good morning, I really enjoy your posts in the morning! I remember raising my kids in Up State N.Y and finding a field of sunflowers and taking pictures of my my kids in the middle of the field! Absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing! Linda
Love this table! I remember seeing the sunflower chargers, when shopping, a while back. I’m so sorry I didn’t buy them. They’re gorgeous!
Such a happy table!
Love the sunshine yellow, cheery faces of the sunflower! Beautiful setting!
Ooohhhhh, Mary, so lovely!!! That beautiful lake setting with the stunting sunflower table! What’s not to love!!! The red with the yellow sun flowers looks amazing! I love the way you pair things. And did I mention the magnificent lake view? Ohhhh, yes, I did. Just can’t help myself from mentioning twice, it’s my fav, you’re know!!! Just lovely! Thanks for the posting! It is so refreshing to see that beautiful table and the water this morning!
Absolutely beautiful post this morning to start the week…along with our absolutely wonderful “fall like” weather here near the coast! Maybe you are sending those cooler temps our way! :). Have a great week!
I love how you shop at home first, but the only problem is…I can’t purchase the items! Beautiful…as usual!
Thank you for such a happy post this morning, Mary…among my list of favorite flowers, sunflowers rank pretty high. Love the smiles they bring…a perfect way to close out this month…:)
Beautiful, Mary! I do love sunflowers. I hope your day is sunny — mine is by starting my day with you! Also, a nice cool front blew in from Canada — lowered the humidity for one day and I’m going to enjoy it. Back to humidity tomorrow…..
Thanks Snap! We’re enjoying some cooler temps and lower humidity too…wish it would stay a while! 🌻😀
Oh this is so bright and cheerful! I always think of sunflowers this time of year too Mary and I am crazy over those square plates and the sunflower watering can. The painted sunflowers are wonderful, painting sunflowers with watercolor has been on my to do list for a while, you’ve really given me a nudge :)
Jenna
I’m sure you’d do them proud Jenna!! 🌻🎨
Who could not be cheered in the presence of Sunflowers? Sunflowers are just about the happiest flower that I know. I always buy a potted plant of them – alas, I can never grow them from seed as the critters eat them! You tablescape is phenomenal, always a delight to behold! This is a beautiful sendoff for July. Thank-you!!
P.S. I loved the Elizabeth Lawrence quote when you posted it with the Bumblebee post. It is perfect here also. May I use it too? I already passed on the Bumblebee pollen basket information because it is so fascinating to me. I always come away from your posts with interesting knowledge. Thank-you again!!
Thank you Ellen! 🌻🌻🌻
Hello Mary, l really enjoy looking at your beautiful pages….almost as if I’m on a mini vacation. I don’t know how to email you directly, but I was wondering where you purchased the cream colored rooster dinnerware. I saw them as I was on one of my journeys through your neck of the woods. I love anything roosters/chickens/hens/birds. I’m not sure why but they make me happy. If you remember where you purchased them, please email me. Thank you!
Hi Alberta, I think you’re referring to Antiqued Hen by Pfaltzgraff?: https://homeiswheretheboatis.net/2013/04/09/rise-shine/ There are still some pieces available on Pfaltzgraff’s website that are on clearance, including an adorable teapot for $7.99.
What a wonderful table setting !
Mary, this table for two just makes my heart sing! I love the happy faces of sunflowers, and mine will be blooming shortly! I could sit at this table for hours and enjoy its beauty!
Mary, Your sunflowers are so pretty and that watering can is spectacular! This is such a happy table and your graphic skills are impressive. You have that artistic flair in all you do.
Great tablescape that brings cheer and beauty to us today.
Gorgeous flowers and such a pretty setting, of course I love all your settings. Thanks for all the care and creativity you use to fill our screens with ‘PRETTY’ all the time, Sandi
I love this table as we have a sunflower table right now as well! It is so bright and cheerful. Your plates are beautiful and your photos are GORGEOUS! You sure have an eye for just the right composition, I need some lessons from you!!! When I bought my sunflowers they were $9.99 for 5 of them! You got a GOOD deal!!! Have a beautiful, sunny day!
Mary, I adore sunflowers and use them for my August tablescapes every year. I got a new tablecloth from Kohl’s that I plan on using this year. I love your use of the red tablecloth – that was inspired. Your watering can is gorgeous too! What a happy table!
Perfect sunshine! We are enjoying bouquets of sunflowers here too. I do love Trader Joe’s flowers! Can’t beat the price. We’ve suffered highs of 105 of late, but today seems to have brought relief. Hoping for rain later in the week. The quote is the best, Mary. Thanks for the cheerful post!
So pretty. Thank You for sharing.
Marion
What a beautiful and uplifting post. Thanks
Marilyn
The sunflowers are gorgeous. I had a friend who planted sunflowers with her granddaughter. The next day when they went to check ,on them, a squirrel had dug them up.
Joan
Such a happy table! It really makes me smile.
Wishing you a sunflower sun shining day back …enjoyed your post!
I love sunflowers…your setting does them proud!
Who couldn’t smile when looking at a sunflower! Those square plates are especially eye-catching to me, but that book and the illustrations being over 350 years old – ! I had to do a double take to make sure I read that correctly. That’s so fascinating.
Nice way to start the week – thank you. Hope you have a great one.
What a cheery table, Mary, that would make anyone smile!! I love the red plaid cloth as the background for the sunflowers. I agree with Rita and am amazed at the age of the illustrations!
I did have a day filled with sunshine, and we actually had a cold front…temperatures in the 90’s instead of the 100’s! Hooray!!
I got high-speed, FINALLY CAN SEE YOUR PICS! Now I just need extra time ;-) so fun to see color, wild over the bees~
I need to buzz over and see you too! 🐝 🌺🌻😀
Such a sweet, cheerful table, Mary! I love it, especially the sunflower plates. Have a wonderful week!
What a lovely table and view. We have a field full of sunflowers across the road from us. They always put a smile on my face.
You are so talented Mary.. enjoyable as always.. thanks for your inspiration!❤️
I love sunflowers too, They are just so cheerful just like your table! I just bought some this morning at the grocery store and did a table this afternoon – have to edit the photos yet. I wish we had a Trader Joe’s- my sunflowers are much smaller and don’t have those big dark centers that scream sunflowers!! I would love to grow them, but the deer have always eaten them off! Love the Bee quote too.
Sunflowers..SUNSHINE ON A STEM!! 🌻🌻🌻 I’m a day late reading your blog but I was busy yesterday getting my table ready for Sunflowers!! August around here is sunflower time..I plant lots and love watching the birds trying to eat the seeds while swaying in the breeze..your table does them justice..if you want to bring a smile to someone, bring them SUNFLOWERS!! 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Hi! I just discovered your blog today through a reference in Woman’s World magazine and I love it! You have an amazing eye for color and pattern and whimsy. I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes too. I have a confession to make…. I’ve never been to Home Goods, but after seeing your sunflower plates I’ll be visiting one very soon! Happy Summer!
Sunflowers some of my favorite flowers. I love all your sunflower swag–such a perfect late summer tablescape!
I love the great number of sunflower items you collected for this cheerful tablescape. In French, these flowers are called “tournesol” which could be transated to “turn to the sun” as that’s what they do!
This post is so pretty. Perfect setting for such a lovely tablescape. It’s all gorgeous.