Tip of the Month - May 2003

Living in an area where there are four distinct seasons, I have been looking forward to spring. The snow has disappeared. I watch for the occasional surprise in the weather. Snow has a way of returning without warning. In the garden, I see the first tender shoots from the irises, poppies, and tulips. The buds on the magnolia tree are full and ready to burst into bloom. The strawberry plants are stretching and producing new plants. This is the time of the year when a color of green known in Quebec as vert tendre (tender green) appears for a short time. For me, it represents HOPE and RENEWAL.

Here are some mixes for the greens and gray greens of the season.

Winsor yellow and



violet: ultramarine blue: cobalt blue: turquoise: viridian: sap green

Cadmium yellow/orange and



ultramarine blue: cobalt blue: turquoise: viridian: sap green: Winsor yellow

Hookers green and



Hookers green: Winsor yellow: Cad yellow/orange: vermilion: cad red

Viridian and



viridian: sap green: Winsor yellow: cad yellow/orange: vermilion:

Try some of these mixes on 1) a white ground, on 2) a yellow ground. Notice the differences.