Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Grape Hyacinths




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at 9:38 PM Posted by Mlle Paradis

7 comments:

  1. Sophie MunnsMarch 10, 2010 at 10:53 PM

    Mlle Paradis.... I was just gazing at the little image box in my sidebar blog list thinking..."OH....i must go visit MP - doesn't that look good!" when is came a comment from your good self with a cheery note!

    So hello over there.....and I love Blue hyacinths! That scent !!!!!
    Speaking of scents a French academicI recenlty spoke with told me that mimosa is indigenous to australia but the french have sort of adopted it. Do you know Mimosa? It got my nterest up hearing that little tidbit of info.

    She moved here from France for work and is voluntering as a guide at the Botanic Gardens. She explained how much she has had to adjust her ideas about gardening and also is a little worried about the snakes and creepy crawlies here! i think her house is close to bushland so this is a fair response....I'm not so keen on snakes face to face!

    hope you are going well..

    ciao,
    Sophie

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  2. Mlle ParadisMarch 11, 2010 at 7:04 AM

    Hi Sophie! I LOVE the grape hyacinths and hyacinths of any kind in spring desperately. And the blues seem to fit the scent so perfectly.

    Yes I do know about mimosa. In fact I have some in my house right now! I haven't done my proper research but I get the impression that they are part of the acacia family and it would make perfect sense that they are native to Australia. We had similar trees in Hawaii that they call Lehua that grew like weeds and have feathery leaves and puff ball aromatic flowers. You can buy Lehua honey in Hawaii.

    In France Mimosa is a huge harbinger of spring. You can see Bonnard paintings of les Mimoses (that are gorgeous - and that I adore) and in Paris they are sold to bring a whiff of the "Midi" to it's gray winter streets. I'll try to find the Bonnard painting and post it. I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a rut at the moment so maybe that will inspire me!

    Hope you're enjoying your work and that it's cooling off nicely in Brisbane! I'm still a little frustrated in my ambition to get to Oz! xoxo1

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  3. Mlle ParadisMarch 11, 2010 at 7:15 AM

    Oh p.s.! Yes about the creepy critters. Although the wild snail scene in France is a little out of control! I've certainly had that experience/adjustment in Hawaii and here in L.A. In Hawaii we have no snakes (trying to keep it that way too!) but the lizards were rampant. Of every sort inside and outside (and the giant cockroaches) and of course my cats insisted on biting their tails off regularly and they pooped on all my paintings (not necessarily in that order). My cousins tell me of having to check their shoes in the morning when they were little for scorpions though I have never encountered them. Quite as scary were the giant centipedes and here in L.A. I have encountered snakes and spiders who've given me pause. Like the giant brown tarantula in my laundry room! I had to drop a 40 pound bucket of cat litter on it - it freaked me out too much!

    Nice to hear from you Sophie! You've gotten my tongue loosened now! To all of those who want to shake me out of my torpor, just leave me questions here! Maybe that will help me rattle some brain cells loose!

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  4. KenzaMarch 11, 2010 at 7:31 AM

    Oh! I love these flowers--- Use to get some when I lived in NY City. Beautiful! And the smell. I always wondered what colors they would be as we use to buy them still closed in small pots. And I really like your miniature posting. I never get tired of flowers. Who would?

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  5. Mlle ParadisMarch 11, 2010 at 8:11 AM

    Hi Kenza - last little tidbit and then I'm off! Yup these are called Muscari Armeniacum. Love the name too. They are like little turbans or pompadour hairstyles aren't they? I do so love them. Glad you do too! They only open ever so slightly like little opened eggshells. Like my kalanchoes of yesterday they reserve some of their mystery for the miniature world.

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  6. Mlle ParadisMarch 11, 2010 at 8:12 AM

    Oh ok or they look like Marge's hair from the Simpsons!

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  7. Rambling TartMarch 11, 2010 at 2:41 PM

    Lovely! I can almost smell them. :-)

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