Yellow Crush

Yellow crush is a winter blush,

Between seasons they flourish in rush;

From the shores of Australia

To the slopes of Southern France,

They arrived with a sparkle of chance.

In a forsaken space

They took root in a moments pace;

Like a weed refusing to fade,

Births grace to influence their stay.

A contrast with the winter grey,

The folks – their hearts go astray;

By glory they went and pray

For spring to begin its way.

Yellow crush is a winter blush,

Between seasons they flourish in rush;

Filling the hills with a quiet kiss

Waking the lonely to sing in bliss.

* A botanist who landed on the banks of Australia with Captain James COOK (1768 – 1771) were the first to bring the Acacia (Mimosa) seeds over to England. It seems that the first reported samples were given to the “Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew” where they first grew. By early 19^th century the Mimosa were grown in greenhouses and in the private gardens of wealthy English merchants wintering in South of France. Their hybrids grow today, in a wild state, from the southern slopes of the Massif des Maures and Tanneron to Nice and the Italian Riviera.

Sometime between February and early March the beautiful cascading Mimosa blossoms in the South of France, filling the winter hills with a yellow mist. This delicate flower life span is so short that it feels like a passing crush. For a few short weeks the Mimosa becomes the Queen of the Riviera, the only royalty that the French condone. And the region is transformed into a big flower carnival with parades in the cities and villages.

** Photos were taken in late-February at Tanneron, the largest Mimosa forest in Europe which overlooks the bay of Mandelieu-la Napoule.