Jim is absolutely correct! The sun IS different this far North. Due to our mild climate in northern Europe, most people forget we are equivalent to the Hudson Bay in North America! New York City is parallel to Madrid! DC would be on Sicily! The sun comes in at a sharp angle and the ambient light is much bluer, which lends a soft vibrance to flowers, especially pure tones, such as sharp yellow and clear reds, which often appear fresher and less sultry as in southern climes. Many lavenders appear quite blue at our latitude. Also, one shouldn't forget, certain pigments are stongly effected by temperature, especially anthocyanins. Another factor to consider, which explains the gold garden, is our ambient humidity. The cooler air holds more water and the general humidity is much higher and consitently so. It is, simply put, just different conditions. Jamie V. Cologne Germany ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim McKenney" <jimmckenney@starpower.net> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 10:22 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] Favorite Yellow Flowered Bulbs--TOW > I would like to add to Mark's observation about regional preferences for > yellow flowers. > > My impression is that most gardeners here on the east coast welcome yellow > during the cold months. During the summer it's a different story. > > Nor is it just a question of the time of year: the latitude has something > to do with it. For as long as American gardeners have been visiting British > gardens, they have noticed that the light is different. It seems a > ridiculous thing to say: it's the same sun, isn't it? But it's true. > Washington is at about the same latitude as Athens or Lisbon; London is > well north of here. That apparently makes a huge difference in the quality > of the light during much of the day. > > Americans are often very favorably impressed when they see "gold gardens" > in England. When they return home and plant the same plants in their own > garden to get the same effect, the results are often ghastly. Instead of > the warm glow they saw in England, they see a sickly looking plant that > seems to be virus infected or made of ugly plastic. Blame the light! > > Jim McKenney > jimmckenney@starpower.net > Montgomery County, Maryland, zone 7, just north of Washington, D.C. > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >