It's All So Very Beige

Earlier today I got a message from a dear friend in Montreal who in less than lady-like language told me that the snow banks were so high there, she's decided to retire her shovel. This past week we've had so much rain (she got the snow), that our snowbanks are a mere memory. More importantly, the soil in my planter finally defrosted so that I've been able to yank out the red tinsel Christmas tree. Would have hated to have to hang shamrocks from it, just wouldn't have seemed right.

It is still hovering around freezing - so only little bits and pieces of things are poking up. In some parts of the world I've read about how beautiful spring is. Here we have Winter, Beige, then 3 days of Spring - followed immediately by the heat of Summer. Took a long walk yesterday - nothing like bright crisp air and the colour of beige all around you. This is 16 Mile Creek - last week, there was lots of ice. This week, the runoff from the red clay soil has turned the river a charming beige brown.

What looks like clods of soil, is actually ice that has picked up bits of soil and of course the splendid beige colour. You can see that the ice is up over the banks and behind the trees here.

Just so you can see the difference in the colour and the water levels take a look at the next two photos - one from yesterday, the other from late Fall. Hard to believe there's a carnival waiting to be had in this sad-toned landscape.

Found a little staircase so I was able to get up top to show you how worn-out everything looks. Again those boulder like pieces down by the creek are soil encrusted ice.

I dare not show you any more, otherwise you'll all want to come to live here. So, to change the topic, I'm moving right along to what I discovered in my mailbox: My Select Seed order. Here's what I got:

Mirabilis jalapa 'Red Glow' - hard to tell just how pink the red is, but it's been ages since I've grown Four-O'Clocks, so that was my reason for this one.

Nasturtium 'Primrose Jewel' - "This gem has semi-double fluted petals of butter-yellow that bloom freely summer and fall." How many plants are a real butter yellow? Just had to see how it measured up.

Browallia 'Blue Lady' - Browallia americana - I'd collected seed of this pretty wild flower (with the help of a docent) at Wave Hill in New York - had it for several years. It is a charming weaver and bobber and not subject to wilts. Unfortunately missed collecting the seed 2 seasons ago - it did self seed, but our growing season isn't long enough for it to put out a decent seed set. And, so had to order it from Select.

Nicotiana mutabilis - looks like another good cottage flower in pinks and white.

And my Free package of Zinnia 'Old Mexico' - dark red & orange, not as nice as beige perhaps, but I'll find a spot for a couple of them.