A Sense of Place

There is a fine line between the enjoyment of observing the plants that we love and rabid Plant Lust . You know how it is, we see a picture of a plant and just have to have it; perhaps it's new to us or it has been a nagging yearning spread out over many years. This was the case for me, I've wanted to grow ( well really, more honestly, wanted to have) Narcissus cyclameus for many years, it is the lovely parent of the cyclamaneus hybrids that many of us grow and love. The obliquitous  N. 'Tete a Tete' as well as 'Jetfire and 'February Silver' all have the reflexed perianth of their N. cyclameneus parent. Although these hybrids are readily available in nurseries,  it has taken me years, here in Canada, to source their lovely parent; finally last Spring I found some bulbs for sale at Beaver Creek Nursery in B.C. and over the last few days, the first flower has opened and several more are on their way. Narcissus cyclameneus * There is a site called Plan...

When I was in Montreal over  Christmas, I saw this wonderful art installation near Place des Arts. It was a dull afternoon so these pictures give only a hint of the effect it has at night. It is made up of hundreds of reflectors which at times pick up the coloured lights surrounding the site. Suddenly they picked up the red light and turn into a field of poppies.