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

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