Planting Pansies

With the daffodils and crocuses planted in the large pots, the outlook from the sitting room was rather bare. So I decided to buy a tray of Pansies at the market. I -of course- opted for the brightest variety available with lovely tangerine blooms.

The name pansy is derived from the French pensée and originally indicated the viola as a symbol of loving remembrance. Nowadays the term pansy is used for the group of large-flowered hybrids grown as annual bedding plants, whilst the term viola or violet is reserved for the smaller annuals and perennials, some of which are indigenous. One of the parent plants of the modern pansy is heartsease (Viola tricolor). Pansies with their round overlapping petals and face or nectar stripes date from the 1830s. They can be propagated from cuttings, but are most often grown from seed. The modern hybrids don't come true from seed though as most are F1 or F2 hybrids.