Category Archives: sun

Sunflowers are Summer’s Glory

Sunflowers are Summer’s GloryAre you enjoying the act of gardening this summer? Do you like to water plants, till soil, and watch flowers sway with a warm breeze? What does your garden have growing in it this time of year?

Sunflowers are a main attraction in many yards. Helianthus (as they are scientifically known) seem to catch everyone’s attention. They are popular because of their unique appeal. The flower is commonly associated with happiness because of its unusual height and brilliant color.

The tallest growing flower, with potential of reaching between 8 and 13 feet, is a summer favorite in North America and throughout the world.

Cheer Up Your Garden

Has this summer inspired you to add more color to your life? If yes, consider cheering up your garden with sunflowers.

There are many types of sunflowers you can plant. Some grow taller than a person and develop bright yellow blooms the size of dinner plates. Others come in shades of orange and red.

With tall stems and large, colorful blossoms, sunflowers are known to be useful too. They can create a natural fence to block a neighbor’s unsightly yard and distract from the view with pops of color.

Why Plant Sunflowers

Sunflowers are native to North America but can be found all over the world now. They are easy to maintain and can begin growing within six months of planting seeds. In addition, seeds can be planted up to 100 days before freezing temperatures strike. Any seeds that fall on fertile soil (as this is important for sunflowers) may surprise you by shooting up quickly next spring.

When autumn begins to sweep in, you can cut the head of the flower off a few inches down the stem. Hanging it up in an airy place to dry will produce many seeds. You can gather the seeds and use them for cooking or save them to plant the following year.

Interesting Facts about Sunflowers

Sunflowers are not only a beautiful addition to any garden, they are also interesting. There are many surprising facts about sunflowers. Wet your curiosity with these four truths. Then, learn more by reading this blog:

  • A single sunflower is made up of thousands of flowers joined together- each pedal represents one flower.
  • Sunflower heads track the sun, which is correctly known as heliotropism.
  • Sunflowers are the national flower of Russia.
  • The tallest sunflower grew to be over 25 feet tall.

Sunflowers are summer’s glory. There are many ways you can express your creativity this season, and many mediums that allow for artistic expression. Gardening can be a canvas to those who like to be outside in nature.

Yard work does not seem very artistic at times, but think about it this way: no two gardens are the same. By all means, get outside and create your unique art garden this summer.

Read more Segmation blog posts about Gardening:

Garden Art Knows No Limits

Where Urban Life Meets Natural Art

Tulipmania Art

Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

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Beach Towels: Where Art and Function Meet

Beach Towels- Where Art and Function MeetFun in the sun is what summer is all about. Whether you enjoy bronzing your skin, laying in the shade, diving into a pool, or wading through salt water waves, your beach towel is sure to get a lot of use this season.

If you like to express your artistic style, having a one-of-a-kind towel is one way to make a splash. This type of beachwear comes in numerous designs, colors, sizes, and fabrics. Therefore, finding a towel that is both artistic and functional is a breeze.

Beach towels are sold at most retailers during summer months. They range in price and design, and serve most purposes. If you want to make a statement with your beach towel, it may involve shopping around. Below are some ideas and links to help you begin your search.

Be Unique

A different approach to beach towel design is to purchase one with a famous work of art printed on it. Complex Art+Design shares 10 unique styles that include abstract art, expressionist art, funny quotes, and everything in between.

You may want to hang your new towel on the wall rather than take it to the beach. Have no fear; these one-of-a-kind beach accessories are durable, washable, comfortable, and ready for sand and salt water spray.

Add a Splash of Colorful-

Every summer season brings a fresh roll out of vibrant beach towel designs. This year is no exception. Beach towels are often associated with bright colors and bold designs. While you want to be unique, it is essential to have a beach towel that shouts color. Stripes, polka dots, animal patterns, sea shells, or any other bright, bold designs host colorful accents well. Bright, Bold & Beautiful wants to set you in the right direction by sharing where you can find these sorts of beach towels.

Get Creative-

Did you know that your beach towel can serve multiple purposes? DIY crafters are getting creative with beach towel projects. Martha Stewart is showing her audience how to embellish towels with tic-tac-toe boards so they can play games by the water. Also, some Kentucky crafters offer tips on how to sew old beach towels together to create one large, water absorbent picnic blanket. Read more creative tips in this article.

Find Something Functional-

While creativity and color are great characteristics for a towel, functionality is king. A couple traits people look for when shopping for this summer staple are size and fabric. Find a towel that is long, wide and absorbent. Towels come in all shapes and sizes, and are made of numerous types of materials. If you want to learn more about what type of towel is going to serve you best, Thirstytowels.com has more information on this subject.

A beach towels can be a great way to display your artistic side. Enjoy the summer sun in style this season. Be unique. Get creative. Celebrate color. Enjoy comfort. With beach towels, you can truly have it all. 

Read more Segmation blog posts about Summer Fun:

What are your Summer Colors?

A Summer Activity for Leisure Days

Create Fun, Everyday Art by Tie Dying

Be an Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC (see more details here)

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Image made available by bionicteaching on Flickr through Creative Common Licenses.

What are your Summer Colors?

Thinking about summer usually evokes thoughts of vibrant colors and warm temperatures. In fact, mental flashes with shades of yellow, sky blue and soft orange can be tormenting during drab winter months. Let’s face it, a 90 degree summer day is the only appropriate time to pull out the yellow linen table cloth, light blue Bahama-shorts and fill your drink glass with colorful fruits.

So, we have to ask: What are your summer colors?

In Martha Stewart’s 60 Days of Color 2011, she shares 19 colorful images that are sure to spawn ideas about how you can incorporate summer colors into your warm days. After flipping through some of the pictures, Martha’s favorite summer colors become apparent.

Summer Colors according to Martha Stewart

  • Dramatic Yellow
    • Martha Stewart repeatedly uses yellow as her primary color. To compliment this shade she pairs it with a variety of greens. The yellow has a deep tone, closer to a shade of mustard, and nowhere near the color of a street sign. This allows her to use the summer color in large, solid amounts. However, the shade can also carry an entire design and dominate the swirling motion of flower patterns. No matter how it is used, this deep shade of yellow adds brightness to a room without overwhelming the eyes.
  • Shades of Blue
    • Martha Stewart uses a myriad of blue shades in her collection of summer colors. She often uses light blues to cover large background areas, such as walls, bedspreads and curtains. This allows light to flow through the room and reflect off of dramatic blue accents. Various pieces that are dark blue include throw blankets, vases and paint trim.
  • Orange: the soft and the bold
    • In her 2011 collection of summer colors, Martha Stewart features some bold rooms with bright accents. Perhaps she does this because her readers spend so much time surrounded by dark colors in those drab winter months. The bold rooms photographed are filled with burnt orange, dark woods and deep greens. Something she uses to splash these dark settings with summer color are light orange accents, soft peach center pieces and lots of complimentary candle light.
Martha Stewart has named her summer colors. Have you chosen yours?

There is still time to pick your 2011 summer colors. Immerse yourself in a world of color by doing a leisure summer activity. Paint by number with Segmation is certain to bring out the color expert in you.

Image made available by Shahram Sharif on Flickr through Creative Common License

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Beach Fun

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Enjoy a relaxing day at the beach – being outdoors with the sun, sand, and surf. There are lots of fun activities to keep you busy including volleyball, sailing, windsurfing, swimming, playing with beach balls, fishing, building sand castles, watching the sun set, or doing nothing at all except working on your tan. Our Beach Fun pattern set has a great set of images which capture this experience splendidly… and there’s no suntan oil needed!

Be a Artist in 2 minutes with Segmation SegPlay® PC Beach Fun (see more details here)

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