Sunflower Season & the Storm

Sunflower Season & the Storm

September is always SUNFLOWER Season here on God's Growing Garden.  This year I was late planting my sunflower seeds and then we had a severe storm near the end of full bloom.  I say all that to explain why I am late in posting my 2026 sunflowers and to explain why there are less pictures (less pictures might be a blessing because I usually go overboard with the amount of pictures that I take - haha).

I am beginning sunflower season 2026 with the storm pictures.  I am very thankful that twisted sunflowers were the only damage that we received.  Thank you Lord God Almighty for the protection!

Before showing the featured pictures, I wanted to remind you why sunflowers are my favorite flower.  Sunflowers always turn towards the sun - you can literally see them gently turning throughout the day to follow the sun.  To be very clear - I am NOT a "sun" worshiper.  However, I am a "Son" worshiper:  Jesus Christ The Son of God and I strive every day to grow and turn towards Him in every aspect of my life.

  

ENJOY the following pictures!

All photos were taken by me (Angie Ouellette-Tower) and the sunflowers were all grown in my garden.
© (2026)

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

ENJOY!

Sunflowers from 2025:

Skyscraper Sunflower

Arikara Sunflower

"Saved By The Blood of Jesus" RED Sunflower
Wrong-Name REDS #1

#2 Wrong-Name REDS

Sunflowers from 2024:

Ice Cream Sunflower

Indian Blanket Sunflower

Earthwalker Sunflower

Sunflowers from 2023:
Shock-O-Lat Sunflower

Astra Rose Cream

Red Sun Sunflower

Hopi Black Dye Sunflower

Sunflowers from 2022:
Mongolian Giant Sunflower

Velvet Queen

Tiger's Eye Mix Part1

Part2 Tiger's Eye Mix

Rouge Royale

Sunflowers from 2021:
Firecracker Sunflower

Chocolate Sunflower

Dwarf Teddy

Giant Teddy

Sunflowers from 2020:
ProCut Gold F1 Sunflower

The Wrong Seed Sunflower

Ring of Fire Part#1

Ring of Fire Part#2

Sunflowers from 2019:
Dwarf Evening Sun Mix - Part 2

Dwarf Evening Sun Mix - Part 1

Tall Evening Sun

Procut "Dark" Plum Sunflower

Procut "Light" Plum Sunflower

Sun-Fill Purple

Sunflowers from 2018:
Orange Mahogany Sunflower - Part 2

Orange Mahogany Sunflower - Part 1

Lemon Queen Sunflower

Procut Bicolor Sunflower - Part 2

Procut Bicolor Sunflower - Part 1

Sickly "Sonja Branching" Sunflower

Sunflowers from 2017:

Bugs & the Magic Roundabout Sunflower

Magic Roundabout - Part 2

Magic Roundabout - Part 1

Peach Passion Sunflower

Sunflowers from 2016:

Vincent's Choice - Part 1

Vincent's Choice - Part 2

Tithonia Torch - a.k.a. Mexican Sunflower

Sunflowers from 2015:

Tiny "Giant Sungold"

Strawberry Blonde#2 - The Best

Strawberry Blonde#1 - Loved By Insects

Red Hedge

Jade Sunflower

Sunflowers from 2014:

Prado Sunflower

Sunflower Disaster

Sunflowers from 2013:

Giant Gray Stripe Sunflower - Part 1

Giant Gray Stripe Sunflower - Part 2

Giant Gray Strip Sunflower - Part 3

Soraya Sunflower

Italian White Sunflowers

Starburst Blaze Sunflowers

Sunflowers from 2012:

Mammoth Sunflowers

VanGogh Sunflowers

Floristan Sunflowers

Cherry Rose Sunflowers

Monet's Palette Mixture Sunflowers

Sunflowers from 2011:

Sunflowers, Black Velvet Queen

Sunflowers, Autumn Beauty

Sunflowers, Royal Flush

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"Harvesting Potatoes From the Leaf Pile"

Tuesdays with a Twist #700

Welcome to Tuesdays with a Twist #700!

ENJOY!

Before we get to the blog hop today - 

During the month of September, I will be featuring a sunflower post from the past:

Dwarf Evening Sun Mix Sunflower Variety

 

Checkout wonderful seeds at Mary's Heirloom Seeds 

click HERE to shop for the best seeds

Or click picture below:

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Also, checkout one of my Bags/Purses available at Zazzle:

Evening Sun Mix Sunflower Tote Bag
by GodsGrowingGarden

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Good Morning and Welcome to another No Rules Party!

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

My Features this Week are:

1. "Red Velvet Fruit Cobbler" by Cindy's On-Line Recipe Box

2. "Labor Day Family Celebration & a Fall Frolic" by Debbie-Dabble Blog

3. "Kale, Apple & Feta Salad" by Carol on the Lake

If you've been featured I'd love for you to grab a button.

The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Saturday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features.   And now for the party!

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Grow your own!
Many wonderful garden products from
 "Mary's Heirloom Seeds"!!
click to view

You're the STAR - Week#3 FAMILY (September 2026)

The end of September is always so busy with the final harvesting of Summer garden produce (very enjoyable).

Thank you again for joining us!

There are many ways to follow me:

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

blog  |  TruthSocial  |  facebook  |  pinterest  |  twitter  |  zazzle  |  RUMBLE

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Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share this post from my blog:

4 Okra Varieties & Breaded Sauteed Okra

Welcome to week#3 of the September 2026 "You're the Star" Blog Hop!

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WELCOME to FAMILY feature week of the
September 2026 "You're the STAR" blog hop!
Meet your hosts 

This week is FAMILY feature week
Swing by the hosts' blogs:

Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal

Lisa @ At Home With Lisa

Kris @ Kris and Larry . com

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

Colleen @ Butterfly in the Attic

This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU!

There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories.  Just to be clear - this is NOT a themed party - you may link up ANY family-friendly blog posts any day of each month. 

The "theme" occurs in our weekly features:

WEEK#3 FAMILY - parenting, fitness, health, finances & inspirational (this can include anything about children like: education ideas for children, also self help, beauty etc -  anything family friendly)

(These features were chosen from the August 2026 "You're the STAR" blog hop)

Experience Norway in Wisconsin- Norskedalen's Midsummer Fest by Amy's Creative Pursuits

Back To School! Summer Spotlight by Our Grand Lives

Risky Frisky Self-Care by Road Gypsies

The Beautiful Things We Almost Throw Away by Butterfly In The Attic

If you've been featured then please grab a STAR button below:

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All Hosts/CoHosts will post this blog hop on every Monday of each week.

Please link up your family friendly blog posts below!

It wouldn't be a linky party with YOU!

(IMPORTANT NOTE: by linking up you understand that you might be featured next month and if so, we will use some of your photos from your post - rest assured - we will always link back to your lovely blog.  We might also share your fantastic posts on social media.  Also, you may link up as many family-friendly posts as you like & YES - other blog hops &/or giveaways are welcome {giveaways and blog hops will NOT be featured though}  Thank You & ENJOY! )

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Jesus' Parables #2 - THE GOOD SHEPHERD

Jesus' Parables #2 - THE GOOD SHEPHERD

In this series we will be studying all of Jesus' parables.  We previously studied six on this blog but that was before I decided to make this into a series.

Today we will be learning about "The Good Shepherd" parable in John 10:10-16.

Just as a reminder:

We begin by recognizing who our enemy is - "the thief" (the Evil one - the devil).  Read verse 10 below - Jesus is the exact opposite of satan.  The evil one steals, kills and destroys.  Whereas, Jesus gives, saves and restores in abundance ("have it to the full").

If we have discernment and can see who are the evil ones, then we will be able to distinguish who are the false prophets.  Recognizing who is our enemy is very important.

A good shepherd will lay down his life to save his flock.  The hired hand can not be trusted when there is real danger.  As we read in the Scripture passage below, the hired hand ran away when he saw the wolf coming because he did not love the sheep like the good shepherd does.

In one Bible commentary (1805 Bible), they believe that the thief and hired hand represent two types of Pharisees.  The first type sacrifices the welfare of their flock for selfish gain.  The second type of Pharisee is the hired hand who did not have true love for the sheep and thereby lacked the courage to risk it all to save the flock.  I'm sure that we can all think of religious leaders today who fall into both Pharisee categories.

The second moral to this story (and probably the most important one) is about the combining of more than one sheep pen to create one flock.  This represents the Gentiles being adopted in as equal members of the flock - this is the New Covenant (click HERE to read "7 Covenants -#7 NEW").

Gentiles and Jews alike listen to the voice of Jesus (the Shepherd) - we are one flock with one Shepherd.

Jesus gave his life for all sheep pens and created one flock following One Shepherd.

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Here is a list of the parables that we have already studied:

(Please click on each link to read each post)

- The Wicked Husbandmen/Vinedressers (aka Parable of the Tenants)

- The Persistent Widow (or Unjust Judge)

- PARABLE OF THE VINE (part#1) - "The True Vine & the Father Gardener"

- PARABLE OF THE VINE (part#2) - "Be a Fruitful Branch Instead of a Withering Branch"
- PARABLE OF THE VINE (part#3) - "Producing Joyful Fruit - God's Love Remains Forever"
- PARABLE OF THE VINE (part#4) - "Everlasting Fruit & Everlasting Friends"
- The Prodigal Son (Part#1) - The Son Who Ran Away
- The Prodigal Son (Part#2) - The Son Who Stayed Home
- The Good Samaritan (Part#1) - Love God First
- The Good Samaritan (Part#2) - Love Others
- PARABLE of the Sower (Part#1) - Along the Pathway
- PARABLE of the Sower (Part#2) - On Rocky Places
- PARABLE of the Sower (Part#3) - Seeds Among Thorns

- PARABLE of the Sower (Part#4) - Sown on Good Soil

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Below is a list of the parables that we will be studying in the future: 

- The Lost Sheep

- The Lost Piece of Money

- The Pharisee & the Tax Collector

- The Wedding Banquet

- The Two Sons

- The Friend at Midnight

- The Barren Fig Tree

- The Growing Seed

- The Laborers in the Vineyard

- The Wise and Foolish Builders

- The Two Debtors

- The Ten Virgins

- The Weeds

- The Mustard Seed

- The Leaven (or Yeast)

- The Hidden Treasure

- The Pearl of Great Price

- The Draw-Net

- The Unprofitable Servants

- The Unjust Steward (or Shrewd Manager)

- The Unmerciful Servant

- The Great Feast

- The Rich Man & Lazarus

- The Strait Gate (or Narrow Door)

- Christ The Door

- The Talents (or Bags of Gold)

- The Pounds (or Ten Minas)

- The Sheep and the Goats

- The Tower Builder & the King at War

- The Lamp Under a Basket

- The Doorkeeper

- New Clothes on Old Garment & Old Wineskins

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Linked to:

You're the STAR

Tuesdays with a Twist

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"Prayer Basics & 8 Ways To Find Answers"

The Journey of a Monarch Butterfly

The Journey of a Monarch Butterfly

This year has been an incredible year for butterflies!  If you recall, I "mistakenly" planted zinnias (click HERE to read "Zinnias & the Importance of Labeling Seedlings") and I believe they are the reason why my garden has had an abundance of visiting butterflies.  A few weeks ago I got some fuzzy pictures of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (click HERE to view that post) and now I captured wonderful pictures of some Monarch Butterflies!  

Before we get to the pictures, I wanted to share a little bit about the journey of a Monarch Butterfly and specifically their stop at Point Pelee National Park.  I grew up living near Point Pelee and during my childhood we would spend every Saturday during the summer at that park (Here are a few posts that I shared in my "FunFriday" series:  "Coffee & Cake on the Beach" and "Marsh Boardwalk").

Monarchs travel all the way to Mexico and in my area they stop off at Point Pelee before traveling across Lake Erie.  Here is a link to the National Park's website page about Monarch butterflies:  Monarch butterflies - Point Pelee National Park

Last year I was able to capture a few pictures of a Monarch when it visited my sunflowers (click HERE to view "Monarch Butterfly Visits the Sunflower Patch") but these pictures below are so much better!  In some of these pictures you will notice that there were TWO butterflies.

Enjoy the following pictures:

All photos were taken by me (Angie Ouellette-Tower).
© (2026)

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

ENJOY!

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Linked to:

You're the STAR

Tuesdays with a Twist

Senior Salon Pit Stop

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"Deformed Garden Produce Hall of Fame"