The Faces of Pansies: Run for the Shade

When I was a little kid, one of my aunts used to take my cousins and me on walks through the woods near her house.

One of the best parts of those excursions was picking wild violets.  We'd gather fat bunches of them, come home, and put them into juice glasses. They were so pretty.

To me, violets and pansies, members of the same flower family,  are reminiscent of spring in New England. They arrive soon after robins and daffodils. They are among the oldest cultirvated plants and have a very delicate fragrance.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Pansies come in a huge variety of colors and designs.  The ones pictured above are among the most unique I've ever seen. Usually I think of these flowers as being purplish but, in realty, they come in a rainbow of colors.

The word pansy comes from the French word "pensie" which means thought or rememberance.

Pansies and violets are edible but, quite honestly, I wouldn't be interested in eating such pretty little flowers. I'd rather just look at them and admire their beauty.

Did you know the English have given all kinds of names to the humble pansy?  Check these out:

      * love-in-idleness

      * call-me-to-you

      * love-true
      * three-faces-under-a-hood

      * pink-eyed John

      * tickle-my-fancy
      * bird's eye

      * jump up and kiss me

      * God-father and God-mother

      * kiss-me-in-the-buttery

      * rob-run-the-street

      * heartsease

Isn't that amazing?

When someone lacks stamina, he/she is often negatively referred to as a "pansy."   This may have resulted due to pansies' inability to withstand heat. When the heat comes, just like me,  pansies wilt. Isn't it great to know one has something in common with  flowers? 

Here's one new, made-up name for pansies: run-for-the-shade!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLORED PANSY?