Sunday, May 12, 2019

Mauve Pansies

After the daisy, the rose and the daffodil, what other flowers are children most likely to be able to identify? I'd say the pansy is a likely candidate, with their distinctive petals forming little faces. They grow in a vast range of colors, some dramatically splotchy and contrasty, others quiet and subtle, like this ravishing patch, in shades that would grace a Victorian lady's gown. How can sibling blooms sprung from the same seed show off so many different colors and markings? "Pansy" derives from the french "pensee." As Ophelia said "And there is Pansies—that's for thoughts."