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In praise of pansies
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The many faces of pansies.
Pansies are a great cool season introduction for spring color and are almost universally a sentimental favorite. In fact, their name is believed to derive from the French word for remembrance pensee (so I’ve read—sorry, any French I know probably comes from a menu...).
A cousin of the viola we love as “Johnny Jump-ups,” botanically the hybrid known as V. x wittrockiana offers a myriad of colors and patterns. A great on-line source for the history of the pansy is available from Texas A & M.
But if your interest is simply getting some of these beauties where you can appreciate their early season bloom, just check out your local garden center.
Of course, heat is the enemy of pansies, though some varieties have been developed to be more heat tolerant, according to research published on Ball Horticulture’s internet site.
While generally seen as an annual in our Zone 5 gardens as well as in extremely warm zones of the Southern U.S., folks have been overwintering these cheery harbingers of spring for a long time. Take a look at the Green Bay Botanical Garden’s efforts if you don’t believe it’s possible!
I still clearly recall the small patch of pansies that appeared every spring outside my grandma’s front door, their velvet faces smiling as if to say, “Welcome.” Remembrance indeed!
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