The rain began to make its presence felt two hours before the commencement of the annual mimosa celebration last month in Sainte Maxime. A little unfortunate perhaps but it didn’t deter anyone from getting outside to watch the spectacle.
Mimosa is a brightly coloured yellow plant introduced from Australia (known there as ‘wattle’) in the mid 19th century. The yellow blooms are a visual treat and provide much needed colour in the seasonal transition when the weather is balmy one day and cold the next. The annual festival celebrating the plant occurs every February and it’s a parade that feels rooted in history. The floats are covered in mimosa and music accompanies the festivities. A mix of dancing girls, bands and children from the village provide a dose of French tradition alongside a carnival atmosphere. This year there were baricades due to the fear of attacks so we couldn’t get onto the street as in previous years.
The mimosa cuttings are thrown into the crowd and I managed to take one home. We actually have four mimosa trees in the garden, however they are of a variety that doesn’t have the dense yellow flowers, they are more sparse on the tree but still beautiful.
Here are a few photos of the day. By the way does anyone know of any good mimosa perfumes? I realise I don’t have any, maybe some samples in my collection but nothing that jumps to mind.
Megan In Sainte Maxime 
I really enjoy Mimosa & Cardamom and Fleur de Cassie though it can be a bit much to start. Mimosa pour moi seems the most realistic to me but doesnt last long. I think both Bois de Jasmin and Fragantica had an overview on mimosa perfumes last year that might be of interest.
LikeLike
Hi Mariann. Thank you so much for the recommendations and the BDJ and Fragrant tip. I’m becoming fascinated by mimosa and now they are fading and turning into a burnt yellow. I have heard good things in particular about Mimosa & Cardamom.
LikeLike
I am seconding Mimosa & Cardamon and will also add Dame Perfumery’s Mimosa (which is so realistic) and Philosophy’s Baby Grace (very soft and pretty)
LikeLike
Hi Lavender. You know the Dame Perfumery line is one I haven’t tried yet but I know it gets a lot of favourable mentions, so on the list it goes. Plus another for the Mimosa & Cardamom. Thank you!
LikeLike
Thanks for the post Megan – it made me smile. I so love mimosa / wattle and its heralding of Springtime. I haven’t tried L’Artisan Mimosa pour Moi yet but adore Jo Malone Mimosa & Cardamon. Farnesiana by Caron is lovely and has a marzipan or almondy edge. Very old fashioned. Trying not to fall in love with it as I have only seen it in 100mls and it is expensive and its not like it don’t have enough perfume…
LikeLike
Hello there – glad you liked the post. You have wattle and we have mimosa. Another for the Jo Malone and the L’Artisan I need to try too, although maybe a little difficult to find? The Caron is new to me and I should be able to try that around here. Thanks so much. I think mimosa is one of those intriguing flowers and notes in perfumery.
LikeLike
I love mimosa and mimosa perfumes (and have 3 posts to prove it). My most favorite perfumes are: Jo Malone Mimosa & Cardamom, Givenchy Amarige Harvest Mimosa 2007, Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie and Guerlain Champs Elysées Parfum.
I would love to visit that parade!
LikeLike
Hi Undina. I remember that you are a big mimosa fan, so I will read your posts. It seems that from everyone’s comments the Jo Malone maybe the star and I know that Fleur de Cassie is lovely but I don’t have a sample, I need to get one. Maybe I’ll do a mimosa perfume post too when I get the samples lined up. The Champs Elysées I should be able to track down. Thank you so much for the tips. The parade is great actually. I like the traditional celebrations they have here, it does give you a sense of the French heritage and history.
LikeLike
Pingback: February Favourites : White As Snow | Megan In Sainte Maxime