i have tried to minimize buying clothes and home accessories when i travel, because when i get back home, the colors never look right. we minnesotans generally head toward warmer climates when we travel, and warm climates tend to feature vibrant colors that don’t get washed out in bright sunlight. but back in minnesota, those tropical/citrusy/saturated colors look like garish neon signs against our cool-toned northern elements. take these zinnias that i picked today. they suddenly look so out of place in a minnesota blog, and now it makes sense, because i just read in wiki that they are native to the southwest united states and mexico. of course they are. i really didn’t need wiki to tell me that.

ocotber zinnias

minneapolis, minnesota