Saturday, April 24, 2021

A Parade of Pansies



" The little purple pansy
brings thoughts of the sweetest things. "
MARY E. BRADLEY


If you're looking for a little heart's ease on a cool spring day, there is nothing like the cheerful pansy to do the work. Pansies are one of my favourite sightings at the garden centre right now. Trays and trays all laid out in colourful waves—from the lightest lavender to icy blue and plum violet, from orange and yellow to rose and maroon, all the way to the velvety deep purple and black ones (black not being a favourite, but still they have their own elegance).

I don't remember when my love affair with pansies began—it's been decades—and I don't recall exactly what it is about pansies that first captivated my imagination as a girl. Perhaps it was their cheery faces or their ruffled petals; perhaps it was their utterly sublime colours; or maybe it was the soft yet unforgettable fragrance that requires one to bend near to catch a whiff.

Word got out and over the years I became the happy recipient of all manner of pansy-themed cards and other objects and whimsical items from family and friends. I found myself drawing them in notebooks and dipping brushes into watercolours. And when I learned that a dear pen friend was an especial painter of pansies, I commissioned her to paint a bouquet for me. It is many years old now, but it's still a favourite acquisition. I would take a picture to show you, but it decorates the wall in my Mom's home so no photos of it today. Although I eventually stopped collecting all things pans-ied, my eyes still gravitate to this little flower with its divine pop of colour. I have never stopped loving it.


 

"... and there is pansies, that's for thoughts."
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE


According to my research, the name pansy is derived from the French word pensée, which means 'thought'. Somewhere in the mid-15th century, it was imported into Late Middle English as a name of Viola. The flower came to be a symbol of remembrance. Pansies derived from violas, and as someone put it, technically all pansies are violas but not all violas are pansies. Somewhere in history, it was thought that the wild pansy, also known as Johnny Jump Up, had some medicinal properties and thus came the term 'heart's ease'. For me, the heart's ease is more for the soul than a physical remedy. Who among us hasn't found comfort and pleasure in their bright faces - I dare you to try and not smile when you look at them, either here or in your garden, should you be so lucky to have them growing there already.

And so, a little parade of pansies for us today: the top and bottom pictures are from Pixabay, the ones in between are mine, all taken at a local garden centre. Hope you enjoy.





" The best way to know God
is to love many things. "
VINCENT VAN GOGH




Pansy so velvety, pansy so wide,
Pansy with heart of gold,
How I wish I could stay outside
Till I saw your petals unfold!
UNKNOWN




" Heart's ease of pansy, pleasure or thought,
Which would the picture give us of these?
Surely the heart that conceived it sought Heart's ease. "
ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE




" In a gentle way you can
shake the world. "
GHANDI




"A smile is a light in the window
of a face that signifies the heart
is at home and waiting. "
ANONYMOUS




" Nobody can keep on being angry if she looks
into the heart of a pansy for a little while. "

L.M. MONTGOMERY



* * *

Do you have a favourite today?

* * *

I hope your weekend is unfolding pleasantly.
Sending wishes for days graced with beauty and heart's ease.

Hugs,
Brenda
xox


Photo Credits:
(Top) Deb Nyman from Pixabay
(Middle Pics 2 - 7) Brenda C Leyland
(Bottom) ValeriaLu from Pixabay



12 comments:

  1. No, I can't pick a favourite today. They are all so jolly. I think I should take myself to a greenhouse soon, just to visit some friendly flowers. Thank you for this heart-easing post. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Heart's ease, such a perfect descriptor! My MIL's name was Viola, so every spring, I plant a pot of violas for dear hubby, and we have a quiet moment of remembrance:) But even without that incentive, I would still have pansies in the spring, as I love their infinite variety of colors and sizes. Spring is that much better when you have pansies!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Purple pansies were my grandmother's favourite flower, and of all the colours, I like the blues and purple ones the best. I always include a yellow pansy or two in a pot since the colours complement each other so well. Here pansies overwinter well so I usually have a pot of them in the fall and they do their blooming then rest until spring when they bloom again.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Pansy is such a sweet flower. Each flower is simple, small, yet so attractive .

    ReplyDelete
  5. The photographs are gorgeous!This is one of my favorite flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello, Brenda. Yes, I do have a favorite. It is the one edged in pink with the deep violet center. It is GORGEOUS! I do love pansies, they never fail to make me smile. I have two pots of them on my front porch now. This was a lovely post, Brenda. Happy spring days to you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your parade of pansies is absolutely lovely! Thanks for sharing these pretties and the story of your fondness for them! Hope this new springtime week is off to a happy start!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Of course, the purple pansies are my favourite!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh Brenda, I LOVE pansies. Their little faces are so cherished. It's still too early to put them out here. They could freeze. You created such a lovely blog post today. Love your photos of the pansies. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, too. Hugs. Susan

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love pansies as well. Around here they are named after Amnon and Tamar, the biblical brother and sister. This is based on a Russian fairy tale - there were once a brother and sister who fell in love, not knowing they were related. When they found out, they died in each other's arms and became a pansy.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  11. luscious colors, thanks for sharing your thoughts on pansies!

    ReplyDelete

To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo