When sunflowers get tired, they bow their heads - some people snack on the seeds, others collect them for planting
Not long ago during Qixi Festival, a friend asked Shaoyao for help. He was planning to give his girlfriend a bouquet, but felt roses were too cliché, and worried other flowers might be a risky choice.
Shaoyao got an earful of sweet couple talk, but seeing how thoughtful he was, still shared the ultimate flower-giving secret with him.
There is one flower that all girls love - vibrant in color, rich in meaning, and it hasn't become as overdone as roses. As a gift it's creative and sure to please.
This foolproof first choice for gifting flowers is the universally beloved sunflower.
Sunflower
Sunflower
Emma Stevens
00:00/03:29
{Miss Shaoyao Vol.854 }
x
Sunflower
Every time someone mentions sunflowers, Shaoyao's mind drifts back to childhood. Back then I had a good friend whose family had a field of sunflowers, and after they matured, they sold the seeds to a factory.
Every year in late summer and early autumn, a few of us would run into the sea of sunflowers to play hide-and-seek. When we got tired, we'd reach our "sinful" hands toward the sunflowers and sneak a taste of the unripe seeds.
Later, her parents went away to work and couldn't return even once in four or five years, leaving only her, a child, and that field of sunflowers at home.
She said she often sat alone among thousands upon thousands of sunflowers, thinking of the days when she planted, fertilized and harvested together with her parents.
Whenever people asked her, when are your mom and dad coming back? She would beam with a radiant smile and answer,"As long as this field of sunflowers is still here, I will keep waiting for Mom and Dad to come back."
Shaoyao thinks it may be precisely the sunflowers that grew up alongside her that gave her the courage to live, and the optimism to face hardship with a smile.
Later, Shaoyao happened upon a poem called "Sunflowers in the Sunlight" by the poet Mang Ke, and thought, isn't this describing that girl left behind in the sunflower field?
Did you see it
Did you see the one holding its head high
the sunflower glaring angrily at the sun
Even when there is no sun
its head still shines with light
In the poet's eyes, the sunflower symbolizes a stubborn, unyielding spirit. No matter what desperate situation it faces, the sunflower holds its head high and absolutely refuses to surrender.
After growing up,every time life brings disappointments, Shaoyao thinks of this girl, of this poem, of this flower that forever faces the sun, forever holding its head high - the sunflower.
Perhaps a flower seed carried by a bird,
perhaps a seed accidentally dropped by someone,
a tiny seed just buries itself in the soil,
nourished by sunlight and rain,
quietly sprouting in an inconspicuous corner,
still wearing the shell of the seed on its head.
In about 1 to 2 months,
the sprout shoots up rapidly and grows sturdy,
eager to break free from the soil's bonds,
growing into a graceful flower bud.
After waiting patiently for several days,
the calyx slowly opens its embrace like a shy child,
a few tender golden-yellow petals revealed for the first time,
foretelling the sunflower's vigorous vitality.
Finally one day, the sunflower straightens its back,
unfolding all its petals, like a little sun.
By now it has grown into a passionate, uninhibited young maiden,
freely pouring out brilliance and beauty.
In the golden autumn months of August and September,
the sunflower strives to absorb the essence of sunlight,
nurturing a full, plump flower disc.
When the seeds mature, their color deepens,
packed tightly together, almost overflowing the disc.
A mature sunflower is a treasure from top to bottom.
The seeds need no introduction,
simply roasted, they have a rich, crisp and chewy texture,
an essential snack for binge-watching.
Besides eating them directly,
sunflower seeds can also be pressed into oil,，
rich in 70% linoleic acid,
which can effectively inhibit blood clot formation,
a healthy oil that even people with the "three highs" can consume with peace of mind.
Sunflower petals are a natural Chinese medicinal herb,
brewed as tea together with chrysanthemum,
the faint fragrance lingers in the mouth for a long time,
and it also has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and relieving pain.
Then grab a handful of sunflower seeds,
and a simple, fragrant afternoon tea is ready.
Sunflowers are not only highly practical, but also very attractive,
making them one of the most popular floral materials today.
Besides serving as an original cash crop,
many new ornamental varieties have also been cultivated.
But their size and color are too striking,
so arranging them really tests one's skill.
The pairing of white and yellowis visually very pleasing,
with a few sunflowers set off by small white flowers,
looking all the more cute and innocent.
If you want to play with some bold colors,
why not trypurple, which contrasts strongly with yellow,，
effortlessly creating a romantic French style.
Sunflowers are also a highly versatile floral material,
different vases can create different feelings.
A transparent glass bottlesuits home decoration,
its modern minimalist shape highlighting the pure side of the sunflower.
What Shaoyao likes most is arranging sunflowers in
a clay pot.
The clay pot's rustic and weighty appearance
brings out the wild beauty of the sunflower,
like an oil painting frozen in time.
You can also try using
a tin bucket，
No matter the material or shape of the vessel,
sunflowers can display a different kind of beauty.
Sunflowers also often appear at weddings,
with the bride holdinga sunflower bouquet，
full of girlish charm, and foretelling future happiness.
Find a branch, bend it into a circle,
weave sunflowers through it,
and you've made a simpleflower wreath。
Hang it in a room or use it to decorate a party,
and it's a detail that will make people's eyes light up.
The sunflower's passionate colors and bold personality are much loved by artists,and its most loyal fan must be Van Gogh.
During 1888 to 1889, the down-and-out Van Gogh had nothing to his name and could only rent a narrow, dark little room.
When he heard his painter friend Gauguin was coming to visit, Van Gogh carefully painted several sunflowers to decorate his somewhat shabby room.
For the poverty-stricken Van Gogh, sunflowers were like a fire, lighting up the cold winter night and conveying warmth and courage to him.
Van Gogh also paintedwithered sunflowers, during a period when he was abandoned by everyone and sank into despair and loneliness. The mature sunflowers are broken off, their incomplete discs conveying a sense of destitution.
Van Gogh created 11 sunflower paintings in his lifetime, now treasured by museums around the world.
Shaoyao thinks that if Van Gogh were compared to a plant, it would surely be the sunflower.Passionately and madly burning itself up, creating beauty that astonishes the world, letting a brief life burst forth with vigorous power, and finally heading toward extinction.
To commemorate his friend, the painter Gauguin planted sunflowers all over the small island where he lived in seclusion, and also created several sunflower works.
Compared to the passion of Van Gogh's sunflowers, Gauguin's sunflowers have darker tones, appearing more restrained, even tinged with a hint of melancholy.
Shaoyao previously also wrote about "Grandma Van Gogh" Chang Xiufeng, from a rural village in Henan, who began learning to paint at the age of 70, and whose rustic and warm painting style won much praise. (Click here to review the original article)
Her sunflowers are full of the breath of the earth, with childlike brushstrokes and warm colors, possessing the power to move people's hearts. In the grandma's mind, sunflowers are like her children - only with careful tending can they grow vigorously.
In 1,000 people's hearts, there are 1,000 different sunflowers. Some passionate, some sorrowful, some pure and cute, some weathered by the trials of life.
Indeed, many people praise the bright and beautiful side of sunflowers, but in fact they don't always look full of vigor.
After the sun sets, sunflowers slowly bow their heads, their petals contracting and drooping, their stems no longer upright, seeming utterly weary.
At night, the sunflower is silent and sorrowful. It takes off its daytime defenses, completely relaxes, no longer living up to others' expectations, and simply faces its own disappointment alone.
Just like the little girl at the beginning, you have no idea how hard she grew up alone without her parents by her side;
Just like Van Gogh, who loved painting deeply. Though he said all he needed was canvas and paint, in the desperate situation of having nothing to eat, he still broke down and took his own life...
Just like you and me in this world,By day we are enthusiastic, invincible superhumans, but when night falls and all is silent, we are struck by sudden loneliness and feel empty and exhausted.
Everyone loves the beauty of sunflowers,
But no one knows the tears behind them.
Perhaps every one of us is like this,
Trying hard to face life's hardships with a smile,
Yet crying secretly in corners where no one can see.
But Shaoyao wants to tell the girls,
Those lonely nights are actually a time of quietly building strength,
As long as the sun rises again tomorrow,
The sunflower will still bravely lift its head,
Won't it?
------------------------------------------
Yesterday, Shaoyao and Huatian Xiaoqi launched an annual card for floral art courses,
And it sold out in just a few hours!
The annual card originally priced at 518 yuan,
Is only 298 at the group-buy price for fans.
For just 8 mao a day,
You can enjoy 5 major modules with more than 100 lessons,
Taught personally by 8 international floral art professors,
Helping you realize your dream of opening a flower shop!
In addition,
After paying for the group buy, you need to wait a while,
If you want to complete the group buy and start the lessons as soon as possible,
Long-press the QR code below to add Shaoyao on WeChat~
END
Some images in this article are from Visual China Group, and the copyright has been purchased.