Sunflower Days

Hi! Remember my friends who have the tropical garden here at the beach? Well this year their garden has been commandeered by wildly hugely overwhelming volunteer sunflowers!

Seems they did not dead head last year's sunflowers early enough. ALL of the sunflowers in their garden are from last year's seeds.

Now I love sunflowers, so I think it's wonderful. My gardener friends aren't quite so happy, although they do have lovely lilies, a lime tree, a big pot of herbs, and a tiki or two---but no tropicals. Yet.

I love the corners of cool blues, greys, pinks they've added.

This sunflower, I think last year's seed envelope called them Russian Giants, has to be 10 to 12 feet tall and growing madly each day. The stalk is thicker than my arm!

I was interested to see that the sunflower hybrids, the fancies, did not revert to plain, but remain as original. In theory hybrids do not reproduce uniformly.

Miniature ''sunflowers'', black-eyed susans, in reality, grow well here. Exuberant color!

My friend also planted some tropicals for me. So far this is my Elephant Ear. It's more like a Mo ear in size. And my Russian Giants, dwarfed by growing in a deck pot.

Thus year my friend is trying to trim the sunflowers before the seeds start dropping. He had been bringing them to me to dry. I love them, even though the little seed head flowers drop and make a mess. Next winter I'll bring them to the dunes for the little winter birds and rabbits.

Summer at the beach means it's very humid. So I spray a lot of Tilex around every morning. Then I find myself burning pretty scented candles because not everyone loves the aroma, mmmm..., of Clorox, lol.

Have a good rest-of-July! August is almost here, too bad. How about you, are you tired of summer yet?

My summer has just barely begun! I waded in the pool this weekend hooray.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

from Kelley, in California, some stunning photos of the huge fire out there. Surreal.

and here at the beach...

August

Hello, hello!

August just seems to roll on endlessly, doesn't it. The summer days have acquired a sameness, a routine, dare I call it a bit of tedium? Picnic, BBQ, afternoon swim. Sandy floors and wet beach towels. Day after day of heat and sunshine.
Summer will last here through the end of September, there is no point is talking about crisp air and frost on pumpkins. Not til November usually. School here never ever starts til after Labor Day. And is only held in a desultory fashion though the September Jewish holidays.

But who is complaining!? Not me. Endless summer is fine with me.

Swimsuit. Shorts and tank top. Flip flops. Pony tail. I can be dressed and out the door in seconds. Remember winter's layers? It took me ten minutes to suit up for Mo's long walks.

I did begin drying ''botanicals'' to fill autumn bowls with a hint of fragrance.

Tiny roses that self-dried in their vase. Orange peels. Sunflower heads.

Last year's gourds still hanging patiently in the corner, well-dried by now.

On our walks I've been eyeing the drying hydrangea heads on neighbors' shrubs. I wouldn't dare just snip them off but I might ask if I see them being pruned. The other night Mo and I peeked through a park fence and saw this lovely sight!

A sunset wedding at the beach, in August. A perfect setting.  The gowns match the park kiosks, I see.

A new neighbor has this Nantucket basket on her bike. How cool is this! Right now I don't have a bike but it is on my wish list and I would def need a basket just like this. Nantucket Bike Baskets

Here are my August Pokeberry blocks:

Black-eyed Susans in an old crock is finished. I'm quite pleased, though on close inspection I see the design is a bit too symmetrical..

Not so sure about the robin's nest and apple blossom wreath.

I trimmed down and repositioned the leaves after I saw this photo. I think it will be okay....

Now my friend brought me his just-harvested giant--enormous!---sunflower to try to dry.

It measures almost 15" across and must weigh 15 pounds.

He pulled out most of the rest of the sunflowers...we're having fun, imagining the seed heads sprouting next year, and the landfill will be covered with giant sunflowers. Maybe? It could happen.

If the giant head dries nicely I hope for a display like this one from my Pinterest board.

image via Pinterest

Mo wants me to play! So I'll say goodnight. Have a wonderful week.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...