Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Who You Calling a Pansy?


In honor of this spring's freshest trend, I wanted to make a post all about pansy flowers and different was to enjoy them!


Pansies 101
  • The name pansy is from the French word pensie, meaning thought or remembrance
  • They are delicate flowers that look like they have a "face"
  • Pansies are both fragrant and edible!
  • Both the flowers and leaves are high in vitamins A & C
  • Their genus; viola; also includes violets 
  • The yellow or blue pansy flowers seem to have the strongest scent
  • Plants in the genus viola were cultivated by the Greeks for herbal medicinal use 
  • In William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, the juice of a pansy blossom ("before, milk-white, now purple with love's wound, and maidens call it love-in-idleness") is a love potion
  • Pansies are the flower of Osaka, Japan

Ways you can use and enjoy pansies:
  • Both the leaves and flowers can be used as a garnish for salads
  • The flowers can be used as garnish on cold fruit or cream soups
  • The flowers are also useful as a dye
  • Plant a variety of colors in pots or a garden
  • Choward's mints make a violet-flavored variety 
  • Snatch up AP's new print ("Sugar Pansy") or search for IW's older pansy print  
AP's Sugar Pansy print

IW's Antique Pansy print




2 comments:

  1. This is such a cute article! I love pansies and am very happy to see more brands using them in their prints!


    I didn't know you could eat pansies, I knew you could eat violets (I've had violet jam before! it was delicious!) but now that I know they're the same genus, it makes sense that you can eat them as well.

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  2. I love pansies! They're so sweet and cheerful. I'd like to try candying them this summer, maybe decorate some cupcakes with them *mind churns*

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